There’s a big trend to create varsity-style hoodies that have collegiate looking numbers on them. In today’s tutorial, we’re going to create a varsity shirt using one of my varsity designs. The crewneck sweatshirt will feature the word MERRY on the front and a big December 25th on the back!

For this project, I’m using a super soft BELLA+CANVAS hoodie in a natural color. Neutrals are also very trendy right now! This is the perfect cozy shirt to wear all holiday season long–and beyond! The numbers are quite large, so I’ll show you how to create the oversized, larger than mat project using your Cricut. You could use this technique to personalize with jersey numbers or any other special number you’d like to show off.

Did you know you can buy BELLA+CANVAS garments at wholesale pricing without a reseller license? Get a BELLA+CANVAS Maker’s Account! This account allows you access to the wholesale side of their business without the need for any permits or licenses. Even better? It’s free! Learn more in my post Buying Wholesale Blanks without a Resale License!

For this project, I’m using this super soft crewneck sweatshirt. BELLA+CANVAS shirts work great with any type of HTV you can imagine!

For this particular project, I’m using a few variations of B-Flex HTV. This HTV is low temp and low time, so it’s really easy to use and it’s fast! It also has a really nice feel and washes well. You can, however, use whatever type of HTV you’d like, in whatever colors you’d like! I used traditional red and green for this one. I know, I know…not my usual colors. But, I thought they accent the natural shirt color well!

Watch the Video

Want a video overview of this Cricut project? Just hit play below! Or keep reading for a written tutorial.

Supplies

• BELLA+CANVAS fleece hoodie or other shirt
• Cricut (I used my Maker 3) or other cutting machine
• Green Standard Grip cutting mat
• Brayer (optional)
• Regular HTV
• Weeding tool
• EasyPress or regular heat press. I used my large WalaPress for this project.

Set up the File in Cricut Design Space

I’m using Cricut Design Space because I am using my Cricut, but the process should be similar in other cutting machine software.

Start by uploading the file you downloaded from my craft library. I am using the December 25 design, but you can choose any design you’d like. You can delete or hide the images you aren’t using.

Start by resizing the image for your sweatshirt. Let’s start with the word Merry. I want to make this basically as big as my mat, so I’m going to lock the dimensions and select 11.5″ wide.

For December, I actually want it larger than 11.5″, so we’ll need to mess with the file a bit. I could’ve built the file larger, but I wanted to show you how you can actually edit it to be larger than your mat. To start, ungroup everything. Let’s start with the word December. Make a copy two copies of December.

Use the contour tool to cut out some of these letters. Let’s keep DECE. Cut out the M and the B and the E and the R plus all of the little pieces inside. Then click out. You are left with just the first three letters.

Do the same with the copy, but contour out the first four letters. Click contour and choose the D, E, C and E and the middle of the D. Then, click out of it. You now have two pieces for December.

Let’s make it a bit bigger. Select both together and make them 12.5″ wide. It’s not much bigger than the mat, but it’s bigger for the shirt and will stand out well. You want to make sure that these stay in two separate pieces, don’t weld them or anything like that. They need to be cut separately.

Now do the same with both pieces of the 25. Make a copy of both numbers.

Go to the first one that’s red and click contour. Contour out to the five.

Do the same with the green and contour out the five.

Now, do the same to the second one by contouring out the two. Now you have two numbers that you can work with separately.

Zoom out a little bit and put the numbers next to each other. Make those 12.5″ wide as well. Now if all of this was together on a single mat, it would be too big, but because we’re cutting it in pieces, we can then piece it together on our sweatshirt.

That’s it! Click Make in the upper right corner. In the Load screen, choose On Mat (unless you are using Smart HTV).

You can see here that it’s sort of putting everything in basically kind of a weird place.

We are going to have to piece everything together, but I think it will be worth it for the back of this shirt. One thing I am going to do is go to my second mat and I’m move the second half of December back to that first mat because it will fit. This will fit easily here below our number. So we have the outline of our number two, the E and the R for Merry and the whole word December.

On our second teal mat we just have the outline of the five.

On mat number three, we have both of our numbers. I’m going to spread them out just a little bit.

And then on mat number four we have M, R, and Y for Merry.

Let’s go back to that first mat and make sure we are mirroring all of our mats. Go back to that first mat and click Continue.

Cricut design space will connect to your machine. I’m going to choose everyday iron on as my project and get everything set up to cut.

Cutting Your HTV

Next it’s time to cut our HTV! I like using a brayer to help adhere the HTV to the mat. Each of these is cut with the shiny carrier sheet down. You can learn more in my post How to Use HTV.

Insert your mat into your Cricut and your Cricut will cut your HTV! Repeat for all of your mats!

Weeding Your HTV

The next step is to remove all of the excess HTV we don’t need in our images. I prefer to weed on the mat. To do this, use a weeding hook to pull up that excess HTV.

If you need help, I have a post called Weeding Iron On Vinyl that offers tips and tricks for making it easy.

Making Your Varsity Christmas Hoodie

All we have left to do is apply our HTV to our shirts!

Start by pre-pressing your shirts for 10-15 seconds. This removes any moisture and gives you a nice flat pressing surface.

Now you need to position your design on the hoodie. I cut my two and my five apart because I think they need to be a little farther apart. I then cut apart the other sections.

Let’s start with the word Merry. Go ahead and center it on your shirt. Normally I do three fingers kind of from the top, but it feels like for this one it’s going to go just a little bit lower.

Then press your project! Make sure you are pressing according to the manufacturer’s instructions for your specific HTV. Now again, this is a low temp low time press, so it’s only 285 degrees for five or six seconds. You can get away with four seconds on a t-shirt, but I do like for a hoodie to do it for just a little bit longer to make sure it sticks really well.

