Samantha Baker

Hi, I’m Sam! I’ll be honest, I’m a total craft addict. I have a whole career based on working with all different types of crafts. Some of my work has also been featured in many arts and crafts magazines over the years. I love to share my passion and knowledge for crafts here on my website.

30 Blanks for Vinyl Projects And Where to Get Them

Blanks for Vinyl Projects

Looking for something new to decorate with your Cricut Machine?

I love gathering ideas and popping them in my ideas folder so that when I feel stuck, I can simply go browse and find something new to work on.

So today I’m gonna talk about 30 different blanks for crafting projects. There are some really fun things that you can find.

I have also added links to most of these blank items on Amazon as well so that they are easy to find. I also recommend that you keep an eye out for some blank items in the dollar stores as well, as you can often find brilliant items there.

So let’s start with our 30 blanks for vinyl crafts.

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List of Blanks for Vinyl Projects

Here is our fun, easy-to-browse craft blanks.

Helpful products to have on hand for those projects include:

 

1. Blank T-Shirts

Now the chances are pretty likely that you bought your Cricut Cutter simply because you wanted to customize some shirts. This item is one of the most obvious crafting blanks.

Shirts are also really easy to work with, so if you are a beginner, they are a great place to start.

I must admit that I love to just grab some blank t-shirts for cheap from my local clothing stores, but you can also find some fabulous buys from Amazon here as well.

 

2. Blank Caps

Another fabulous fun item to personalize is hats and caps. They look absolutely brilliant with some HTV.

And you don’t even need a cap press, click here to read up on how to use your normal heat press to press your designs onto caps.

I love grabbing my caps from Amazon here. Loads of different colors, soft and easy to work with as well.

 

2. Blank Aprons

Have a friend that looks cooking or baking? Or maybe after a Father’s Day gift for a Dad that looks to BBQ? I LOVE personalizing aprons, I think they make brilliant gifts.

I love to keep the cost of the products low and these black aprons are a steal from Amazon.

You can also create some brilliant craft aprons for friends who love to paint or work with messy mediums. I love using these cotton canvas aprons are just begging for some colorful HTV.

 

3. Hot Pot Holders

Another fabulous item to customize for friends who love to be in the kitchen, I love to pair this one up with the apron and give them a few baking tools as well.

You can easily find some blank hot pot holders, here are some of my favorites from Amazon (available in a range of colors as well).

 

4. Blank Dish Towels

Another fun item to work with is blank dish towels. I can never find pretty dish towels in the malls. I think they are absolutely horrid most of the time.

So I love buying these great quality dish towels and simply adding some pretty HTV designs to them myself.

You can add saying, quotes, logos, pictures or a beautiful pattern.

You can grab loads of different types of blank dish towels from Amazon.

 

5. Blank Wristlets

DIY Blank wristlet

After a great DIY gift idea for tween or teens?

These wristlets are fabulous and waiting for your magic. Add some HTV and you can really take these to the next level.

Click here to grab them from Amazon.

 

6. Blank Tumblers

Tumblers are fun to personalize. The plastic ones are great for parties – you could even add names to them so that people could find their own tumbler, or personalize them in the theme of the party.

Tip: Plastic tumblers work really great with adhesive vinyl, whilst we recommend iron-on vinyl on the metal tumblers instead.

You can grab some plastic tumblers here, or some metal tumblers here.

 

7. Coasters

Coasters are a great gift item. I am always in need of coasters in my home and again I don’t really like the ones from the store. Personalize them in a travel theme or with some silly quotes. You get the idea.

You can grab these beautiful leather coasters here, but if you prefer you can also find some blank wood coasters or blank glass coasters.

 

8. Glasses

Glasses are great – especially whisky or wine glasses. Pair it up with a bottle of wine and you have a quick but really cool gift.

I love these glasses from Amazon, but you can find LOADS of glasses to use here.

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9. Flower Vases

Flower vases can be pretty boring, so why not elevate them with a simple metallic vinyl saying? Or use some removable adhesive vinyl to create a mask and give the whole vase a spray paint – it makes a great color pop to any room.

I love grabbing my vases when I see them on sale, but you can browse through the big selection on Amazon here too.

 

10. Pencil/Pen Box Holders

These are functional –  I have one on my desk. I just bought a cheap ugly white silicone pen holder actually, but luckily I could make it really pretty with some vinyl.

I just found this wooden craft pen holder on Amazon and think it is much better than mine though.

 

11. Blank Baby Bibs/Bandanas

These Baby Bandanas are all the rage right now and you can easily add a fun saying or funky pattern to make them really cool.

Fabulous baby gift as you always need at least a few of these as a new mom.

You can grab the set of these bandanas from Amazon here.

 

12. Blank Dog Shirts

Looking for a gift for a dog owner? You can easily personalize these dog shirts with the pet’s name or maybe a cheeky saying?

Grab the set from Amazon here.

 

13. Luggage Tags

Have a friend that loves to travel? How about adding a fun travel quote to these tags, or maybe the world map or even just their name.

Grab some tags from Amazon here.

 

14. Bags

Another fabulous blank product to add vinyl too is bags. Think of make-up bags or even backpacks. So cool to add some unique vinyl designs and make them truly special.

You can even pick some up for pretty cheap as well. Here is our go-to blank make-up bag.

 

15. Socks

Blank socks are the new fad. Have you seen the socks where the sole of the sock has a cheeky saying on them?

Add a saying on the bottom of the socks (so you will see them when someone is relaxing with their feet up), or add a sports team name to the sides.

Cheap and easy gift idea.

You can find loads of blank socks here.

 

16. Blank Onesies

Blank onesies – one of my favorite items to personalize because they just look so darn cute when you have them vinyl’ed up. Cute gifts!

Here is a great blank set of onesies that you can grab.

 

17. Blank Tote Bags


Blank totes are super fun and the beauty is that they are super cheap too. So many uses for tote bags – beach bags, shopping bags, book bags, craft bags, and even just as gift bags.

You can grab these canvas tote bags from Amazon, they come in a nice variety of colors as well.

