Thursday, February 16, 2012

Tutorial - DIY Love Message Board (Silhouette Cameo and Adhesive Vinyl)

I originally posted a photo of this love message board on the Valentine's Day blog post.  


The idea originally grew from this project I saw on pinterest which simply has a printed sentiment on patterned paper (you can totally do that without a fancy die cutting machine)!  But for mine, I went a tad bit fancier by cutting some adhesive vinyl with my Silhouette Cameo.  Here's how I did it.

1.  Buy a Frame.  I got this one with a weathered wood look from TJ Maxx for $8.  If we weren't living in such temporary accommodations, I'd probably swipe the frame my mother has with my hideous second grade photo.  


2.  Cut Patterned Paper to Fit Inside the Frame.  I used this adorable heart argyle paper from We R Memory Keepers.  While this paper is relatively busy, I would steer clear of anything too busy or dark.


3.  Cut a Sentiment out of Adhesive Vinyl.  I used a sentiment from Kerri Bradford's "All About You" digital shape set.  I simply opened the image in my Silhouette Studio software, loaded up my Cricut adhesive vinyl and cut away.  I personally found that setting the blade to a setting of "2" (versus the "1" that the software suggests) gave me a much cleaner cut.


4.  Adhere Transfer Tape onto the Cut Image.  Cut down your transfer tape to fit your cut image.  Peel the backing off and place the sticky side down onto the vinyl image.  (Remember to not throw away the backing though - I use my transfer tape about 3-4 times before I throw it out.)  Using transfer tape ensures that your image doesn't get all warped while "transferring" it from the vinyl backing to whatever surface you are adhering it to.  I would also use a popsicle stick or credit card to burnish that tape well onto the image just to make sure it's completely on.


5.  Peel Off the Adhesive Vinyl Backing.  The stick side of the vinyl should now be facing up.  



6.  Transfer the Vinyl Image onto the Glass.  I first place the image down where I want it then burnish it to make sure that the vinyl is actually sticking to the glass where you want it.


Once you're sure that the image is adhered to the glass, slowly peel back the transfer tape.


Then... viola!!!  A beautiful vinyl image right on your frame!


To make "love" stand out a bit more, I cut out just that work in a coordinating colored paper and then taped it right on the vinyl.  


Seriously easy and this idea/ technique can be applied for so many different projects.  Think menu boards, decorated photo frames...possibilities are endless.  So stay calm and craft on.

As always, thanks for stopping by!

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