Happy Birthday Charger Plate Sign

I have a built in cabinet in our dining room that we use as a buffet area for desserts.  I have charger signs for each season that I rotate, and now this one, for when we have birthday dinners here.

Quick Links:

I started with the grey wood grain chargers from the Dollar Tree, and painted one with brown paint, and one with white.  I rubbed some of the paint back off with a paper towel.
(The brown one will be for a Thanksgiving Design, the white one was for this project)

Often I use more of a dry brush technique - you can see those here:



For The charger template, I added a 12 inch circle in design space.  (Choose shapes, circle, then at the top of the page type a 12 into the size box.)
Then I created a second circle, 8 inches in diameter.

At the top of the screen I chose Align, Center.

Then I chose select all, and sliced the smaller circle out of the large.  Delete all of the center pieces.  

The text I want to fit on the rim of the plate goes on what is left of the circle.  The design for the inside section of the plate should fit inside that outline.


The hardest part of making this is all of the ungrouping, deleting, and attaching to piece the design together.   I used 4 different svgs - the truck, Lets Eat Some Cake, the party hat,  and the balloons.  Most of these were from LoveSVG, and came with several options, all of which had extra options to be deleted.  Don't forget to attach the text for Lets Eat Some Cake.  The connected parts are already welded, but the text that is not connected needs to be attached, so that it cuts as words and not letters you have to piece together.

Layer on your contact paper, for the truck and for the party hat - it is so much easier!  Put the truck on the transfer paper (I like the contact paper from the Dollar tree best, for transfer paper) and then add the tires, then transfer to the plate.



===============


More Dollar Tree Charger Ideas

RED Friday Floating Ornaments

Remember Everyone Deployed-
RED Friday Floating Ornaments, With Free SVG
These are red vinyl on clear inserts inserted in the ornament, with sand on the bottom.
Remember Everyone Deployed text is on the outside of the ornament.

Mr & Mrs Split Monogram Christmas Ornaments


How To Make Split Monogram Mr & Mrs Christmas Ornaments
Quick Links:
For a more detailed Step By Step:

I used Moxy brand glitter for these, in a Champagne color

For the 3.15 inch disc ornaments, I made this 2 inches wife by 2.321 tall
Weeding these is tedious.
For several of them, I redid the Est. Date at the bottom in a larger font, cut separately.

Reverse weeding does help, but the tiny letters were still difficult.



I didn't notice the U was crooked until I took the photos..  I was able to fix it.  651 vinyl is permanent, but it takes something like 72 hours to cure, so for the first day at least, it's fairly easy to remove and re-position.  Thankfully!  :-)
Free SVGS - 
This is made with the Samantha Craft Font

This Mr & Mrs Split Monogram is free from Shopcraftables - 


Another free Mr & Mrs Split Monogram svg, free from LoveSVG


=========================

Layered Paper Shadow Boxes (The Dollar Tree Version)


Cut paper designs, layered with pop dots in between, and a strand of lights at the back, form a lighted layered shadow box.

Supplies:

Using The Digital Dollar General Coupons

Dollar General has a great, simple, digital coupon system.  Simply add all of the coupons to your account, then at check out, type in your phone number, and the system will automatically apply the coupons to your total. Just click on the yellow box with the plus sign at the bottom of the coupon, to add them to your account.

Go here and login to add your coupons

You can also download the app to your phone and add them from there!

Then when you check out in the store, there will be a grey box on the check out screen, asking you to sign in to save.  Select it, type your phone number on the pin pad, and the coupons will automatically deduct from the totals - you will see the deductions on the screen under each item that has been scanned.

Almost every single Saturday, there is a $5 off $25 coupon available.  You can add it earlier in the week, and save when you stop at Dollar General on Saturdays.

There are a combination of Dollar General Coupons and manufacturers coupons available.  If the coupon has an M, like the one shown here, it is a manufacturers coupon.  This means I will get 50 cents off my scrubbing bubbles today, and also an additional $5 off my total order, when I spend $25.  


It's pretty quick and easy, with no need to carry around a stack of paper coupons!

===============


Mop & Glo Vs. Polycrylic For Glitter Ornaments

Making Glitter Ornaments with Mop & Glo & Polycrylic, a Comparison

Quick Links:
I applied as normal - using a lot of both, then dumping the excess back into the bottle/can, and flipping the ornaments upside down in an egg carton for a minute or two to drain any excess out.  Immediately you can see a difference - the mop and glo is thin and clear. The Polycrylic is thick and cloudy.

It is really nice that the mop and glo comes in a pour spout!  I should save the bottle and reuse it to hold my Polycrylic when I'm done!  But for now, I use a condiment  bottle (you can often find these at the Dollar tree in the summer time, sometimes in red and yellow.)  The top of the mop and glo bottle does pull off, so I could drain the excess liquid right back into the bottle.

 
The Comparison
Both work. But the Polycrylic ornament has much better coverage. The Mop & Glo ornament is light and see through.

 
The Comparison, with them hanging on a tree
For me, polycrylic is the clear winner - but it will depend on the look you want, there are times less coverage may look better with a design!