Then peel back the carrier sheet! Your instructions should say whether or not you should peel it back while it’s warm or cool. If you’re having trouble getting your HTV to stick properly, check out my post Tips to Get HTV Stick and Last Longer.

Then I’ll take my other two letters and repeat the process. If you also have HTV that is not covered by the plastic, grab a piece of cotton or parchment paper to protect that HTV from your press.

Now flip it over and do the back. Let’s start with the word December. Lay out both December and your numbers so you can make sure everything looks good before pressing. Press according to your manufacturer’s instructions.

Then repeat and press the 25 onto the shirt.

And that’s it! This is such a cute varsity-style hoodie! I cannot wait to wear it. If you want to make this hoodie, definitely check out BELLA+CANVAS. They make such a wide variety of garments perfect for all your holiday projects!

The post How to Make a Varsity Style Holiday Hoodie with a Cricut + FREE Christmas SVGs appeared first on Hey, Let's Make Stuff.

Halloween is around the corner and if you’re panicking to make a last-minute costume for your kids (or yourself!), I’ve got you covered! In today’s tutorial, we’re making three EASY costumes using simple BELLA+CANVAS t-shirts and your Cricut or other cutting machine.

These Halloween costume shirts are perfect if you don’t have a lot of time or money to spend on creating an outrageous Halloween costume. You can pair these cute shirts with a colorful tutu, sweat pants, or even jeans. They are also great for being comfortable if your child has an all-day Halloween school event or you want to make your own tee to wear to work.

Did you know you can buy BELLA+CANVAS garments at wholesale pricing without a reseller license? Get a BELLA+CANVAS Maker’s Account! This account allows you access to the wholesale side of their business without the need for any permits or licenses. Even better? It’s free! Learn more in my post Buying Wholesale Blanks without a Resale License!

Costume shirts like these are also great for kids and adults with sensory issues. Instead of a big bulky costume that doesn’t breathe, a BELLA+CANVAS tee is easy for someone who needs something soft and comfortable. Plus BELLA+CANVAS tees come in a huge variety of colors, so you can really make these designs your own! Here’s an example of just the kids’ tee colors:

We’re going to be making a jack-o-lantern, an emoji, and a skeleton shirt and you can grab the free SVG below! All of these are so easy to make and you can use a variety of colors for both your shirts and HTV. If it’s cold where you are, these designs also work on a pullover fleece sweatshirt!

And then for this project, I’m using a few variations of B-Flex HTV. This HTV is low temp and low time, so it’s really easy to use and it’s fast! It also has a really nice feel and washes well. You can, however, use whatever type of HTV you’d like, in whatever colors you’d like! Make it fun!

Watch the Video

Want to get a video overview this easy project? Just hit play below! Or keep reading for a written tutorial.

Supplies

• BELLA+CANVAS kids’ tees or other shirts
• Cricut or other cutting machine
• Green StandardGrip cutting mat
• Brayer (optional)
• Regular HTV
• Smooth Glitter HTV (do not layer on the “rough” glitter from some HTV brands)
• Holographic HTV
• Weeding tool
• EasyPress or regular heat press

Set up the File in Cricut Design Space

I’m using Cricut Design Space because I am using my Cricut, but the process should be similar in other cutting machine software.

Start by uploading the file you downloaded from my craft library. I am making all three shirts, but if you are making just one, you can delete or hide the images you aren’t using.

Measure your shirt so you can determine the right size for your project.

Resize your images. I also re-colored my skeleton so that it wouldn’t cut on the same mat as the eyes for my emoji.

That’s it! Hit Make in the upper right. In the Load screen, choose On Mat (unless you are using Smart HTV).

Because we are using HTV you’ll want to mirror each layer in the Prepare screen. This is so that your images aren’t backwards (not as important with these particular designs, but very important for designs with text).

Click Continue and select your material. I used the Everyday Iron On setting for the black smooth glitter and the regular HTV, and the Holographic Iron On setting for my holographic glam HTV.

Cutting Your HTV

Next it’s time to cut our HTV! I like using a brayer to help adhere the HTV to the mat. Each of these is cut with the shiny carrier sheet down. You can learn more in my post How to Use HTV.

Insert your mat into your Cricut and your Cricut will cut your HTV!

Weeding Your HTV

The next step is to remove all of the excess HTV we don’t need in our images. To do this, use a weeding hook to pull up that excess HTV. These are pretty easy images to weed, but if you need help, I have a post called Weeding Iron On Vinyl that offers tips and tricks for making it easy.

Making Your Halloween Costume Shirts

All we have left to do is apply our HTV to our shirts!

Start by pre-pressing your shirts for 10-15 seconds. This removes any moisture and gives you a nice flat pressing surface.

Then add your design to your shirt. The jack-o-lantern and skeleton are single layers, so they are very simple.

The emoji is two layers, so I added both of them, with the black mouth piece on the bottom, so I could get an idea of the layout for my design. Then I carefully peeled off the pink layer, leaving the black layer in the exact spot I wanted it.

Then press your project! Make sure you are pressing according to the manufacturer’s instructions for your specific HTV.

Then peel back the carrier sheet! Your instructions should say whether or not you should peel it back while it’s warm or cool. If you’re having trouble getting your HTV to stick properly, check out my post Tips to Get HTV Stick and Last Longer.

For the emoji, you’ll need to add your second layer and press again, peeling back the carrier sheet when you’re done.

And…that’s it! Your Halloween costume shirts are done!

I love these Halloween shirts and they are so easy to make! Plus you an do a ton of variations — simple white HTV for a regular skeleton, any number of colors for your jack-o-lantern shirt, etc. The wide variety of BELLA+CANVAS tees and HTV mean you can endlessly customize this easy Halloween Cricut project!