 

18. Blank Mugs

Blank coffee mugs and tea cups – oh yes!! They look BRILLIANT with some vinyl on them but do keep in mind that it is best to handwash them once vinyl is on.

You could try to use heat transfer vinyl – which should work better with the heat of a dishwasher, or you could try sealing it, but eventually, it will start coming off.

Browse through all the blank mugs here.

 

19. Flower Pots

I love gifting plants, I just think plants always add such a homely touch to any home. My favorite way of elevating the gift is to apply some adhesive vinyl to the blank flower pot. It really makes a lovely gift.

These pots from Amazon are cheap and comes in different sizes (available in black as well).

 

20. Party Tubs/Buckets

So another idea is the party tubs, you can find these in metal as well and they are great to personalize.

We love using them to theme up our party, but I’ve also seen them being used at sports events as well – great place to pop the sports gear when not being used.

You can find a range of blank party tubs here.

 

21. Blank Pillows

I really love these blank linen throw pillows and they come in a range of solid colors as well. Great to theme up a room for different seasons or events and they make great gifts as well.

Hop over to Amazon and grab them (I think they are very reasonably priced)

 

22. Blank Table Runners

You can find some beautiful blank table runners. I love these linen blank runners from Amazon.

Imagine all the possibilities of turning this runner into a unique decorative piece for your dining table.

Click here to snap this one up from Amazon.

 

23. Placemats

Whilst we are talking about table runners, we might just as well mention blank placements. I love these heat resistant light linen placements, and they come in a range of colors as well.

 

24. Wood

You can easily whip up some blank wood signs for decor, for weddings or for parties. You can even use wood planks to make up some hanging signs as well.

I love to buy my wood pre-stained and ready to go, but if you don’t mind doing the staining you can really pick up some cheap wood.

Otherwise, feel free to browse through the blank wood pieces on Amazon here.

 

25. Blank Leather Bracelets

Here is a unique blank product idea. Blank leather bracelets, they come in different colors and they are just begging for your personal touch.

Grab the blank leather bracelets from here.

 

26. Laundry Sorter

Have a big family? These blank laundry sorters can be a lifesaver. Pop some vinyl on them to help the kids understand which is for the blacks, the whites and the colors.

Grab this laundry sorter here.

 

27. Blank Jars

Blank jars are fabulous, they are easy to decorate and there are so many different uses for them.

You can store spices, you can display candies at a party, you can make a candle in it, you can pop some homemade jar in it or maybe just a collection of little gifts.

Grab some jars and give them a go. They are so much fun!

Loads of jars on Amazon here and they are cheap too!

 

28. Candles

Buy some candles that have sticker labels on them. You can carefully remove these stickers and then add a beautiful decorative vinyl design to take the candle vase.

Everyone loves candles and I really think that candles are elegant gifts.

 

29. Storage Containers

Blank storage containers are great for so many different reasons. Organize the kids toys, organize the tools in the garage, organize your craft goodies etc.

It would be a great idea to label these containers to make it easier to organize.

You can grab this cute kids storage container system here.

 

30. Blank Pencil Cases

The last one for our list today is blank pencil cases. Great if you have kids as you can customize these according to their passions and interests.

You can grab these canvas pencil cases from Amazon here.

 

Other blanks for vinyl crafting that you can easily get hold of is picture frames, mirrors, blank key chains, trays, any blank dollar items, laptops, blank notebooks, journals, car windows, makeup brushes, and so much more!!

And there you have our massive list of vinyl blanks. I hope you have gathered some inspiration and that you are ready to tackle the next project.

Till next time,

Sam xxx

10 Stunning DIY Signs [Tutorials on How to Make Each Sign Included]

wood sign ideas with the Cricut Maker

After some inspiration for homemade wooden signs?

Today we have a gorgeous list of DIY signs to inspire your new project. Not only do we share some of our favorite DIY wood signs, but you will also find pallet signs, signs with fabric lettering, as well as many others.

Each sign comes with its own tutorial to help you recreate them, simply click through to each website listed below the picture.

So without further ado, here is our list of some of the best DIY signs from around the web.

 

10 DIY Signs to Inspire Your Creativity

Below you can find a list of some of our favorite DIY signs. I think the DIY wooden signs with sayings are my favorite, but we also have some DIY Pallet Signs, some DIY Signs for Home or for seasons such as fall or Christmas.

I’m sure whatever you love working with, you will find at least one sign on our list to get your next project moving.

DIY Wooden Fall Sign

This beautiful DIY Wooden Fall Sign is a great statement piece for any front porch. You can find the full tutorial on Our Home Made Easy.

The tutorial is pretty full-on so probably better suited to advanced crafters. It would also be beneficial to have a cutting machine such as the Cricut Explore Air 2 or the Silhouette Cameo 3 on hand (but you could do it without it).

 

DIY Pallet Sign

I am loving the bright colors on this fun sign. You can find the tutorial on Creative Green Living.

Whilst the tutorial is done with bought letters, remember that you can always create your own letters if you own a Cricut Maker Machine and you have the knife blade on hand. This blade is strong enough to cut through board, chipboard, balsa wood and more!

 

DIY wooden signs

Can you believe that this stunning DIY wooden sign was whipped up from an old watermelon sign? Salvage Sister and Mister show you how to upcycle a cheap sign to create something brand new. So nifty!

 

DIY Fabric Fall Sign

Here is a nifty way to add both pattern and texture to your saying on your sign. Simply use some fabric! The easiest way to cut fabric is with an electric fabric cutting machine.

Visit Life Sew Savory to find the full tutorial for this gorgeous DIY fabric fall sign.

 

christmas-tree-farm-how to make a sign

After some inspiration on how to make a sign for Christmas? This Farmstyle Christmas Sign is right up my alley! You can find the full tutorial on Cutesy Crafts.

In order to follow this tutorial you will need to have a good vinyl cutting machine, as well as some adhesive vinyl that you will use to make a stencil.

 

wooden signs for home

Next on our list is some gorgeous wooden signs for home. I love the simplicity that brings elegance to this sign by Amber Oliver. She will show you how to transfer printed letters to a wooden sign.