Other Products I've Seen Used:
  • Hair Spray
  • Murphy's Oil Soap
  • Glitter Glue
  • Pledge Floor Cleaner
=================



Making Unicorn Christmas Ornaments


Quick Links:
Supplies:

Make Them:


  • How to Glitter the inside of clear ornaments, with polycrylic
  • Roll the sculpy into small balls, then flatten out to make long "cone" shapes.  (Gold and white are a really pretty combination for these, especially if glitter the insides of the ornaments in pastel colors rather than white!)  Twist colors together.  Bake according to the directions on the package.  
  • For the flowers, I used silk flowers from the craft section.  You could very easily make your own small paper flowers with your cricut for these, but since I have not yet done that, I'm not sure what size to make them.
  • Cut rounded traiangles from felt for the ears
  • Use your cricut to cut eyelashes from a scrap of 651 vinyl - use transfer tape to apply the eyelashes to the ornament
  • Glue on the horn, ears, and flowers
  • Add ribbon

  • You can easily add names to the bottom, or back, or these too!

      =====================================

      Find me On Facebook At Crafting With Fields Of Heather
      Where I post LOTS Of Free svgs each day, and more tips and tutorials

      =================================


      Making Christmas Ornaments - An Index Of Tips, Tricks, Tutorials & Free SVGS

      An Index Of Tips, Tricks, Tutorials, & Free SVGS
      For Making Christmas Ornaments


      Decal Sizes for Ornaments

      ========================
      Where To Find The Free...
      ============
      TUTORIALS 

      Find an index of Christmas Ornament Tutorials here:

      =======
      Tips
      =======
      Polycrylic & Polyurethene are not the same thing.
      You want Polycrylic for  making glitter ornaments.


      Comparing Mop & Glo to Polycrylic, for making glitter ornaments. Both worked, but I like the coverage with the polycrylic better, personally. See the comparison here:
      Pull the wire up, as shown on the right.
      Place the lid on the ornament, then press the top down. 
      You are less likely to scratch the glitter this way!
      A Free SVG For A Bow Making Tool
      There's A Video Tutorial for how to use it too.

      ====================
      The Christmas Index
      Where To Find: Free Christmas SVGS By Theme (Nativity, Grinch, A Christmas Story, Etc), Where To Find Free Christmas SVGS By Project (Gift Tags, 3D Paper, Earrings, etc) and Where To Find Free Christmas Project Tutorials & Gift Ideas.  Including an entire extra index just for making Christmas Ornaments.  Find it all here:
      ==========================

      Making Floating Christmas Ornaments With Vellum Instead Of Acetate

      On the left is vellum, on the right is printable acetate.
      Neither ornament is done here - to be finished they will get vinyl names on the outside, and bows..  and possibly the birth date/height/weight on the back...

      While making our grandsons newborn ornaments today, I tried them on both the printable acetate, and the inkjet vellum.  For this project, I still prefer the acetate.  Although when I hung them both on a  lighted tree, the vellum does show up much better.  I think I am going to like the vellum a lot better for the Memory ornaments I am making this year.

      Quick Links:
      This is a good thick vellum, perfect for use in Inkjet Printers

      I use a Cricut Air 2, and it refused to acknowledge this vellum for print then cut today.  It insisted it could not find the sensor marks.  I turned the lights on, I turned the lights off, I pulled the curtains, I switched from a green mat to a blue mat...  no luck.  I tried on the clear acetate, it cut perfectly on the first try.  So I placed a sheet of white paper behind the vellum, and sure enough, it read the marks and cut just fine.  Why it can not find the marks on white vellum, but CAN on clear acetate, I just simply do not know.

      So to make this easier, print yourself a print then cut frame.  This is very simple to do.  Go to Design Space, Choose the "Add shape" tool on the left, and choose a square.  At the top of the screen, click on the lock to unlock the size, then type beside the W 6.75 and beside the  L 9.25  That is the largest a image can be for print then cut.


      I use HP Instant Ink, which means I pay by the page no matter what is on the page.  It costs me exactly the same to print the word "test" on a sheet of paper, as it does to print a dark full color photo.  So I didn't bother to try to save ink here.  But if you pay for your ink, you will want to make this a very light grey color, or slice the center of the shape out, so that you are not printing a full page of color.  
      At the top left of the screen, under fill, choose Print, to make this a print then cut project.

      Next, send your project to your printer, printing it on a piece of good white card stock,  then place it on a mat and insert it into your cricut to cut.  

      Now you have a print then cut frame.  Make your print then cut project on the vellum, place it on your mat, then place the frame you just made from cardstock (which has a black outline to show the machine where to cut) over your vellum.  Use Painters Tape to tape the "frame" to the mat.

      This is NOT following my directions above.
      This was about my 5th attempt to get the machine to cut the vellum.
      I simply stuck the white sheet of paper underneath
      Then I taped the vellum on top. I do not recommend this.
      Because the vellum is not stuck to the mat in the middle
      It will move when cut, and it gets bent and crinkled.

      This is a comparison of the prints - vellum on the left, acetate on the right.

      If you are looking for how to get the photos on the shape, follow the tutorial found here:

      And here's a comparison of them held up in the light.
      Left is vellum, right is Acetate.


      =============

      =====================================


      Find me On Facebook At Crafting With Fields Of Heather
      Where I post LOTS Of Free svgs each day, and more tips and tutorials
      https://www.facebook.com/fieldsofheathercrafts/posts/