Print

THREE EASY HALLOWEEN COSTUME SHIRTS

Looking for a last-minute Halloween costume? These shirts are so easy to make using HTV! Just cut these free Halloween SVG files using your Cricut and apply with a heat press. These easy Halloween costume shirts can be made in less than 15 minutes!

Keyword Costumes, Halloween, SVG

Author Cori George

Equipment

• Cricut Maker 3 or
• Cricut Maker or
• Cricut Explore 3 or
• Cricut Explore Air 2
• Cricut Green StandardGrip Mat
• Cricut EasyPress® 2 (12×10) or
• Cricut EasyPress® 2 (9×9) or
• Cricut EasyPress® 3 (12×10) or
• Cricut EasyPress® 3 (9×9) or
• household iron
• Brayer
• Weeding Hook

Ingredients

• BELLA+CANVAS kids' tees or other shirts
• Regular HTV
• Smooth Glitter HTV (do not layer on the "rough" glitter from some HTV brands)
• Holographic HTV
• Halloween Costume Shirt SVG Files #C483

Instructions

• Set up the File in Cricut Design Space

  Start by uploading the file you downloaded from the craft library. For this project all three shirts are being made, but if you are making just one, you can delete or hide the images you aren't using.
  
• Measure your shirt so you can determine the right size for your project.
  
• Resize your images. The skeleton has been re-colored so that it won't cut on the same mat as the eyes for the emoji.
  
• That's it! Hit Make in the upper right. In the Load screen, choose On Mat (unless you are using Smart HTV).
  
• Because we are using HTV you'll want to mirror each layer in the Prepare screen. This is so that your images aren't backwards (not as important with these particular designs, but very important for designs with text).
  
• Click Continue and select your material. The Everyday Iron On setting was used for the black smooth glitter and the regular HTV, and the Holographic Iron On setting for the holographic glam HTV.
  
• 
• Cutting Your HTV

  Next it's time to cut our HTV! Use a brayer to help adhere the HTV to the mat. Each of these is cut with the shiny carrier sheet down. You can learn more in this post How to Use HTV.
  
• 
• 
• Insert your mat into your Cricut and your Cricut will cut your HTV!
• Weeding Your HTV

  The next step is to remove all of the excess HTV we don't need in our images. To do this, use a weeding hook to pull up that excess HTV. These are pretty easy images to weed, but if you need help, see this post called Weeding Iron On Vinyl that offers tips and tricks for making it easy.
  
• 
• 
• Making Your Halloween Costume Shirts

  All we have left to do is apply our HTV to our shirts!

  Start by pre-pressing your shirts for 10-15 seconds. This removes any moisture and gives you a nice flat pressing surface.
  
• 
• 
• Then add your design to your shirt. The jack-o-lantern and skeleton are single layers, so they are very simple.
  
• 
• The emoji is two layers, so add both of them, with the black mouth piece on the bottom, to get an idea of the layout for the design. Then carefully peel off the pink layer, leaving the black layer in the exact spot..
  
• Then press your project! Make sure you are pressing according to the manufacturer's instructions for your specific HTV.
  
• 
• 
• 
• Then peel back the carrier sheet! Your instructions should say whether or not you should peel it back while it's warm or cool. If you're having trouble getting your HTV to stick properly, check out this post Tips to Get HTV Stick and Last Longer.
  
• 
• 
• For the emoji, you'll need to add your second layer and press again, peeling back the carrier sheet when you're done.
  
• 
• And…that's it! Your Halloween costume shirts are done!
  
• 
• 

The post Three Easy Halloween Costume Shirts + Free SVG Files appeared first on Hey, Let's Make Stuff.

If you’re new to the world of craft cutting machines like Cricut or Silhouette, you might be overwhelmed by the options available when it comes to materials.

Two of the most popular types of vinyl are heat-transfer vinyl (usually called HTV or iron-on vinyl) and adhesive vinyl. Though they may look similar at first glance, they are two completely different materials and are suitable for different projects. Today we’re going to talk about how to tell these two materials apart, how to cut and apply them, and which you should be using for your particular project.

Watch the Video

Want to get a video overview of the difference between HTV and adhesive vinyl? Just hit play below! Or keep reading for a written comparison.

Before we start looking at the differences, let’s see a basic overview of these two materials.

What is HTV (Heat Transfer Vinyl)?

HTV is a type of vinyl material that has a heat-activated adhesive on the back. This means that it is applied with a heat press.

What is Adhesive Vinyl?

Adhesive vinyl has a sticky adhesive, much like a sticker. It is applied by hand (for very simple designs) or using transfer tape.

Identifying HTV and Adhesive Vinyl

When I first got my Cricut, I had no idea what was HTV or adhesive vinyl if I was looking at an unlabeled sheet. Thankfully, there are some key differences between the two that should help you identify the material:

HTV Properties

• Carrier Sheet: HTV typically has a shiny side and a matte side. The shiny side is the carrier sheet, which is clear. The matte side is the HTV itself.
• Feel: HTV often feels softer and more flexible than adhesive vinyl.
• Separating Layers: It’s very hard to separate the carrier sheet from the HTV. If you do get it, the HTV layer will not be sticky.

Adhesive Vinyl Properties

• Backside: Adhesive vinyl has a paper backing that you peel away to reveal the sticky adhesive side.
• Feel: Adhesive vinyl feels more rigid and less flexible than HTV.
• Separating Layers: It can be pretty easy to separate the two layers of adhesive vinyl (the carrier sheet and the vinyl itself). When separated, the colored vinyl will have an adhesive back like a sticker.

Cutting Processes

The cutting processes for HTV and adhesive vinyl are different, and if you don’t use the right process in the right way, your material won’t cut properly.