 

wooden signs with sayings

After inspiration for some wooden signs with sayings? I love how Where The Smiles Have Been combined some fun photos with her wood sign.

 

wood decor signs for Christmas

After some truly special wood decor signs for Christmas or other special occasions? I really love how Making Manzanita took a unique approach by making the sign from individual wood pieces. What a stunning sign.

 

wood sign ideas with the Cricut Maker

Looking for some wood sign ideas that you can whip up specifically with the Cricut Maker Cutter?  Everyday Jenny will take you through a full tutorial and show you how to create this statement piece.

Note: you will need to have the Cricut Knife Blade as well as a StrongGrip Mat

homemade wooden signs

How clever is this reversible holiday sign. Why make two signs, when you can simply turn one around when the next holiday season comes around 🙂 Super nifty! Find the tutorial on Simply Made Fun.

 

If you enjoy wood sign making or any other signs for that matter, then I am sure that you must have enjoyed our post today.

Don’t forget that you can click through to the listed blogs and websites where you can find the full tutorial on how to make your own sign.

I think I’m feeling inspired to go and make a DIY welcome sign for my home right now.

Till later guys,

Sam xxx

How to Start a T-Shirt Printing Business at Home

t shirt printing business equipment

When it comes to casual wear, there’s nothing that beats the simplicity and comfort provided by a t-shirt!

Millions of these pieces of clothing are sold every year, and custom-printed t-shirts make up for a massive share of this market.

Unlike most other niches, an online t-shirt printing business can be sustained for a long time simply because t-shirts are here to stay, and will continue to be a part of our wardrobes for most of the foreseeable future!

Customized t-shirts have become extremely popular in recent years, and the demand for these things have skyrocketed with each passing year.

So if you’re thinking of getting started with vinyl t-shirt printing at home, I can assure you that now is a great time to start.

Different Types of Shirt Printing Methods

If you have no idea regarding how to start a t-shirt printing business at home, worry not – we got you covered!

 

Our Guide on How to Start a T-Shirt Printing Business at Home

This article will set you up with all the knowledge you need to get started in this business.

We will also be discussing some common mistakes beginners tend to make in this business, and how you can avoid them.

So let’s get started!

1. Invest in the right T-Shirt Printing Method

When you’re at the initial stages of setting up a t-shirt printing business, you need to evaluate the various printing methods available and choose the one that’s best suited for you.

Each method requires a different set of equipment, and comes along with its pros and cons!

 

a) Digital Heat Transfer Method

The heat transfer method is a commonly used technique for t-shirt printing simply because this method is highly cost-effective, and does not require too much effort to get things done.

This method involves printing out your image onto heat transfer paper and then heat pressing t-shirts with the transfer in order to embed the image on to a t-shirt. 

However, the heat transfer method comes with a significant drawback – they only work properly on white t-shirts. So it is not as versatile and the transfers don’t last nearly as long as it does with vinyl.

 

b) Vinyl Transfer Method

Heat Press Machine to Print Shirts

The vinyl transfer method has become extremely popular because it does not come with the drawbacks associated with the heat transfer method.  

You can easily layer colors using this method, and even use multiple colors in your designs for highly attractive t-shirts.

However, this method requires a significantly higher effort because you’ll need to cut out your artwork using a vinyl cutter. Regardless, vinyl t-shirt printing at home is still lots of fun and happens to be our favorite way to print on shirts.

You can then embed your design on to the t-shirt using a heat press for vinyl shirts.

 

c) Sublimation Method

t shirt printing machine

This method uses a t-shirt printing machine. You will need to turn the print into ink by using heat and then embedding the design on your t-shirt.

The sublimation method is ideal for light colored fabrics and should be restricted to synthetic surfaces such as acrylic and polyester. You can read more about the comparisons between screen vs heat transfer printing here.

 

2. Purchase the Right T-shirt Printing Business Equipment

Tools for Heat Transfer Business

If you want to succeed in this business, you need to make sure that your prints are of high quality!

This means buying a good quality heat press for printing vibrant designs that look top-notch.

We also recommend that you get a good idea regarding the heat and pressure aspects of these machines.

If you’re planning on running the heat press business from home, then we recommend you to get the clamshell models. They are ideal for small spaces and produce high-quality prints.

If you’re not hindered by space, we recommend going for the swing-away press models. These machines are highly accurate and produce brighter prints as compared to the clamshell models.

If you are following the heat transfer paper method, you’ll also need a good quality printer for producing heat pressed t-shirts.

The vinyl method further requires buying a good quality vinyl cutter together with some high-quality HTV vinyl, and the sublimation technique requires a special type of printer along with specialized ink.

 

3. Find a T-Shirt Supplier

How to Start a T-Shirt Printing Business at Home: Find a T Shirt Supplier

Now that you have a good idea about how to heat press a shirt, finding a trustworthy t-shirt supplier is the next step!

Going for the tried and tested suppliers are your safest bet at the initial stages of starting up your business.

These established distributors and wholesalers are more likely to give you lucrative deals and discounts, apart from fulfilling deliveries on time and providing quality customer service.

Don’t make the mistake of going for an untrustworthy supplier with little to no recognition in the market just because they quote a highly competitive price.

While some of them may turn out to be good, but taking such a risk at the initial stages is not recommended.

 

4. Prepare a Solid Pricing Strategy

t shirt printing business start up

This is one of the most crucial aspects of t-shirt printing that can entirely make or break your whole business. Finding the right price to quote can be quite tricky, especially if you’re a beginner.

This is where we suggest you do some research into the business strategies of other players in the market and take a look at their pricing.

As with any business, the trick to a heat press t-shirt printing business is to try to keep the price as low as you can while still maintain a decent profit margin.

 

5. Use the Right Marketing Strategies

heat press business

Irrespective of how high-quality your t-shirts or how competitive your prices are, you’re not going to make a significant amount of sales unless you invest in the right marketing techniques!

Do proper research of the market and identify your target customer base.

Pay attention to their demands and determine the kind of products they are likely to buy.

These strategies go a long way towards increasing your customer base and making sure they stay faithful to you.

A t-shirt printing business is one of the easiest to start, and by employing the right techniques and investing in the right equipment – has high chances of success.

