Results tagged “cricut” from Fabric.com Blog
I am a big fan of Cricut and love all their cartridges! It is just too fun to watch my Cricut make perfect cuts without lifting a finger. I have made some other projects in the past with my Cricut: cutting fabric, making magnets and a Halloween banner. Today I wanted to do something for our Dorm Days series and so focused on cutting vinyl with my Cricut.
Cutting Vinyl with your Cricut is similar to cutting fabric, a little tricky at first but once you get your settings right- no problem. Also you need a fresh blade. I watched this video which was very informative (The video hostess is from the Netherlands so she says ven-al instead of vinyl). She offers some REALLY great tips for applying your vinyl letters and removing them as well. What I used was not Cricut vinyl but contact paper which is cheaper and easier to find than Cricut sticky back vinyl plus in some stores you can purchase it in funky patterns like Faux Bois or in your fave college colors. Vinyl is perfect for decorating dorms or apartments because it is easy to apply and easy to remove without wall damage. You can customize it to your taste or style by choosing the Cricut cartridges you like best. I wanted to incorporate the new funky, vintage inspired letters that are all the rage in home design these days. Instead of hunting and purchasing letters of various sizes, fonts, and colors then hauling them home and hanging them, I cut some from contact paper using my Cricut and different font cartridges. Each letter stands for a family member's name and our last name. It was so easy and a lot of fun to make, plus I get compliments whenever someone pops over for a play date or coffee.
Below you can find some more Cricut+Vinyl (contact paper) wall décor ideas for your Dorm or home. Have fun!
http://emuupagumtree.blogspot.com/2011/07/wall-decor-with-cricut.html
http://www.favecrafts.com/Wall-Decor/Cricut-Inspired-Canvas-Art-from-Consumer-Crafts#
http://www.tammyskinner.com/2011/07/vinyl-wall-art-is-addictive.html
We've all watched the Cricut infomercial. Whether it was one of those sleepless nights, rocking a new baby back to sleep or too much Diet Coke at Trivia Night (these are all autobiographical in case you didn't guess), it is eye candy to the craft minded. Though I have never been particularly inclined towards scrapbooking what really drew me to the Cricut was that it cut fabric. What sewer doesn't wish there was less cutting and much more sewing and wearing! Once I had my Cricut I was experimenting with cutting fabric with a quickness. I am still experimenting but most of my predilections for the Cricut have been satisfied. Here's the deal.
You can cut quilting cotton and cut it into any shape that you can cut out of paper with your Cricut. That is the awesome part and it is pretty awesome. Any shape or font that you can contrive out of your Cricut can be an appliqué of some kind. By first ironing on a fusible web to the wrong side of your fabric, you can cut any shape or letter of any size out of your fabric with perfect results. Make sure your DO NOT remove the paper backing or if there is no paper backing, iron on freezer paper to the right side of your fabric (the Cricut is made to cut paper so having a top layer of paper ensures a good cut). It is also important to have a new or fresh blade just like having sharp fabric shears are important to cut your patterns perfectly. Many online tutorials and guidelines I found recommend that you test your cuts on paper first to make sure the size and shape is just right for your project. It is easier to adjust and cut paper than to prep fabric and waste it on the wrong size.
I call upon my Cricut for many of my appliqué needs and it makes it a breeze. After a recent invite to a 2yr old's birthday party this past weekend, I wanted to make something personalized. After deciding on a cape, I prepped my fabric with some Steam A Seam and hand pressed it to the cutting board. I chose a lower case "n" from one of my Cricut font cartridges 3 in. tall and 20 sec later I was satin stitching around the edges and wrapping up the cape to give. As busy as my own 2 yr old is the Cricut makes it possible for us to still give handmade gifts no matter how limited time seems to be these days.
P.s. My next project is to use my Cricut to finish populating my magnetic tree mural in the nursery.
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Stencils are great for many projects: jazzing up your kids
walls, adding some whimsy to a piece of furniture, adding a favorite quotation
above your front door, or creating your own wall paper. Stencils can be
expensive as well but making your own is not very hard. All you need are a few
supplies, some moxie and you are ready to go.