Cutting HTV

• Design: Create your design in your cutting software and mirror it (this is very important for 99% types of HTV).
• Placement on Mat: Load your HTV into the cutting machine with the shiny side down.
• Cutting: HTV is cut in reverse (mirror image) because it is applied face down on the material and then transferred using heat, as we’ll see.

Cutting Adhesive Vinyl

• Design and Cut: Create your design in your cutting software and do not mirror it.
• Placement on Mat: Load your HTV into the cutting machine with the colored-side up and the carrier sheet side down.
• Cutting: Adhesive vinyl is cut right-side up, and the design is transferred directly to the surface using transfer tape, as we’ll see.

Weeding HTV and Adhesive Vinyl

The process for weeding excess material from HTV or adhesive vinyl is similar. You can see my posts How to Weed HTV and How to Weed Adhesive Vinyl for specific tips, but overall, they are similar to weed.

Application Processes

Applying HTV to a Blank

• Position: Place your design onto the fabric with the shiny side up (carrier sheet side).
• Heat Press: Use a heat press to apply heat and pressure to the design. Follow the HTV manufacturer’s instructions for temperature and time.
• Peel: Once the vinyl has cooled slightly, peel off the carrier sheet, revealing your design on the fabric.
• Learn more in my post How to Iron On Vinyl!

Applying Adhesive Vinyl to a Blank

• Transfer Tape: Apply transfer tape over the top of your design, smoothing it down to ensure it adheres.
• Position: Peel away the backing paper, leaving your design on the transfer tape. Position the design on your chosen surface.
• Apply: Smooth down the design using a scraper o ensure it sticks to the surface.
• Peel: Carefully peel away the transfer tape, leaving your vinyl design in place.
• Learn more in my post How to Use Adhesive Vinyl!

Best Uses for HTV and Adhesive Vinyl

Each type of vinyl has its own strengths and is best suited for different types of projects.

Ideal HTV Projects

• Fabric Projects: HTV is ideal for decorating clothing, tote bags, pillowcases, and other fabric items.
• Custom Apparel: It is perfect for creating custom T-shirts, team jerseys, and personalized gifts.
• Wood, Canvas, Paper: HTV also works on porous harder surfaces, including wood, canvas, paper, and more.

Ideal Adhesive Vinyl Projects

• Hard Surfaces: Adhesive vinyl is great for applying designs to hard, smooth, non-porous surfaces like glass, plastic, metal, and painted wood.
• Home Décor: Use adhesive vinyl for wall decals, signs, and labels for organizing.
• Outdoor Use: Some types of adhesive vinyl are rated for outdoor use and can withstand weather conditions, making them perfect for car decals, outdoor signs, and mailbox decorations.

Understanding the differences between HTV vs adhesive vinyl is crucial for achieving the best results in your crafting projects. By learning how to identify each type, mastering their application processes, and knowing their best uses, you’ll be well on your way to creating beautiful, durable designs. Whether you’re customizing a T-shirt with HTV or adding a decorative touch to your home with adhesive vinyl, each material has unique qualities that make it indispensable in the world of crafting.

The post HTV vs. Adhesive Vinyl: What’s the Difference? appeared first on Hey, Let's Make Stuff.

Ready to make some fun and trendy stickers for your water bottle or laptop that are actually waterproof? Today we’re looking at Cricut’s Printable Waterproof Sticker Set! This set includes two parts—a printable sheet of sticker vinyl as well as a waterproof vinyl coating. This new set is very easy to use with a Cricut machine that has Print then Cut, including the Cricut Explore and Cricut Maker machines, as well as the Cricut Joy Xtra.

These stickers are great for projects where there might be water involved—water bottles, ice chests, car windows, etc.

The Cricut Printable Waterproof Sticker Set comes in a few varieties. I have several but today I’m using the holographic white because I love how it sparkles!

• White
• Transparent
• Holographic White
• Holographic Transparent

Supplies Needed

Get everything you need to make these waterproof stickers in my Amazon shop!

• Cricut machine with Print then Cut capabilities (I am using my Cricut Joy Xtra)
• Blue cutting mat
• Printer
• Cricut Printable Waterproof Sticker Set
• Vinyl squeegee with felt edge
• Or Cricut scraper and a piece of cotton or felt

Making Waterproof Stickers with a Cricut

Setting up the File in Cricut Design Space

Let’s start with setting up the file in Cricut Design Space. I have uploaded all four PNG files I have for you in this post and I changed the size to be closer to 3″ for all of them.

To easily turn these into stickers, use the Create Sticker tool! I wrote all about it in my post Using the Cricut Create Sticker Tool in Cricut Design Space. For these, I used the Die Cut option with a standard border, but there are other options to explore here!

I used the same option for all four of my stickers.

Then I clicked Make it! On the Prepare screen, you’ll see that Design Space has used two sheets for my stickers. But I can save space!

I used the move and rotate tools (you can learn more in my post How to Fit More on a Cricut Mat and Save Material!). I ended up hiding one of the mushrooms because I couldn’t fit it and I only wanted a single sheet of stickers.

Printing Your Stickers

Before we print, take a look at the two parts of the Cricut Printable Waterproof Sticker Set. There are two different sheets. The one on the left is the printable vinyl and has the green Cricut grid on the back. The other one is the vinyl sheet that makes the stickers waterproof.

Then click Continue and you’ll be prompted to print your image. Insert a sheet of the printable vinyl (with the green background) into your printer. I keep the Bleed checked and the Use System Dialog checked.

This will open up the System Dialog Box. On my Mac, I can change the Quality to Best. If you have a PC, you can change the quality to high in your printer settings.

Then click Print and your image will print on the printable vinyl!

How to Apply the Waterproof Vinyl

Now we need to apply the vinyl on top of the printed sheet—this is what will make our stickers waterproof.

At the top of the waterproof vinyl, there is a strip. Peel off the strip.

The area where you removed the strip will be sticky. Carefully line it up with the edge of your printed sheet. Press down to adhere.

Then flip the vinyl up and start to peel the backing away from the rest of the sheet. As you do this, use the squeegee to press the vinyl into the printed sheet.

Then use the squeegee to fully press the waterproof vinyl onto the printed sheet.

Cut the Stickers on the Cricut

Now we can cut our stickers!

Back in Cricut Design Space, choose your material. All of the Printable Waterproof Sticker Set options I mentioned at the beginning of this post are available as options.

Place your printed sheet on a Cricut cutting mat.

Insert your mat into the machine and your Cricut will cut your project!

Because I chose die cut stickers in Design Space, my stickers cut all the way through my backing material. If you choose kiss cut stickers, then your stickers will just cut through the top layer, leaving the backing material in tact.

I really love the holographic look of these stickers! They shimmer and shine in a way that’s difficult to capture in a photograph. They really are so fun!

If you are struggling with your cutouts being accurate, make sure you calibrate your Print then Cut!

Are you ready to make some stickers of your own? I hope you found this tutorial for how to make waterproof stickers with a Cricut helpful! You can use any images you’d like—grab them from the Cricut Image Library or upload your own! Let me know how it goes for you, down in the comments!

Print

HOW TO MAKE WATERPROOF STICKERS WITH A CRICUT

Decorate your water bottle or laptop with cute custom stickers! Here's how to make waterproof stickers with a Cricut, including my favorite materials and tips and tricks to get Print then Cut right!

Author Cori George

Equipment

• Cricut machine with Print then Cut capabilities
• Blue cutting mat
• Printer
• Vinyl squeegee with felt edge Or
• Cricut scraper and a piece of cotton or felt

Ingredients

• Cricut Printable Waterproof Sticker Set
• Free Printable Sticker Bundle #C482

Instructions

• The Cricut Printable Waterproof Sticker Set comes in a few varieties. For the purpose of this tutorial the holographic white is being used. The varieties are:

  White – Transparent – Holographic White – Holographic Transparent
  
• Setting up the File in Cricut Design Space

  Set up the file in Cricut Design Space. In this tutorial all four PNG files were changed in size to be closer to 3".
  
• To easily turn these into stickers, use the Create Sticker tool! Find out more in this post Using the Cricut Create Sticker Tool in Cricut Design Space. For this project the Die Cut option with a standard border was used, but there are other options to explore here!
  
• The same option was used for all four of these stickers.
  
• Click on Make it! On the Prepare screen, you'll see that Design Space has used two sheets for these stickers. But you can save space!
  
• Use the move and rotate tools (you can learn more in this post How to Fit More on a Cricut Mat and Save Material!). One of the mushrooms ended up being hidden because it couldn't fit and only a single sheet of stickers was used for this project.
  
• Printing Your Stickers

  Before printing, take a look at the two parts of the Cricut Printable Waterproof Sticker Set. There are two different sheets. The one on the left is the printable vinyl and has the green Cricut grid on the back. The other one is the vinyl sheet that makes the stickers waterproof.
  
• Then click Continue and you'll be prompted to print your image. Insert a sheet of the printable vinyl (with the green background) into your printer. Keep the Bleed checked and the Use System Dialog checked.
  
• This will open up the System Dialog Box. On a Mac, change the Quality to Best. If you have a PC, change the quality to high in your printer settings.

  Then click Print and your image will print on the printable vinyl!
  
• How to Apply the Waterproof Vinyl

  Now you need to apply the vinyl on top of the printed sheet—this is what will make the stickers waterproof.

  At the top of the waterproof vinyl, there is a strip. Peel off the strip.
  
• The area where you removed the strip will be sticky. Carefully line it up with the edge of your printed sheet. Press down to adhere.
  
• Then flip the vinyl up and start to peel the backing away from the rest of the sheet. As you do this, use the squeegee to press the vinyl into the printed sheet.
  
• Then use the squeegee to fully press the waterproof vinyl onto the printed sheet.
  
• Cut the Stickers on the Cricut

  Now cut the stickers!

  Back in Cricut Design Space, choose your material. All of the Printable Waterproof Sticker Set options mentioned at the beginning of this post are available as options.
  
• Place your printed sheet on a Cricut cutting mat.
  
• Insert your mat into the machine and your Cricut will cut your project!
  
• In this project, because die cut stickers was chosen in Design Space, the stickers cut all the way through the backing material. If you choose kiss cut stickers, then your stickers will just cut through the top layer, leaving the backing material in tact.
  
• Love the holographic look of these stickers! They shimmer and shine in a way that's difficult to capture in a photograph. They really are so fun!

  If you are struggling with your cutouts being accurate, make sure you calibrate your Print then Cut!
  

The post How to Make Waterproof Stickers with a Cricut appeared first on Hey, Let's Make Stuff.

If you’ve been down the Booktok / Bookstagram rabbit hole lately, you’ve probably seen sprayed book edges adorning bookshelves everywhere. Many of the more popular fantasy novels (looking at you, Fourth Wing and Iron Flame) have special editions with sprayed edges that people (including me!) are going crazy for.

There are edges that are simply one sprayed color or a mix of colors (most using airbrushing). And then there are more complex images that people have painted by hand or created with stencils—which is what we’re going to tackle in today’s post! You can also use this post to simply spray your edges without a stencil—just skip down to that part of the tutorial.

I grabbed my set of ACOTAR (A Court of Thorn and Roses and the subsequent books in the series) and decided to give it a try! I have a free download for this set of books below so you can make this exact project. If you have other books you’d like to see stencils for, let me know and I may add them to my shop!

Spraying book edges is definitely an intermediate project. If you’re brand new to the Cricut, this probably shouldn’t be your first project. You want to be very comfortable with using vinyl and transfer tape, as well as using spray paint, before you begin.

