Squeeze My Cheeks Vintage Plastic Canvas Christmas Ornaments

"Squeeze My Cheeks & I'll Give You A Kiss"
Reads the tags on these homemade ornaments popular in the 1980's.
The ornaments hold a Hersheys Kiss inside.

Here's where to find patterns to make them today:

Elf Yourself (or your grandchildren) Ornaments

Make Yourself (Or Your Grandchildren)
Into Movable Elf Ornaments
A Print Then Cut Project With Cricut (Free Project)
Quick Links:


This is what the project looks like in Design Space.
The white image in the middle of the first row is unused in my version, I am not really sure what it is for - but my best guess is if you would prefer to cut a photograph to glue fast, or have a child draw a face rather than use a photograph, that piece would work as the face.

For my version of this, I did not need two holes side by side on the leg and arm pieces, but I put two holes there, in case you want to make them with the string like Melody Lane did.  I think our grand-kids would just break them faster if they had a string, I am happy just to have the arms and legs move.  
This is the image that is used for these.  This project was free in 2019, and is still free if you pay the monthly rental fee for Cricut Access.  For me personally, I always find it better to purchase one image as need from cricut, rather than pay for access.  When you purchase the image, you can use it as long as you can use Design Space.  When you pay a monthly fee for cricut access, you are merely renting the images, and once you stop paying the monthly fee, you stop having free access to those images. 


Quick Reference:
  • I sized this to fit on one sheet of paper, the finished elf is approximately 8.5 inches tall
  • Attach the black dots.  Attach - not flatten.  For all but the piece on the left, this is already done.  If you flatten the dots to the body, they will not cut, and you will need to use a hole punch.
  • Once you add the face, select the hat, coat, and face, and flatten!  Then attach the dots.

Crop your photo as much as possible before uploading it to design space.  Then use the eraser tool to crop out the face.  Do not worry too much about it being a little jagged, the imperfections will fade out, and many will be hidden completely by the hat and the coat.  If you need help learning how to use the eraser tool when uploading to Design Space, this may help: https://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/2018/12/how-to-convert-simple-free-clipart-to.html

Move your face around and resize until you like the way it looks.

For this project, it's much easier to select in the layers panel on the right.  Click on each item, while holding the shift key down.  I group my 3 items to start.  Then move them over the image on the left, making sure the hat and coat will line up when you put them together.  once you are sure it's the right size, select your 3 items - hat, coat, face, and flatten.

Send your new flattened image to the back, and move your dots over.  In the photo above, the dots are not lined up.  You want to line them up so it looks like there is only one set of dots.  Then over in that layers panel, select the dots, and the image with your face.  Once selected, attach.  Then drag the image to the side once again.

Click Make it, and send to your printer.

Place the printed page on a mat. 
 Use the blue one if you have it, it's meant for paper.  I am using a green one here that is not too sticky - it's been used a lot.  You can wash your mats with soap and water and the stickiness will come back - but this one hasn't been washed recently, and has been used pretty hard, so it is not TOO sticky.

Here's one I cut on the blue mat.  :-)
I love the Cricut Spatula tools for removing small pieces of paper from the mat.
Put the arms and legs together first.  Then layer the pieces all together.  The hole at the top is for a ribbon, to hang them.


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



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For More Tips, Tricks, Tutorials, and Free SVGS - 





Making 3d Paper Christmas Ornaments With Cricut - Free SVGS

I've separated this post into three parts - Free SVGS for making 3D Paper Christmas Ornaments, Free Templates that you can either convert to svg with a free converter or simple clean up (or just cut by hand!) and lastly, SVGS & Templates that are not free.
If you make any of these, come on over to the Cricut Tips, Tutorials & Free SVGS facebook group to show us what you made!  (And share links to your tutorials and free svgs there too!)

Christmas Lampshades With Cricut


A quick Christmas Decoration - Vinyl inside a lampshade
I'm going to try to remember to come back and take better photos at night, when there is not so much light pouring in the windows here.  :-)

A Christmas Card Holder Canvas

Free Santa Sack SVGS at the bottom of this post.

I used a Santa Sack SVG &  htv, ironing it onto a craft canvas.  

Then I cut slits in the canvas with an exacto knife to run the ribbons through.  

Cards slip in the sides, and are clipped  (paperclips work great) or taped to the ribbons.

For more tips, tricks, and projects using htv:

This is the file I used for my card holder.  It's a silhouette file, and the download it under an ad, click on the "Santa Sack Cut File" text, which is located right above the words "Note: This cut file is for personal use only".  Then you will need to request access to view the google drive file...

This one is a studio file [for silhouette machines].  To convert it to SVG, use the free online converter here: http://www.ideas-r-us-software.uk/FileConverters/SilhouetteStudioConverter.aspx

I made this back in 2019, so I am not 100% certain the file will still be available for download.  I've included some additional FREE Santa Sack SVG options below.

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Materials For Santa Sacks
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See a list of some of my favorite Htv brands.  The only brand I NEVER buy is [the very overpriced] Cricut brand.  I tend to prefer Caregy, HTVront & Transwonder - all of which have performed great for me over the years.

 


There are a LOT of options for XL Cotton Laundry bags on Amazon. I found two packs for $10, making them $5 each - I don't yet know what they cost in local stores.
I'm thinking it might be less expensive to buy the bags with premade designs at Hobby Lobby, and just add names?  But again, I haven't actually checked prices yet.

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FREE SVGS FOR SANTA SACKS



This was the original version - isn't it amazing what a difference some different ribbon made - in the top photo?  


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For Tips, Tricks, Tutorials, and Loads Of Free SVGS - Find Me on Facebook: