How To Transfer A Vinyl Design With "Transfer Tape"


Before & After - A Thrift Store Basket Redone With A Vinyl Design

 Quick Tips:
  • My favorite transfer tape is Contact Paper From The Dollar Tree.  The same piece of transfer tape can be used over and over - many times.
  • Which Vinyl To Buy, & Where To Buy It 
  • Cricut Transfer tape is super strong, and works great for glitter vinyl, but is generally miserable to use for most regular projects. (and it's so much more expensive...I rarely recommend cricut materials.)
  • Peel at an angle

Cutting out a Design with your cricut machine essentially makes a sticker.  Once you make that sticker, you want to move it to your project - but you do not want to peel off each piece and place it as if you had bought a sheet of stickers..  that would not only be time consuming, but it would be much more difficult to line up properly.  To transfer your design, use transfer tape. 
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Making Key Fobs with Cricut

Making Key Fobs With Cricut
You could cut these from faux leather as well.  Cricut could cut either for you - but honestly, it's so much faster and less mess to just use a rotary cutter, or even scissors.
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Free Templates & Tutorials For Making Paper Flowers

Where To Find Free Templates & Tutorials For Making Paper Flowers 
It's much faster and easier to cut the large petals by hand - but cricut is great for making the centers, the leaves, and even the templates for cutting the larger petals.
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Using FontLab Pad with Cricut Design Space

https://www.new.fontlab.com/fontlab-pad/
(you just need the free download)

In 2022, Design Space added what they call "kerned fonts".  This does not mean that the app reads font kerning - but it means that spacing issues with system fonts  are fixed, for the most part.  Occasionally you'll still have a font that does not display the way the designer intended.

And if a font has ligatures, Design Space will not be able to read them.
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Quick Tip - You Can View Thumbnails Of SVG Files


How to View SVGS as Thumbnails on the Windows Operating System

The Cliff Notes Version - Use the svg viewer extension found here:
https://code.google.com/archive/p/svg-explorer-extension/downloads
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 I was running Windows 10 when I originally wrote this post, so my screenshots are based on that operating system, with chrome as my default browser.    I run windows 11 now, and this extension still works well for me.  

This has been driving me nuts since I first started working with my cricut machine earlier this fall.  My laptop displayed the thumbnails of svg files as Chrome icons (Chrome is my default web browser) and to see the file, I had to open it.  I really wanted to be able to browse through my collection of downloaded svgs, without opening each one.

A few google searches finally took me to an SVG viewer extension. 

Recently I purchased a new laptop, and this time I had to use the 3rd one down. If you are having issues, look for one that is not signed. 
The signed versions are now blocked on Windows 10.


NEW VERSIONS OF THE CODE ABOVE
Github has new versions of the code. 
Please note that I have not used these yet myself, as the one above worked fine.
https://github.com/tibold/svg-explorer-extension/releases

Scroll down, or search for "assets", and the download links will be there.
the .sig refers to it being a signed version.  A signed version will no longer work on Windows 10, so the top version in this list is the one I would start with.


If you don't know if you are running 32bit or 64 bit, go to Control Panel (in your start menu, choose windows system, control panel will be in there) and click on System & Security:
Next choose "View The Amount Of Ram & Processor Speed"

And your answer will be under system - see system type?  Mine says 64 bit operating system, x64 based processor.
So I go to https://code.google.com/archive/p/svg-explorer-extension/downloads and download the 64 bit option.  This will download as an exe file.  Click on it to run it, follow the prompts.

 And Voila - 


For my downloads folder, this was immediate - I didn't have to do anything else, once it was installed, I saw previews!  For my Dropbox folder (I back up all of my svg files and fonts in dropbox - sorted in folders by theme.  That way when I do something stupid like break my laptop, I still have access to everything on my new laptop... ) I had to restart my computer.

You may need to change your view settings - at the top left of the screen - to "icons" if you are  currently viewing in detail or list.


Make Sure Your View It Set To Allow Thumbnail View

If that did not work, make SURE that your views are not set to "always show icons never thumbnails"

 Open any folder, choose view on the top left, then choose options on the right.
A box will pop up, choose view in that box, then make sure the box is NOT checked beside "always show icons never thumbnails"


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The 51 states  SVG collection is free here - https://caluyadesign.com/free-51-states-svg/
I used it as an example simply because it was the first folder in my files.  :-)
All of my favorite places to find free svg files can be found here:


For more quick tip cards like this one, go here:

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

Facebook Page - For Tips, Tricks, & Free SVGS
 https://www.facebook.com/fieldsofheathercrafts/

Facebook Group- For Questions, Support, Sharing Projects, 
and LOADS More Free SVGS in themed posts with links in the comments
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1121399284857845
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Dollar Tree Travel Coffee Mugs - Cricut

Cliff Notes:
 This is a Super CHEAP project.  50 cent travel coffee cups from Dollar tree, scrap vinyl.  It is a major pain in the butt to weed.  But I'm not strong on patience.  It would be easier if you use bigger cups, and make the design bigger.