Even I’ll admit it was a bit nerve-wracking. These hardback books aren’t cheap! However, the results were pretty amazing and since I’ve done all five books, I’ve found the process and materials that seem to work the best.

Watch the Video

Because this is a pretty complex project, check out my full video by clicking play below! Or read on to get the full written tutorial.

What Kind of Vinyl to Use

I tested both removable and permanent vinyl for my stencil. The permanent vinyl was much harder to remove from the painted book pages. The removable vinyl peeled up easily and still had nice, crisp edges.

So I highly recommend a removable vinyl like Oracal 631 to create the stencil for your sprayed book edges.

What Supplies Do I Need to Spray Book Edges

Get everything you need to spray your book edges in my Amazon Store!

Here are the supplies I used to spray the edges of my books.

• Cricut or other electronic cutting machine
• Removable adhesive vinyl*
• Green StandardGrip mat
• Weeding hook
• Transfer tape
• Scraper
• Montana Gold Spray Paint*
  • Red: S3000 Shock Red
  • Teal: G6130 Malachite
  • Pink:
  • Blue:
  • Orange: CL2130 Shrimp Dark
• Clamps*
• Wooden blocks
• Brown paper wrapping*
• Scissors
• Painter’s tape*

* Material Notes

• Removable vinyl worked better for me than permanent. It was much easier to remove.
• Choose a satin or matte spray paint, not a glossy spray paint.
• I used quick-release clamps but you can use c-clamps as well.
• For the recycled paper you can use paper bags, but I found that the brown paper wrapping that comes inside Amazon boxes worked really well and is more flexible than paper bags.
• I used regular masking tape in my photos below, but found it actually pulled up at the inside of the covers so I used painter’s tape for the other books and it worked better.

Prep a Book for Sprayed Edges

For this project, I am spraying the edges of A Court of Mist and Fury (the second book in the A Court of Thorn and Roses series by Sarah J. Mass—I did the first book in my video above!). I chose to do the hardback editions because they are sturdier and I thought I could get the cleanest results. I have seen people do paperbacks as well, but the covers tend to ripple a bit.

Select your spray paint colors. I recommend using a satin/matte spray paint versus a glossy one—I think the ingredients in a gloss spray paint may cause the pages to stick more. Montana Gold spray paint is my favorite and it’s satin and it comes in a ton of colors so no matter what book you are spraying, there will be a color that works.

Remove the book jacket so you have only the hardback book.

Then use your recycled paper to cover the entire book. Be sure to cover and tape the front, back, and spine of the book very tightly. You don’t want paint to seep into any crevices and get on your book! I used recycled brown paper packing sheets and painter’s tape in order to do this. Do you remember covering textbooks in school? That’s sort of what this felt like!

Now, you’ll need to create a book press. I used 4″ ratcheting quick-release clamps and two pieces of scrap wood. I suggest wood rather than cardboard because it helps compress the entire book, plus it really protects your book from clamp marks. I’ve seen other people use cardboard, but I found the clamping is more successful with wood.

At first I wanted to wrap my clamps in plastic so they wouldn’t get any spray paint on them, but I got over that pretty quick. They just get a bit of overspray but as long as you’re not spraying a ton of paint into the ratcheting mechanism, I think you’re fine without covering the clamps.

Make sure to tighten your clamps as tight as you can get them. You want the book pressed together tightly and evenly so no paint leaks through the pages.

Once your book is fully clamped together, measure the length and width of your book pages. If you decide to also do a book from the ACOTAR series and use my SVG, I have created the cut file to be the correct size of the book. If you are adding your own design, be sure it is the correct size. I made my designs slightly smaller than the length and width of the pages so nothing gets cut off in the painting process.

How to Cut Your Vinyl Stencil

Let’s make the stencil you’ll use for your book! Start by opening Cricut Design Space. For this project, I’m using my ACOTAR-themed file.

To begin, create a new project in Cricut Design Space. Then click Upload in the Design Panel on the left.

You’ll be taken to the upload screen where you can navigate to the file you want to upload. If you need more help with SVG files, see my post How to Upload an SVG to Cricut Design Space.

Insert your file onto your canvas.

Hide any stencils you are not using. If you’re using my file for your ACOTAR hardcover books, there is no need to resize.

You’re ready to cut your image! Click Make It in the upper right. In the Load Mat screen, choose On Mat (unless you are using removable Smart Vinyl, then choose Without Mat). Click Confirm.

Then you’ll be taken taken to the Prepare Screen. I rotated my stencil so it cut at the top of my mat.

Once your mat looks good, click Continue. Then in the Make Screen, choose your material. In this case, I chose removable vinyl.

Insert your mat into your machine and your Cricut will cut your project!

Once your vinyl is cut, use your weeding hook to remove the excess vinyl.

Place your transfer tape on top of the vinyl. Use your scraping tool to burnish the vinyl onto the transfer tape.

Peel back the transfer tape to lift your vinyl design.

Now you’re ready to start the process of painting your book pages!

How to Spray the Edges of a Book

Now you can apply your stencil to your book pages. Carefully place the transfer tape with the design along the page edges of your book.

Use a scraping tool to press the design to the pages. You want it pressed down really well!

Now, peel back the transfer tape. The vinyl left on the book will be your stencil. I was worried it wouldn’t stick, but overall I had pretty good luck. If any of the pieces pull up, carefully place them with tweezers and make sure they are pressed into the pages well.

Be sure you’re in a well-ventilated area to spray paint. Begin with very light, even coats of spray paint. I like to spray about 6 inches away from the book and make fairly quick back and forth motions. Do this 5-6 times until you feel there’s a nice, even coat. You do NOT want to soak the pages—use more light coats vs. fewer heavy coats.