We hope our article on a t-shirt printing business start up has been helpful to you, and we wish you all the best in your business venture.

If you have any questions, please leave us a comment below.

12 Things you Should Know Before Using the Cricut Knife Blade

cricut-knife-blade

Are you struggling to use your new Cricut Knife Blade?

Today I wanted to share our top 12 tips on things that you should know before you start working with the Cricut Maker Knife Blade.

 

More About the Cricut Knife Blade

The Cricut Maker knife blade release date was May 1st, 2018. It is the newest of the Cricut Blades on offer and Cricut created this blade to work exclusively with the Cricut Maker Machines.

The Cricut Maker has the ability to work with 6 different types of blades, and the Cricut Knife Blade is an exciting blade to have in your stash.

What can It Cut?

This blade has been created to handle materials that is up to 2.4 mm in thickness. It can slice through extra-thick material such as balsa wood, leather, basswood, chipboard, mat board, craft foam and more. See the full list on the Cricut Website here.

Is the Blade Included in the Box?

It is important to know that your Maker DOES NOT come with the knife blade and that you will need to purchase a Knife Blade and Housing Set if you wish to have the ability to cut these thick materials.

Do check out your products first, because some Cricut Maker bundles to include some extra accessories and tools.

You can grab the Knife Blade and Housing Pack here.

Which Mat Does it Work With?

You will also need to purchase the purple Cricut StrongGrip Mat. This mat has been designed to work with thick, stiff materials requiring high cut pressure. (Use the standard mat for the craft foam)

You can grab the Cricut StrongGrip Mat here.

Tip: You will also need to purchase masking tape or painters tape to help secure down your materials as well.

Why are we so Excited about this Blade?

The knife blade is such a clever little blade. This blade operates differently to the other blades as it will automatically adjust the pressure according to the material it is working on. Pretty nifty hey!

 

12 Things to Know About the Cricut Maker Knife Blade

Cricut Maker Knife Blade

1. Work from Desktop or Laptop

You will need to use Design Space from either a Desktop Computer or a laptop. Currently, the knife blade projects are not compatible with the design space app on iOS or Android devices.

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2. Don’t Go for Intricate Designs

The knife blade was not designed to handle small or intricate details. So keep your design more simple and your blade will handle the cut better.

Tip: The smallest pieces of your design need to be greater than 3/4″. Any line in your project needs to be larger than the diameter of a pencil.

 

3. Expect It To Take A While

Because the knife blade makes cuts in passes it might take a while for the Maker to complete the cut. So set plenty of time aside for this.

You can find more info on Design Space. After Design Space makes its first pass it will tell you how many passes are left and it will estimate how long the remaining passes will take.

 

4. Don’t Open Any  Other Web Tabs

Always use Design Space in a dedicated window. I know we all love to have millions of tabs open, but I would really recommend that you close them all down and let your computer focus on this one thing.

 

5. Turn Off Sleep Mode on Computer

Another fabulous tip is to make sure you turn off sleep mode on your computer.

We just told you that it might take a fair amount of time to complete the cut for your project and the last thing you want is for your computer to go to sleep.

 

6. Calibrate the Knife Blade

Before you do anything, you need to calibrate your knife blade. Calibration is really important as it teaches the blade to make those accurate and precise cuts that we all need.

How to calibrate the Cricut Knife Blade

To calibrate your knife, head over to Design Space. Click on the menu on the top left, select calibrate and then choose the knife blade. Design Space will walk you through the rest of the instructions.

 

7. Use Materials up to 11″ Wide

You can only use materials up to 11″ wide. So before anything else, make sure to check your measurements and trim down your material if necessary.

Line up your material with the top left corner of the grid on the mat.

 

8. Leave Some Space

Make sure to leave around 0.25″ border around your design. Because your material is so thick, we really don’t want the blade to work onto the edge – hitting the air with that force is not good and could break the blade.

So make sure your designs are nicely placed in the centre with some empty space around it.

 

9. Use Masking Tape

You’ll need to use masking tape or painters tape to secure your material to your strong grip mat.

Tape down all four sides within an inch of the edge. You might like to tape down the corners as well.

The Maker is cutting with ten x more force so the mats adhesion isn’t necessarily going to be sticky
enough to hold the thick or dense types of materials down securely. So this is a handy tip to have!

 

10. Extra Clearance for the Thicker Material

Move your white star wheels on the roller all the way over to the right. This will create extra clearance for the thicker material and will also prevent indentation marks on your material.

Tip: Do this in OFF mode. It will require a little force to push the carriage to the side – this is okay.

 

11. Check First and Re-Cut If Necessary

Before ejecting your mat from the Maker once the cut is complete, make sure to carefully check out the cuts on the material.

If you leave the mat in the machine and notice that the cuts are deep enough, you can apply another pass and get the machine to make the cuts deeper.

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12. Project Resume

Cricut Maker Blades Knife

Sometimes you might find that the machine will stop cutting. Often this happens because of a minor defect in your material or maybe your blade got jammed.

If your machine stops and you notice the Cricut CE button flashing, carefully brush off the debris from your material and press the button to ask the machine to resume cutting your project.

 

Replacing the Knife Blade

The knife blade will wear down pretty quickly and you really do need a super sharp blade in order to slice through these thick materials.

You can easily buy some replacements blades here.

You can watch the video below that will walk you through the steps on how to change the Cricut Knife Blade.

We really do love Cricut Maker Knife Blade. It is the only blade that can work with the really thick material.

Yes, it will require some patience – it can be hard to wait so long to see your cuts. But just imagine how long it would take to do it by hand!

I hope you found our post full of handy tips and tricks really helpful.

Have fun create those projects with the Cricut Knife Blade.

Till next time,

Sam xxx

DIY Halloween Gift Box Tutorial [Includes Halloween Box Template]

DIY Halloween Gift Boxes

Time for some trick-and-treating?? We have the perfect DIY Halloween gift bag ideas – they are cute, cool and look so nifty! The perfect match between a scary Halloween pumpkin, a black cat and a vampire!