Some have said you can remove the Take It To Go logo with acetate and a magic eraser.  I tried, it didn't go great for me.  (I ended up painting those cups).  I decided to just put the design on the blank side, and leave the take it to go on the opposite side.  

Step By Step How I Did This:

Find the free SVG here - https://all-free-download.com/free-vector/download/starbucks-coffee-0_111169.html

The Starbucks font is Gibson.  You can download it for free here:
http://www.fonts101.com/fonts/view/Uncategorized/48928/Gibson

 (Do that now, before you open design space.  If you need to know how to install a font, try this post:  https://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/2017/12/all-about-fonts-text-in-cricut-design.html)

Adding Text
Open a text box, type in your text, Choose the Gibson font.


Use The Curve Feature to curve your text.  If it does not fit the way you would like, ungroup your text, and manually move your letters - but in most cases, the curve feature should work great for this!


Now you have two options.  You can cut the letters out of white, and layer them on the green, or you can slice the letters out and let the background of the cup show through.

To slice, select your letters and weld.  You can only slice with TWO items selected at a time.  If you do not weld your letters, you will have to cut one letter out at a time.  If you weld the letters, you can slice them all out of the circle at once.



For these cups, I want a 3 inch decal.  So Select All, Choose Group, then in that top toolbar where it shows the size, type in a 3 and hit enter.



The cups I am using are the 2 for $1 "Take It To Go" Cups from the Dollar Tree.  I am leaving the Take It To Go on one side, and decorating the other side..

For the vinyl, I'm using 651. I buy it on Amazon, because...  free shipping.  I love Amazon prime!  Here's a look at my favorite vinyl, and where to buy it, with price comparisons including shipping costs: https://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/2017/09/cricut-which-vinyl-do-i-need-where-do-i.html

For transfer tape, I use contact paper from the Dollar Tree.


I like to transfer my designs all at once when possible.  So I transferred the green to the transfer tape, then added the black center to the transfer tape - putting the entire design together before it touches the cup.  When transferring the design, flip the design upside down, and run the scraper tool over the back, then pull the white backing up gently, starting at one corner and pulling diagonally.

Now to place on the cup, fold lightly in half, non sticky sides together.  Not enough to crease, just enough to find the middle. Stick the middle to the cup, then press down one just one side. Once the one side is down flat, flatten the other side.


That's it!  The longest part of this process for me was the weeding.  This really was a pain to weed.   

(yes, I did realize, after taking this pic, that I had put the green ring on the Daleck cup sideways..  I was able to remove it and put it back on correctly.  It takes about 48 hours for the 651 to seal permanently, so it was an easy fix - for the most part)

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My Cricut Projects in 2017


In the last part of August 2017, I bought this magic machine.  I still don't completely understand all that it does - but here are a few of the things I have made with it in 2017!
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Drawing with FUN fonts in Cricut

The markers in cricut will do more than just write, with many fonts, they can actually draw!  The pen will still follow the path of the blade, and that will leave you with an outline on many things, such as the cow - but on many of the decorative fonts, the outer lines will all collapse and leave you with just a decorative font great for posters!  Surprisingly, these fonts seem to draw much faster than the writing fonts that I use for writing simple text.
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Alternative Markers For Cricut

I rarely use Cricut Brand Markers.  They are almost always the most expensive option, unless there's a really good sale - and the off brands are just as good, if not better.  In addition to off brands made to look and write exactly like the Cricut Brand, a variety of other pens can be used in the machine, no adaptor needed.  For instance, a bic round stic pen works great.  As does the set of jot markers that are 20 for $1.25 at the Dollar Tree.    Here's a look at some of the various pens I've used over the years, in my machine:
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Using Text In Design Space


Quick Tips Before We Get To The Long Details:
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How To Use Free Fonts In Design Space

You can use any font in design space!  Unlike svgs, you do not upload fonts to DS, rather, you install them on your device, then find them under the "System" tab when choosing a font in Design Space.
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Etching Cookie Plates - Christmas Gifts For The Neighbors

Etched Cookie Plates for Our Neighbors

The Cliff Note Version:


 This is one of those projects that I started at 7am, thought I'd be done by 10am, and actually completed around 7pm.  But once I got the process down, it really went fast.  