Also rotate the book and spray the top and bottom edges as well (some people stencil these too, which is an option!).

Let this first coat dry for 25-30 minutes. Take a peek at your pages and determine if you need another coat. I added a second coat for a deeper color and to be sure I got in all the crevices of the book edge. Again, use a very light hand and don’t oversaturate!

Let this second coat dry for at least 4-5 hours. You should have really nice coverage on the book edges.

Once you’re sure the paint is dry, use your weeding tool and tweezers to remove the vinyl from your pages. I did this with all five books and every time I was like oh my goodness, this is GORGEOUS! You really do get a nice crisp edge when you have your book properly clamped.

Do not fan the pages for at least 24 hours. If you separate the pages or fan them, you run the risk of the paint flaking off and looking uneven. You may have some pages that are a bit stuck together, but take care to peel them apart and your book should look just as good as it did when you first spray painted it!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial to spray book edges! Let me know if you try it out!

Print

SPRAYING BOOK EDGES USING A STENCIL

Create a custom look for any books using spray paint and a stencil! These detailed instructions will walk you through all the tips and tricks to spray book edges perfectly so you can customize your bookshelf!

Keyword Books, Stencil

Author Cori George

Equipment

• Cricut or other electronic cutting machine

Ingredients

• Removable adhesive vinyl*
• Green StandardGrip mat
• Weeding hook
• Transfer tape
• Scraper
• Montana Gold Spray Paint* Red: S3000 Shock Red – Teal: G6130 Malachite – Pink: – Blue: – Orange: CL2130 Shrimp Dark
• Clamps*
• Wooden blocks
• Brown paper wrapping*
• Scissors
• Painter's tape*
• Free ACOTAR Stencil SVG #C481

Instructions

• * Material Notes

  *Removable vinyl worked better for than permanent and it was much easier to remove.

  *Choose a satin or matte spray paint, not a glossy spray paint.

  *Used quick-release clamps but you can use c-clamps as well.

  *For the recycled paper you can use paper bags, but the brown paper wrapping that comes inside Amazon boxes worked really well and is more flexible than paper bags.

  *Can use regular masking tape but it actually pulls up at the inside of the covers, so recommend painter's tape as it works better.

  Prep a Book for Sprayed Edges

  Choose hardback editions because they are sturdier and get the cleanest results. Some people do paperbacks as well, but the covers tend to ripple a bit.

  Select your spray paint colors. Recommend using a satin/matte spray paint versus a glossy one, as the ingredients in a gloss spray paint may cause the pages to stick more. Montana Gold spray paint a favorite and it's satin and it comes in a ton of colors so no matter what book you are spraying, there will be a color that works.
• Remove the book jacket so you have only the hardback book
  
• Then use your recycled paper to cover the entire book. Be sure to cover and tape the front, back, and spine of the book very tightly. You don't want paint to seep into any crevices and get on your book! Recommend using recycled brown paper packing sheets and painter's tape in order to do this.
  
• Now, you'll need to create a book press. 4" ratcheting quick-release clamps and two pieces of scrap wood were used to do this. Wood is suggested rather than cardboard because it helps compress the entire book, plus it really protects your book from clamp marks. Other people use cardboard, but the clamping is more successful with wood.
  
• You might want to wrap the clamps in plastic so they won't get any spray paint on them, but it was not done for this project. They get a bit of overspray but as long as you're not spraying a ton of paint into the ratcheting mechanism, you're fine without covering the clamps.

  Make sure to tighten your clamps as tight as you can get them. You want the book pressed together tightly and evenly so no paint leaks through the pages.

  Once your book is fully clamped together, measure the length and width of your book pages. If you decide to also do a book from the ACOTAR series that was used for this project and use the free SVG, the cut file is the correct size of that book series. If you are adding your own design, be sure it is the correct size. The free designs are slightly smaller than the length and width of the pages so nothing gets cut off in the painting process.
• How to Cut Your Vinyl Stencil

  Let’s make the stencil you'll use for your book! Start by opening Cricut Design Space. For this project, the ACOTAR-themed file was used.

  To begin, create a new project in Cricut Design Space. Then click Upload in the Design Panel on the left.

  You’ll be taken to the upload screen where you can navigate to the file you want to upload. If you need more help with SVG files, see this post How to Upload an SVG to Cricut Design Space.

  Insert your file onto your canvas.
  
• Hide any stencils you are not using. If you're using the free file for your ACOTAR hardcover books, there is no need to resize.
  
• You're ready to cut your image! Click Make It in the upper right. In the Load Mat screen, choose On Mat (unless you are using removable Smart Vinyl, then choose Without Mat). Click Confirm.
  
• Then you'll be taken taken to the Prepare Screen. Rotate the stencil so it cuts at the top of the mat.
  
• Once your mat looks good, click Continue. Then in the Make Screen, choose your material. In this case, I chose removable vinyl.
  
• Insert your mat into your machine and your Cricut will cut your project!
  
• Once your vinyl is cut, use your weeding hook to remove the excess vinyl.
  
• Place your transfer tape on top of the vinyl. Use your scraping tool to burnish the vinyl onto the transfer tape.
  
• Peel back the transfer tape to lift your vinyl design.

  Now you're ready to start the process of painting your book pages!
  
• How to Spray the Edges of a Book

  Now apply your stencil to your book pages. Carefully place the transfer tape with the design along the page edges of your book.
  
• Use a scraping tool to press the design to the pages. You want it pressed down really well!
  
• Now, peel back the transfer tape. The vinyl left on the book will be your stencil. If any of the pieces pull up, carefully place them with tweezers and make sure they are pressed into the pages well.
  