Materials needed:
•
Printed
clip art in the design of your choice
• Adirondack
Dabbers or a Stippling brush
Start with the desired design for your
stencil. You can choose a damask inspiration, words or animals(like the featured pictures) . Decide which
design or shape is best for your room or project. You can use these stencils on
walls, furniture, canvases or even fabric (great for curtains). If you need to
resize your design, you can use your favorite photo program (Picasa is a free
program) or take it to your local photo center and ask them to resize. Print
your design on regular paper. Tape your print-out to the template
plastic on all sides to prevent it from sliding around. With a cutting mat
underneath and using a sharp
craft knife (the sharper the knife, the more exact your cuts will be) cut
around the design. Check your craft knife often to make sure it is still sharp
otherwise you will have to go back over your cuts. Once you have completed your
cuts, pop out the inside of your design. What remains is your completed
stencil. If you are using words as your stencil, be sure to keep all pieces you
cut out since you may need them to finish each letter (i.e. the letters 'e, d,
o, etc will all need their insides). Use painters tape to apply your stencil to
your projects; it provides a strong bond, presents paint seeping and peels away
easily.
If your stencil
is very large and open (see picture) then you may want to use a wall brush to
fill in your stencil. Be careful of the edges, start dabbing the paint as you
get within 1 in. of your edges. If you just brush your paint over the edge, it
will seep under and blur your lines. Dabbing will preserve your sharp stencil
edges. If your stencil features small details or tight areas, a small tight
brush will work best for you and even better the Adirondack
Dabbers. This is a brush and paint in one that comes in a wide variety of
colors. They are easy to use and perfect for stencil work. A few key techniques: keep your stencil clean
and wipe off paint build-up, this will prevent marks on your work area and
avoid seepage (dried paint can prevent a flush fit against the wall); don't put
too much paint on your brush, work in light layers; test your stencil on craft
paper or newspaper to make sure it gives a design you love. Clean and store
your stencil flat between uses.
Designs that work well for stencils can
be found by using coloring pages, clip art, etc... If you find a design
idea that is not printable (wall paper, tablecloths or magazine images), just
trace it onto paper instead of printing and follow the steps to complete.
Anything works and you will be amazed with the finished project.
Scrap booking has become big- HUGE- these days. It is a wonderful pastime that can bring friends and families together. Giving a gift like a scrapbook is one of the best presents you can give and great for any occasion. But scrapbooking can be consuming. There are stamps, papers, dies, glitter, fonts, etc to purchase to make your scrapbook awesome. Or you can buy a Cricut, which will eliminate the need for hundreds of dies, fonts and stamps.
I have a feeling though that if you are this far into this article, you are already all for the Cricut. I know I fell in love one sleepless night years ago when I first spied the Cricut infomercial. According to the infomercial the Cricut is not just for scrapbooking but for general crafting and this is too true. Sure, you can whip up a card in no time but that is not just it. Let me guide you through a few of the many Cricut treasures the internet holds.
Let me first show you my article on making paper magnets with your Cricut. It is so easy that it can be your first craft project with your Cricut. I used this method to populate a tree I painted on top of magnetic paint in my daughter's room. I intended to make tons of fabric leaves for this tree but then I received my Cricut for Christmas and the project was finished in no time. I then stepped it up to birds and flowers, because any good tree needs both.
Next, I found a video tutorial from Above Rubies Studio for making name plaques that looks like a lot of fun. It involves painting but no artistic skill really needed. You will also need some vinyl to be cut with your Cricut. The host describes many gift ideas to broaden the range of this craft.
Custom Crops shows up how to make a really beautiful glass soap jar for your guests. This video even includes showing your how to decorate your soap on top of decorating the jar. I spied a second video tutorial by Custom Crops that walks you through making awesome sugar/salt scrubs and gussying them up as spiffy presents. A third video lead me to the sudden urge to make a bunting banner. These ladies are the go-to girls for non-traditional Cricut crafts and I recommend you check out all their videos (very well made too).
I hope this article has encouraged some crafters who are not scrap bookers to look at the Cricut in a new light. I don't really scrapbook but I love my Cricut. It is handy for all of the above as well as cutting out stencils, appliqués and letters. I also hope that I have allowed some scrap bookers to try something new or to get excited about their Cricut all over again.
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