First I tried to use contact paper from the Dollar Tree as my stencil.  But it was too thin, and too clear to weed.  Then I tried 651, but I got part of it stuck onto a plate before I was ready and it was super hard to remove (even though it takes days to fully cure and be permanent).  Then I tried cardstock - but that's a pain, because the centers of my letters do not adhere, they move around.... and I tried the acetate that I bought for the acetate christmas ornaments (I had bought a pack that was NOT for the inkjet printer) but that was a combination of a pain to weed (clear ) and same as the cardstock, the centers would not stay put.  Finally I went to cricut 631 vinyl, and that worked.  I think a solid colored shelf liner would work for this too.

 I could have used the 651. The trick is to place the stencil sticky side up, then place the plate down onto the stencil, rather than trying to place the stencil upside down on the plate.    Once you set the plate down, flip it over and smooth to make sure there are no air bubbles, then remove the transfer paper and add the etching cream.

For the stencil, create a box and slice your monogram out of it.  I added the last names in the split monograms, welded the name with the monogram, then sliced it from either a square, or for the wreath, a circle.

Don't forget to mirror it!  

 I used the split monogram files from here:
http://caluyadesign.com/split-monogram-free-svg.html
and the wreath split monograms from here:
http://caluyadesign.com/wreath-monogram-free-svg.html
I have more options for monograms here:
http://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/2017/11/free-monograms-split-monograms-for.html

Cover with etching cream.  Let sit for 15 minutes.  Scrape off the excess cream, put it back into the bottle.  Then wash off the rest of the cream, and remove the stencil.

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Stocking Stuffer - EOS cards

 
EOS Stocking Stuffer Christmas Cards
Cliff Notes:
I started with the basic reindeer silhouette svg found here.
Upload it into design space, unlocked it, and resized it to 5.034x4.804 - making it slightly thinner than the original, to better frame the round EOS nose.

For the EOS containers, you want a 1.460 inch circle
At the top of the tool bar, under the lock, you can change the size by typing in numbers.

Then I created a 5.5 x 6.9 White rectangle, and sent it to the back.  I added the text "Merry Christmas". Looking at my list of 6  fonts that write in cricut,  (That list now has over 100 fonts to choose from) I chose Simply Glamorous.  Don't forget to switch it to write, over on the far right menu.  

 Next select the red nose, and the white background, and choose slice.  This will cut the hole in the white card stock, for the red EOS container to stick through.  You can delete the red and white circles the slice created, I left the red one in the photo above, but you will not want that to cut.

 Then last, select the writing, and the white rectangle, and attach.  If you do this sooner, you will not be able to slice.  If you forget to do this, it will not write where you want it on the card.

 Here's another example.  I started with this file from Love SVG:

Santa, Snowman & Reindeer Singing
https://lovesvg.com/2017/11/santa-reindeer-snowman-singing-4871/

 Ungroup.  Delete the musical notes. Create 3 1.460  circles.  Resize the images until it looks like the circles will work as the "noses".  Then on each image, ungroup, and ungroup, and ungroup until you can delete the noses and rotate and remove the rest of the facial features.  I rotated the snowman's hat too.

 That left me with something like this:

The next step takes a bit of time.  It's not hard, but you have to ungroup, ungroup, ungroup...  so that you can slice.  You can only choose slice with two images selected at one time.  So if two images are grouped, and you chose the circle as the 3rd image, it will not slice.  Ungroup, ungroup, ungroup.  At this stage, I decide I did not need the pink face for santa, and I removed that completely.  Once the first slice is done for each face, I regrouped each face, so I can move them around without messing up the design.

Then I repeated the process of creating the rectangles, adding the text, and slicing the "noses" out of the white rectangles as well - leaving me with what you see above.  

These are some other svg files I may try using for this project:
https://lovesvg.com/2017/12/penguin-and-reindeer-4942/
http://svgcuts.com/blog/2012/12/08/reindeer-candy-cane-free-svg/
http://svgcuts.com/blog/2012/12/14/merry-moose-cutie-free-svg/
https://lovesvg.com/2017/11/reindeers-are-better-than-people-4684/
https://lovesvg.com/?s=penguin

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Solving Simple Print Then Cut Problems

https://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/2019/03/solving-common-print-then-cut-problems.html

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Find More Cricut Project Tutorials Here:

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