Decorate for your next party with large silhouettes. Images of ghosts, bats and witches are popular Halloween decorations, but large silhouettes can be used as inexpensive decorations at many types of parties. Make silhouettes of the bride and groom as children for an engagement party. Cut out a lacy heart for a Valentine's Day party. Vary the color of the large paper to match the party's color scheme.

Trace the shapes of the silhouettes onto thin cardboard and cut them out. You may draw or trace your own pictures or cut them from magazines. You can find many royalty-free images online.

Stand the shapes upright by clipping two clothes pins onto the bottom of the shape. The shape may stand on the ends of the clothes pins or you may have to prop the clothes pins up with a large book on each side. Place the shape about 2 feet from a blank wall.

Place the desk light behind the shape about 3 feet away, so it shines on the shape and projects the shadow of the shape onto the wall. Adjust the position of the shape and the light until you achieve the desired size shadow on the wall. You may need to place the shape and light on two small tables.

Tape the large paper to the wall with masking tape so that the shadow falls on the paper. Dim the other lights in the room and trace the shadow on the paper with a pencil.

Take down the large paper and cut out the shape. Use loops of masking tape to hang the decoration.