Our Halloween gift box tutorial is so easy that even older kids can attempt them – especially if you pre-cut the template and have the face pieces ready to go.

You can fill these babies will all sorts of amazing things – see the bottom of the post for a whole list of nifty ideas.

Ready to get your craft game on? Let’s go!

 

DIY Halloween Gift Box Tutorial

DIY Halloween Gift Boxes

Find below the steps to show you how easy it is to whip up these cool Halloween gift bags.

Supply List:

DIY Halloween Crafts for Kids

  • Bright Orange Stiff Felt
  • Cardstock: Shiny Black, Shiny Silver
  • Paper: Green, Light Pink, White
  • Markers: Orange, Red and Black
  • Light Green Curling Ribbon
  • Scissors
  • Glue (I prefer a glue gun but if kids are involved I would stick to normal glue)

 

Halloween Box Template

Halloween Box Template

Before you get started you will need to grab the Halloween candy box template to use. There are two ways of going about this.

1. Click to open this template and simply print it out on some cardstock. Cut around your template and use this to cut out your box templates.

2. If you have an electronic cutter, you can simply upload this image to your software and cut it out directly on to your felt or cardstock (which saves you time from doing this by hand).

Tip: I love my Cricut Maker Cutter and you can upload the images to Cricut Design Space or if you prefer you can purchase a similar Cricut template (#M37D0F) for $0.99.

 

Instructions for the DIY Halloween Gift Bags

Find below the step-by-step instructions on how to whip up these cool DIY Halloween goodie bags.

 

Step 1: Either use the box template to trace and cut the shape from your orange felt or use your electronic die cutting machine to cut out the felt material for you (as mentioned above).

Gift Box for Halloween Treats

Step 2: Score and fold your box template.

Step 3: Use the dark orange marker to add some pumpkin lines on the orange felt – see image below for example.

DIY Halloween Treat Bags Tutorial

Step 4: Add a face to your pumpkin, here are some ideas on how to do so.

Ideas 
1. Use a black marker and simply draw it on.
2. Cut out small pieces from black cardstock and glue it on – but really who has the time.
3. Grab some black pumpkin face stickers – see if they have any in the dollar stores.
4. If you have a Cricut cutting machine, you can simply grab the Jack-O-Lantern Face (#M8997DFB) image from the Design Library and create your own stickers on some black vinyl or sticker paper – super easy!

Create a gift box of Halloween pumpkin

Step 5: Cut 3 x small strips from the light green curling ribbon – I love to use my scissors to curl these up, but if you are doing this activity with a child, you might prefer to use a toothpick or similar to curl it up.

DIY Halloween Box for Parties

Step 6: Cut our two leaves from your green paper. Fold this leaf in half and whilst folded in half, accordion-fold the leaf up. Then simply open it back up.

DIY Crafts for Halloween

Step 7: Fold your felt to create your box – would suggest you add in your lollies or gifts etc at this point.

DIY Halloween Gift Box Template and Tutorial

Step 8: Finish your box by adding your curling ribbon and leaves.

Halloween Pumpkin Gift Box Tutorial

And your first adorable box is done, now time to whip up the other two Halloween treat boxes.

Whilst I won’t be sharing the step by step instructions for those, you can follow the same process and use the bottom image as an example of how to decorate them.

halloween gift box

 

What to pop in your Halloween Gift Box:

 

So now that you are full of ideas and full of inspiration, how about you get off the computer and get crafting! And whilst you busy crafting, we are two more great Halloween Craft Tutorials for you:

 

Till next time,

Sam xxx

10 Essential Tips To Know When Cutting Fabric with the Cricut Maker

Fabric for Cricut Maker

If you read through our Cricut Maker Review you would have noticed how much we raved about this machine’s ability to cut fabric. In actual fact, it is one of our favorite electronic fabric cutting machines.

You also might have jumped over from our post containing bucket loads of inspiration of what fabric projects you can make with the Cricut Maker.

So before you start cutting away, we highly recommend that you grab our tips on how to cut fabric with your Cricut Maker.

Tips on How to Cut Fabric with your Cricut Maker

Here are our top 10 tips on how to cut your fabric with success.

 

1. Use the Right Cutting Blade

The Cricut Maker can work with 6 blades and the rotary blade is one of our favorites.

It is important to use the right blade to match the material you are cutting. You should use the rotary blade to cut fabric such as cotton, fleece, poly blends, denim, felt, canvas, and more.

Your Cricut Maker comes with the Rotary Blade so you will only need to purchase a replacement once this one goes blunt.

 

2. Use the Right Cutting Mat

It is really important to use the pink FrabricCut Mat (it comes with your Cricut Maker) to cut your fabric.

This mat was specifically designed to withstand the intense pressure of the rotary blade making it possible for your Maker machine to cut fabric without the need for backing.

You can read up more on the different types of Cricut Mats here.

 

3. Working with the Grain

You will need to pay attention to the grain on fabric. Understanding how to work with the grain can help you achieve better cuts.

It isn’t hard to find the grain. Firstly find the selvage edge of your fabric. Grain lines run parallel to the selvage edge.

Design Space will often help you with some guidelines so you know which way to place the fabric.

Have a look at the mat preview screen. The numbers will either be upright or on their side.

Cricut Maker Cutting Fabric

If the numbers are upright, place the grain of your fabric going up, and if the numbers are on their side place the grain of the fabric going right to left.

 

4. Pre-Wash and Iron your Fabric

Where to buy iron-on vinyl

We also recommend pre-washing and ironing your fabric prior to cutting. Smooth and wrinkle-free fabric will always give you the best cuts, so it is important to give it a quick iron.

 

5. Check Project Instructions

Tips on cutting fabric with Cricut Maker Machine

Always check your project instructions, because some projects require the fabric to be placed upside down.

You can get a quick idea of what types of projects you can make with your Cricut Maker here.

 

6. Pre-Check the Marking Pens

Cricut has some washable fabric marking pens and whilst they typically wash out all fabrics, it is a good idea to test it out on your specific fabric as all fabrics are different.

I love doing it on the back and simply using a wet paper towel to see if it will come off.