• Be sure you're in a well-ventilated area to spray paint. Begin with very light, even coats of spray paint. Spray about 6 inches away from the book and make fairly quick back and forth motions. Do this 5-6 times until you feel there's a nice, even coat. You do NOT want to soak the pages—use more light coats vs. fewer heavy coats.

  Also rotate the book and spray the top and bottom edges as well (some people stencil these too, which is an option!).
  
• Let this first coat dry for 25-30 minutes. Take a peek at your pages and determine if you need another coat. I added a second coat for a deeper color and to be sure I got in all the crevices of the book edge. Again, use a very light hand and don't oversaturate!

  Let this second coat dry for at least 4-5 hours. You should have really nice coverage on the book edges.
  
• Once you're sure the paint is dry, use your weeding tool and tweezers to remove the vinyl from your pages. You really do get a nice crisp edge when you have your book properly clamped.
  
• Do not fan the pages for at least 24 hours. If you separate the pages or fan them, you run the risk of the paint flaking off and looking uneven. You may have some pages that are a bit stuck together, but take care to peel them apart and your book should look just as good as it did when you first spray painted it!

  GORGEOUS!
  

Notes

Spraying book edges is definitely an intermediate project. If you’re brand new to the Cricut, this probably shouldn’t be your first project. You want to be very comfortable with using vinyl and transfer tape, as well as using spray paint, before you begin.

The post How to Spray Book Edges Using a Stencil appeared first on Hey, Let's Make Stuff.

Unless it’s a taco shirt for myself or Valentine’s Day pajamas for my kids, I’m not one to go all out getting dressed for Valentine’s Day. Red is definitely not my color, and I have one pink shirt in my entire wardrobe. But I had such fun making faux leather earrings for Halloween, fall, and Christmas that I thought I’d whip up a cute pair of suede heart earrings for Valentine’s Day! Of course I had to use this trendy tear drop shape.

These DIY valentine earrings come together in less than 10 minutes, making them a super simple Valentine’s Day jewelry project. Make a pair for yourself, sell them at a craft fair, or whip out a whole bunch and gift them to your girlfriends at a Galentine’s Day party. I love easy projects!

I love working with Cricut’s faux suede to make jewelry—it doesn’t weigh anything and it cuts beautifully. I suggest using Cricut’s Strong Grip mat when cutting faux suede so that it won’t shift while the machine cuts. Cricut’s faux leather is also a beautiful and lightweight choice! Their genuine leather also works well, though it weighs a bit more.

Want more options for Valentine’s Day earrings? I’ve made a list at the bottom of this post!

Watch the Video

Want a video on how to make these easy DIY earrings? Just click play below! Or keep reading for a written tutorial.

DIY Valentine Earrings Supplies

Get everything you need to make this project in my Amazon Shop!

• Cricut or other cutting machine
• Purple StrongGrip mat
• Cricut Faux Suede in red
• Fishhook Earring Hooks
• Poker (you can use many things for this, such as a needle or pushpin)
• Needle-nose pliers
• SVG cut file (see below)

DIY Valentine Earrings Instructions

Making these earrings is such an easy craft using your Cricut! You can use any Cricut machine to make this project: Cricut Joy, Cricut Joy Xtra, Cricut Explore machines, Cricut Maker machines, and even Cricut Venture. You just need the fine point blade—no fancy tools or accessories!

Set up the file in Cricut Design Space

Open Cricut Design Space and upload the SVG file to Cricut Design Space or your cutting software if you are using a different type of cutting machine. I made these about 2.5″ tall, but you can change the earring size to make them smaller or larger if you prefer.

Click Make in the upper right. You’ll be asked how you want to load your project. Choose “On Mat.”

For your material cut setting, you will most likely need to click Browse All Materials and search for Faux Suede. I choose the Cricut brand as my material.

Cutting the Valentine Earrings

Place your leather with the colored-side up on the top of the mat. If you’re having trouble getting the faux leather to stick, user a brayer.

Place your Cricut mat into your Cricut machine and press the blinking button to cut your project! I don’t find that the star wheels imprint faux leather that much, but if you’d like you can push the star wheels (the white wheels on the crossbar) over to the right so you aren’t imprinting your leather.

Carefully peel back the leather from the mat, making sure to be extra cautious with the earrings themselves since they have delicate pieces. You could even save the little heart from the middle of the each earring and use them for other projects!

Assembling Your Valentine’s Day Earrings

Next you’ll need some sort of poking tool. A needle or a pin work well. I have a Cricut poking tool, so I used that. Using your poker, make a small hole at the top of the teardrop shape. It should be about 1/16″ from the top.

Use your needle-nose pliers to work open the ring at the bottom of the fishhook earring.

Slide the teardrop onto the earring using the hole you just poked, and clamp the ring back in place. If you are a jewellery maker and prefer to use a small jump ring between the earring and the earring hook, you can do that as well. Small jump rings can make the earring more “dangly” if you prefer.

They are ready to wear! I spent less than ten minutes designing, cutting, and assembling these earrings. And since I did the design work for you, you just have to cut, make, and wear!

Super easy! Hope you’ve enjoyed this easy Valentine’s day craft!

Print

HEART EARRINGS

Use your Cricut to make these trendy DIY valentine earrings in less than 10 minutes!

Keyword Cricut, Earrings, Faux Suede, Jewelry

Author Cori George

Equipment

• Cricut Machine
• Cricut StrongGrip Mat
• Needle nose pliers
• Poking tool

Ingredients

• 1 sheet Cricut faux suede
• 1 pair Fish hook earring findings

Instructions

• Set up the file in Cricut Design Space
  
• Cut the earrings on your Cricut machine.
  
• Poke a hole at the top of the earring.
  
• Add your fish hook earring finding to the earring.
  

SaveSave

The post Easy DIY Valentine Earrings with a Cricut appeared first on Hey, Let's Make Stuff.