Cutting Machine Crafts with Your Cricut, Sizzix, or Silhouette: Die Cutting Machine Projects to Make with 60 SVG Files

Copyright © 2018 by Lia Griffith

All rights reserved.

Published in the United States by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.

crownpublishing.com

clarksonpotter.com

CLARKSON POTTER is a trademark and POTTER with colophon is a registered trademark of Penguin Random House LLC.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.

ISBN 9781984822352

Ebook ISBN 9781984822369

Interior and cover photography by Brian McDonnell

Photo styling: Anna Sjoberg-Smith and Lia Griffith

Cover design by Mia Johnson

v5.2

prh

TO MY AMAZING TEAM Your individual creativity inspires me everyday!

contents

A NOTE FROM LIA

THE ELECTRONIC CUTTING MACHINE

MATERIALS, TOOLS, TIPS, and TRICKS

FOR THE HOME

Tropical Leaves

Scandinavian Botanicals

Southwest Cacti

Mushroom Meadow

Boxwood Greenery

Gerbera Daisies

Meadow Cloche

Anemone Blooms

Paper Lanterns

Centerpiece Succulents

Fall Leaves

FOR THE KIDS

Monster Hugs

Unicorns and Rainbows

Friendly Insects

Fairy Crown and Flower Wand

Paper Boats

Forest Friends

Blossom Letters

FOR CELEBRATIONS

Love and Hearts

Bunnies and Carrots

Spring Garden Party

Peony Bouquet

Tropical Party

Ice Cream Stand

Spiders and Webs

Winter Village

Pink Poinsettias

Holiday Evergreens

Cozy Season’s Greetings

Starry Nights

RESOURCES

SHOPPING LIST

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

a note from lia

It was five years ago when I loudly claimed, The electronic cutting machine has changed my life! Little did I know how true that bold statement would become. As a craft and lifestyle designer, I quickly understood how this machine could help me design three-dimensional projects like my paper flowers in a whole new way; it also added new possibilities by allowing me to cut out designs on iron-on transfers and vinyl. This die-cutting machine felt as essential to my crafting as a laser printer is to writing. Now in our growing design studio you’ll see a machine on every designer’s desk, and the buzz of the cutting throughout the day has become part of our creative environment.

There are so many things I love about this new craft tool. Not only does it speed up project preparation and ease the prototyping of new designs, it’s also allowed me to personalize, style, decorate, and design my entire life. I’ve now DIY’d my own home decor, added motifs and monograms to electronics and gear, crafted personalized gifts, set gorgeous tables for entertaining, decorated for every holiday of the year, made custom t-shirts…I could go on!

The practice of hand-making, of infusing personality into the process of creating, has brought me satisfaction and joy throughout my life. And I’m excited to share that passion with you through these pages, so that you, too, can experience the joy of that hand-to-heart connection. Join me as we craft together. Perhaps you’ll find that a personal cutting machine could change your life as well.

the electronic cutting machine

There are many different electronic cutting machines on the market and from my research and experience Cricut, Silhouette, and Sizzix are leading the pack. The machine you choose will depend on your personal preference but for these three brands my model recommendations include: Cricut Explore Air, Cricut Maker, Silhouette Cameo, and Sizzix Eclips2.

For paper, vinyl, and iron-on materials, all of these machines offer flexibility for both the beginner and advanced crafters. If you are still deciding on a machine, you can make most of these projects with sharp scissors, or a craft knife and cutting mat (some of the more complicated designs might be difficult to cut by hand). Simply use the printable PDF templates that you can download with the project files (see Project Templates on this page).

WHICH MACHINE IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

You’ll find a few different kinds of electronic cutting machines for sale. Many of them include similar features and new models debut every year. Here are my favorite machines; be sure to do your research to find the one that’s right for you:

Cricut Explore has been the machine used in our studio for the past few years. It offers a dual head for you to insert a scoring tool or pen tool beside the cutting blade. The machine holds a standard and deep cut blade. Cricut’s new machines operate with their Design Space software where you can use their library of cut files, download your Cricut cartridges into My Projects in the software, or upload your own files. Cricut offers a broad variety of paper, vinyl, and other cutting materials that work well with this machine. This machine will also cut bonded fabrics and heavier materials with a multiple cut setting.

Cricut Maker is the newest model in the Cricut family. It also offers a dual head for a scoring and pen tool but the biggest feature on the Maker is the variety of blades available. The new rotary cutter will cut fabric, felt, and crepe paper with exquisite perfection and the new knife blade offers thick material options. The Maker uses the Design Space software, making this machine an easy upgrade if you are familiar with the Explore.

Sizzix Eclips2 is another solid machine and has the fastest cutting ability of the machines listed. Its single head allows you