 

7. Adhering your Fabric to the Mat

Always ensure that you smooth out the fabric before cutting. A good tip is to use the Cricut brayer to smooth out any wrinkles, rather than trying to reapply it.

Stretchy fabric can be a bit of a pain to apply, it can be easy to accidentally stretch the fabric when you are trying to do it along the straight edge.

You might need to carefully pull up your fabric from the top and reposition it to get it smooth. (A brayer will simply stretch stretchy material more).

 

8. Pick the Correct Fabric From the Selections

How to Cut Fabric on the Cricut Maker

Another tip is to ensure that you pick the right selection from the options available.

In Design Space you will automatically have a choice between the most popular material selections, however, you can see a large list by clicking on ‘browse all materials’ on the right.

Pick the one that matches your machine to ensure that the correct force will be applied to the fabric.

 

9. Always Do a Test Cut

To save you $$$, it might be a wise idea to do a quick test cut. Stick to cutting the shapes that you will be cutting in your pattern. So if you have to cut shapes with curves, maybe create a quick 1″ circle to test cut.

Check the cut to see if it came out clean and if you are happy before moving onto cutting your big panels.

 

10. Avoid Touching the Adhesive

You want the adhesive on your mat to stay sticky for as long as possible. The adhesive stops your fabric from moving around or bunching up during the cut process.

Here are some tips to look after your mat:

  • Don’t worry about removing the threads that remain on the mat, you can leave them there rather than trying to pick them off.
  • Don’t use the scraper to remove your fabric pieces as the scraper will scrape off some of the adhesive as well.
  • Avoid touching the adhesive as much as possible. Remove your fabric by removing the excess fabric first.
  • Remove the cut pieces of fabric with the broad tip tweezer or use the spatula to help lift it up. If your fabric bunches up, simply iron to flatten it out.

And there you have our Cricut Maker cutting fabric guide.

If you have any top tips to add to our list, we would love to hear them. Click here to see our massive collection of resources on Cricut Crafts and Machines.

Till later,

Sam xxx

DIY Party Halloween Lollipop Gift Favor Craft Tutorial

easy halloween crafts for kids

Halloween is such a fun time of the year! And we all know how much kids love going trick-or-treating!

This year we wanted to whip up a tutorial for you guys to show you how you can take a cheap bag of lollipops and elevate them to a really cool Halloween treat.

Alternatively, these are also brilliant to send with your child to school so that they can hand them out to their friends. Or if you are organising a Halloween Party, these make brilliant party favors as well.

They are so easy to make that they are also truly an easy Halloween craft for kids to attempt as well. However, if your child is really young, you might prefer our Maple Leaf Ghosts Craft Tutorial instead.

We also have some fun tips for those of you who have electronic cutting machines that we will share to make life even easier.

Find below our step-by-step instructions on these cool DIY Party Halloween Lollipop Gift Favor Craft.

 

DIY Party Halloween Lollipop Gift Favor Craft

DIY Party Halloween Lollipop

Find below the steps to show you how easy it is to whip up these cool Halloween Lollipop gifts.

Supply List:

  • 1 x Packet of Lollipops
  • 1 x Bright Orange Cardstock
  • 1 x Black Cardstock/Black Vinyl/Pumpkin Face Stickers (more on these choices in the instructions below)
  • Light Green Ribbon
  • Glue
  • Glue Dots
  • Scissors
    –

Instructions:

Step 1: Gather all the supplies so they are ready to go.

halloween lollipops

Step 2: Measure out your lollipops to figure out how large you will need to cut your rectangle strips. Add a cm on each side of the lollipop. You don’t have to be precise with this, we just want the size to be more generous than the side of the lollipop.

Once you have your width worked out, cut enough rectangle strips for the number of suckers you wish to decorate.

Tip: A good sizing to try is 12cm x 3.5cm

Step 3: Again measure the width of the lollipop so that you know how large the base of your design needs to be. We want the base to be pretty snug for the lollipop so it doesn’t move around too much.

Mark the width with some pencil score lines – ensure that the base will be in the middle of your cardstock.

Tip: Score the rectangle strips at 4.5cm and 7.5cm along the long edge and see if this works out for your lollipop.

DIY Halloween Crafts for Kids

Step 4: Cut out three skinny oval shapes for each lollipop. Glue these onto the front of the lollipop strip.

Tip: I’m not too precise with my ovals, but if you wish you could try to use a large oval punchlarge oval punch to do the job for you.

DIY Halloween Party Gift Favors

Step 5: Time to make the pumpkin face and there are a few different ways that you can do this.

Ideas 
1. Use a black marker and simply draw it on.
2. Cut out small pieces from black cardstock and glue it on – but really who has the time.
3. Grab some black pumpkin face stickers – see if they have any in the dollar stores.
4. If you have a Cricut cutting machine, you can simply grab the Jack-O-Lantern Face (#M8997DFB) image from the Design Library and create your own stickers on some black vinyl or sticker paper – super easy!

DIY halloween suckers tutorial

Step 6: Fold the orange strip of cardstock around the lollipop. I love to secure it in place with a glue dot on each side of the lollipop stick.

Step 7: Tie little green bows around the stick to finish off your cool Halloween Suckers.

easy halloween crafts for kids
Guys and there you have one adorable DIY Halloween Pumpkin Sucker.

What can you do with these babies?

  1. If you are a teacher, these would make great treats to hand out for your students.
  2. If you are a child, you could hand these out to your friends at school.
  3. If you have a party, you could use these as Halloween Party Favors.
  4. You could use them for trick-or-treating.

They are cheap to make and easy to make and if you happen to have a vinyl cutting machine on hand, you could even cut and score your orange strips for the lollipops, as well as get the machine to cut out your ovals and create some face stickers.

Did I mention that I LOVE my electronic cutting machine?  I have the Cricut Maker!

But enough of the machines. Enjoy whipping up these cool Halloween pumpkin lollipops guys.
Till later,
Sam xxx

Cricut Maker Blades: Everything You NEED to Know

Cricut Maker Blades Knife

With so many different Cricut Machines and Cricut tools and accessories on the market, it can be really hard to figure out which blade or tools work with which machine.

So we wanted to take the guesswork and research out of trying to work out which blades will work with the Cricut Maker machine.

In this post, you will find all 6 Cricut Maker blades that you can safely use in the Maker cutting machine.

I will also let you know which of these blades you will get with the machine so that you know whether you should be buying a housing for the blade or not.

You might also find benefit out of reading through our blades for Cricut Machine post where we share helpful info on how to store, replace and look after your blades as well.

–

6 x Cricut Maker Blades

Blades for Cricut Machines

Find below 6 blades for Cricut Maker Machines. 

1. Fine Point Blade

Cricut Standard Blade

The Premium Fine-Point Blade is also known as the Cricut standard blade (and as the Cricut German Carbide Premium blade).

The Cricut Maker will come with both the fine point blade as well as the housing for it, so you would only need to purchase replacement blades as you need them.

What to use the fine point blade for:

This blade is used to make the most intricate cuts in a variety of thin to medium-weight material. You will most likely use this blade for most of your projects. Use it to cut heat transfer vinyl, adhesive vinyl, regular cardstock, paper, and more.

I love to have replacement blades on stand-by for the housing, so that I am always ready to create away.

You can find replacement Premium Fine Point Blades here.

 

2. Cricut Maker Rotary Blade

Cricut Rotary Blade Kit

The Cricut Maker Rotary Blade has the nifty ability to cut fabric with absolute precision. This blade works with a gliding, rolling action and the unique blade can slice through virtually any fabric.

The beauty of this blade is that you won’t need to use any backing on your fabric – hooray!

Use this blade to cut your cotton, fleece, poly blends, denim, felt, canvas, and more! Here are some fabulous tips on how to cut fabric with your Cricut Maker.

Find a list of some fabulous fabric projects to make with the Cricut Maker here.

Your Cricut Maker will come with the Cricut Rotary Blade and the Housing for it, so you will only need to purchase replacement blades when needed.

You can find replacement Rotary Blades here.

 

3. Cricut Maker Knife Blade

Cricut-knife_blade_on_white_packaging-005_1

Do you want to work with REALLY thick material? The Cricut Knife Blade is an extra-deep blade that can slice through dense material that is up to 2.5 mm in thickness.

It is perfect for cutting material such as balsa wood, matboard, and chipboard.

Tip: This blade will struggle with intricate designs, so keep your designs simple to moderate in detail for the best results.

Click here to grab some essential tips on things you should know before you start using the Knife Blade.

The Cricut Maker doesn’t come with the knife blade. You will need to purchase both the blade as well as the housing online.

Grab the Knife Blade with housing here or replacement Knife Blades here.

 

4. Cricut Scoring Wheel and Double Scoring Wheel

Cricut scoring_wheel_combo_pack_1

 

 

This one isn’t really a blade, as it doesn’t cut through materials, but instead, it creates a scored lines which is perfect for folding purposes.

The scoring wheel comes with two tips: Single and Double. You will use the single scoring wheel for light materials such as cardstock and the double scoring wheel is perfect for thicker material such as cardboard.

You will loving having this on hand if you work with cards, boxes and 3D designs that need to be folded.

You can find the Cricut scoring wheel here.

 

5. Cricut Maker Deep Cut Blade

Cricut deep-cut-blades-and-housing

Whilst the Cricut Deep Point Blade does fit in the Cricut Maker, I think it is a complete waste of money. Instead, I would suggest you purchase the Knife Blade instead as you can cut through the same material, plus much thicker materials with that blade.

The Deep Cut Blade has been designed to cut harder and thicker materials and it is the go-to blade for the older Cricut machines. The type of material it can cut includes cork board, chipboard, thick cardstock, craft foam, cardboard, foil, magnet, stiffened felt, and more.

Tip: The Deep Cut Blade is NOT included with the Cricut Machines. You will need to purchase this one additionally. You will also need to purchase the Deep Cut Blade housing.

Grab the Cricut Deep Cut Blade with housing here or replacement Deep Cut Blades here.

 

6. Cricut Bonded Fabric Blade

Cricut bonded_fabric_blade_housing_1

 

I really love the Cricut Rotary Blade for cutting fabric, but if you love cutting applique out of fabric with an applied backer material, then you will need the Bonded Fabric Blade.

What is bonded fabric?

Bonded fabric is basically two pieces of fabric that have bonded or joined together.

Tip: The Bonded Fabric Blade is NOT included with the Cricut Machines. You will need to purchase this one additionally. You will also need to purchase the Bonded Fabric Blade housing.

Grab the Bonded Fabric Blade with housing here or replacement Bonded Fabric Blades here.

 

I hope that you have a really good understanding of your Cricut Maker Blades now.

Your Cricut Maker Box will Include both the Cricut Fine-Point Blade and housing, as well as your Cricut Rotary Blade with housing.

You will need to purchase the Cricut Knife Blade, Cricut Scoring Wheels, Cricut Deep-Cut Blade and Cricut Bonded Fabric Blade if you wish to have them on-hand and ready to go.

The type of blade you will need will greatly depend on the sort of Cricut projects you love to create.

Grab more information on to install your Cricut Maker blades on Cricut.com here.

As a last tip, if you haven’t purchased your Cricut Maker yet, I highly recommend that you look at investing in one of these great value Cricut Maker Bundle Deals.

DIY Easy Easter Lollipop Craft Tutorial [Even Kids Can Make These!]

DIY Easy Easter Lollipop Craft Tutorial

Have you ever thought about making an Easter bunny from a lollipop?

I love these sweet and adorable Easter lollipops and guess what!? The step-by-step tutorial we have is so easy that I’m not even sure you need the written instructions.

In actual fact, our Easter Lollipop tutorial is so easy that it makes such a great Easter craft for children to have a go at as well. My daughter loves making these and she is always so proud of herself when she hands them out to her cousins!

But hey, I know you want to get crafty, so get ready to get your craft game on. Let’s go!

 

DIY Easy Easter Lollipop Craft Tutorial

DIY Easy Easter Sucker Craft Tutorial

Find below the steps to show you how easy it is to whip up these fun Easter suckers.

Supply List:

Making Easter harefrom lollipop craft

  • Bag of Lollipops (I love the ones with clear wrapper)
  • Felt: White and Pink
  • Markers: Black and Pink
  • Pencil
  • Styrofoam Balls (preferably similar size to lollipops)
  • Scissors
  • Glue (I prefer a glue gun but if kids are involved I would stick to normal glue)

 

Instructions for the DIY Easter Rabbit Lollipops

Find below the step-by-step instructions on how to whip up these pretty DIY Easter Hare Suckers.

 

Step 1: Gently slide your styrofoam balls onto the lollipop stick.

Making Easter bunny from lollipop

 

Step 2: Using a pencil, on the white felt, create the outer bunny ears as well as the feet. Create the smaller inner ears on the pink felt. Cut these out.

Tip: If you have a Cricut Cutting Machine, you can make this step super easy by getting your machine to cut out your bits for you. I couldn’t find exactly the same cut file, but I really love this bunny set (search in images of Design Space: #35212910).

DIY Easy Easter Crafts for Kids

 

Step 3: Next, glue the pink inner ears onto the white outer ears.

Lollipop Easter Crafts for children

 

Step 4: Glue the feet to the bottom of the lollipop (I love using hot glue, but if you have children working on this craft I would suggest a fast drying liquid glue).

Glue the ears to the top of the styrofoam ball.

 

Step 5: And lastly use the black pen or marker to draw on your cute little bunny faces. Use a touch of pink or red for the mouth.

DIY Easy Easter Lollipop Craft Tutorial

 

And there you have some super adorable rabbit lollipop Easter treats.

So easy to do that it is also a quick Easter craft for kids to complete as well. They can hand these out to their friends at school, or simply pop them on a table for your family Easter gathering.

I love this craft, it is quick and easy and they look so cute!

Till next time,

Sam xxx

What Type of Projects Can you Make with the Cricut Maker?

Cricut Maker Sewing Projects

Are you interested in the brilliant new Maker Cutting Machine by Cricut?

I’m sure you have realized that these machines are a tad pricey. So before you invest, you might like to know exactly what you can create with the Cricut Maker.

Cricut Maker Review

Find below a list of ideas of what you can make with this fabulous DIY cutting machine.

 

1. Sewing Patterns

Cricut Maker Sewing Projects

The Cricut Maker was designed to have the ability to cut fabric. The beauty is that it can cut thin fabric without the need for backing or stiffener.

To make life even easier for those wishing to work with fabric, Cricut has even included a massive selection of sewing craft projects for you. Free Digital patterns in the Design Space library are all available instantly.

There are also some beautiful patterns that you can purchase. In this case, it might make more sense to sign up for a Cricut Access Subscription to save some money over the long-run.

The machine will cut and mark all your panels for you, making it easier to create quilts, stuffed toys, shoulder bags, doll clothes and so much more.

You can find a very inspiration list of Cricut Maker fabric projects here, and some great tips on cutting fabric with the Cricut Maker here.

 

2. 3D Projects

3D Projects with a Cricut Maker Machine

Did you know that you can use the Cricut Maker to create and design beautiful 3D projects? The knife blade is only one of the new Cricut Maker blades that we are excited about.

Wondering what it can make?

We love using our Cricut Maker to make some fun puzzles, but you can also make some great skeletons (the boys will love dinosaur skeletons), architectural models and more.

You will also be happy to know that these models will be lovely and sturdy thanks to Cricut Maker’s ability to cut thick materials such as balsa wood or chipboard.

Don’t forget though that you will need to purchase the knife blade if you wish to cut these thicker materials.

 

3. Home Decor

Home Decor with the Cricut Maker Cutter

I think we all love the Cricut machines because they are so brilliant at helping us to create some truly stunning DIY home decor items.

Need some inspiration?

Well, think about the endless possibilities of being able to create things such as wall decorations, custom candle vases, personalized throw pillows, wall canvases, paper flowers, customized curtains and so much more!

All you need is either some beautiful HTV vinyl or some adhesive vinyl and you are set to go!

 

4. Cards

Christmas handmade cards with the Cricut Maker

I really think that handmade cards just add such a loving and caring touch. And the beauty is that you can create your own card in no time at all.

You can use the Maker to cut your cardstock to size. You could even use the score wheel to score a folding line.

Want to cut out some fun designs out of the card stock to add a 3D feel – well simply pick your design and get the Maker to do all the work.

You can even use the Cricut Maker to write your message inside the card as well – so nifty!

 

5. Iron-Ons

Heat Transfer Onesie

One of my favorite mediums to work with is iron-on (or HTV).  You can pretty much customize almost anything with this handy material. You can learn more about how to use Cricut Iron-On here.

Try to press a beautiful iron-on design onto a boring old pillow and turn it into a statement piece.

Or add it to a boring white cheap t-shirt to create your very own unique custom shirt. Add some pizazz to a boring canvas bag or make a statement by adding some designs to some canvas shoes.

Iron-on material comes in such beautiful colors, finishes, and effects. I really love the foil and glitter vinyl.

 

5. Printables and Stickers

Cricut Maker Sewing Projects

Do you have kids or maybe you are a teacher? Printables can be so incredibly handy!

You can use the print function on your Cricut Maker to print out a shape or image. But what is even better is that you use the Print Then Cut feature in Design Space to print and then cut out your designs for you. Such a time-saving function.

Perfect for making die cuts, or stickers, vinyl wall decals or your own custom vinyl iron-on graphics with SVG files, and more!

We abslutely love the Cricut Maker and whilst it is more pricey than other cutting machines, I truly believe that it is worth every dollar.

The machine is so incredibly versatile – and I would rather have a more expensive machine that can make anything, than a cheaper one that can make only some of the same projects.

If you are keen to purchase a Maker, you might get some benefit out of reading through our review of the Cricut Maker. Before you buy your Cricut Maker, make sure to check out these fabulous Cricut Maker Bundle deals – they are great value!

Or maybe you would prefer to see how the Cricut Maker compares to other Cricut Cutting Machines here.

I hope you enjoyed our little look at what you can make with the Maker. Please let me know if you have any questions.