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How to Apply Vinyl Tutorial + New Kitchen Sign Design

5 · May 9, 2017 · 2 Comments

Have you always wanted to create beautiful vinyl signs but, can’t quite get the hang of applying vinyl? Look no further, I’m sharing my pro tips for how to apply vinyl to create beautiful vinyl signs.

how to transfer vinyl tutorial • brought to you by Cricut

Recently, we moved to our new forever home and I have been madly creating all kinds of fun things to make the space my own. I LOVE creating word art whether it be for vinyl signs, painted signs, or for printables, for some reason that kind of decor always speaks to me. (No pun intended!) I love typography and everything that comes with creating with words and letters. I love watching trends come and go and adding my version to the fray.

Right now, with the popularity of the show Fixer-Upper, word art is hot. I have all kinds of farmhouse/industrial signs all over my house. I found a fun, blank chalkboard stand at Michaels in their decor section and thought it would be fun to create a new “The Kitchen is Now Open” Sign for my counters. After a little bit of playing around, this is the design that I settled on…

Download Kitchen Sign for Free

It has a little bit of farmhouse flair that so many of us are in love with right now. Now, this sign could be a little intimidating with all of the little letters but, don’t let it be intimidating. YOU CAN DO THIS! All you need is a little patience. So many people try and rush through a project and they get easily frustrated and then their project fails. That is so SAD! Step back, grab a Diet Coke (or, whatever it is that makes you happy), and ENJOY the process of creating.

For today, I’m focusing on just the vinyl transfer part of sign making. I’m working on a few more tutorials on how to create your sign in the NEW Cricut Design Space that was launched in BETA mode a week ago. It’s fabulous! I’ve been having a ball getting to know the new, faster & more user-friendly Design Space. I’m sure you’re going to love it too! It’s so easy to create your own designs within the Design Space or you can create in other programs like Photoshop or Illustrator and import your PNG files directly into Design Space and create that way as well. I’ll be working on more tutorials for both of those options soon.

I’m also working on a video tutorial on how to weed your vinyl. That’s the process of removing the negative part of your design in the vinyl. It’s really not hard, but I have a few tricks up my sleeve that will make it a little easier. Today, I’m just going to focus on how to apply vinyl. Here’s a quick video to show you how to apply vinyl to any type of smooth surface.

Video Tutorial for How to Apply Vinyl

How to Apply Vinyl by WhipperBerry from Heather Thoming on Vimeo.

See, isn’t that simple! Honestly, the trickiest part is making sure that the design is centered onto your surface. As long as you stick with these simple tips, you can become a vinyl sign PRO!

Pro Tips for Applying Vinyl

Take your time – like I said before, don’t rush. If some of the vinyl lifts while you are transferring it to either the transfer tape or your sign… Don’t stress out. Lay that section back down and press on the vinyl with your finger and then try again. You’ll get it, just don’t rush.
Make sure your surface is clean – Now think about this, if you try and place a sticker on a surface covered in dust, dirt, sand, or general grime, what will happen? The sticker won’t stick. Same thing with adhesive vinyl. Whatever you are adhering it to needs to be clean. Nothing is more frustrating than laying down some vinyl and then finding a little piece of dirt stuck under the vinyl image making an unsightly bump. Take the time to make sure everything is clean.
Trim excess vinyl backing – Again, vinyl is just one big sticker. Stickers are placed on backing to keep the adhesive side sticky. The same applies to vinyl. Once you have cut your design on your Cricut machine, you’ll weed your vinyl and then you’ll want to cut away the excess vinyl backing. This will help when laying down your design and making sure it is placed the way you would like it.
Create a hinge – Several years ago, when the Cricut cutting machines made cutting your own vinyl possible, a good friend of mine, who owned a large-scale sign-making company, taught me her tricks for applying vinyl. Each of these tricks, I still use them every time. One of them is to use the transfer tape to create a “hinge” at the top of your design. Check out the video and you’ll see what I mean.
Pull transfer tape low, slow, and diagonally – My sign-making friend also taught me this years ago. When removing the transfer tape, pull low, slow and diagonally. What I mean by low is, that you are essentially folding the non-sticky side over on itself as you are pulling as close to your surface as possible. When do that along with pulling diagonally, you’ll be less likely to pull the vinyl back up as you remove the transfer tape.

A Quick Note on Materials

Here we have it… Not all vinyl and transfer tapes are created equal!! I have tried many brands of both vinyl and transfer tape. I’ve used what the professionals use and basic crafters vinyl. I LOVE the Cricut Transfer Tape!! It’s clear and so easy to use. I’ve also been very happy with the Cricut Vinyl. I have exclusively used the Premium Outdoor Vinyl for most of my projects and have been thrilled with the results. I made some travel mugs with the Premium Vinyl and have run them through the dishwasher many, many times and have yet to have any issues with the vinyl coming off. I LOVE that!

Stay tuned for more Cricut tutorials and projects coming to WhipperBerry! By the way… If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment here. I would be happy to help!

Disclaimer // I am a Cricut Ambassador and receive product and payment to help with my projects. As always, I will NEVER promote a product that I don’t truly believe in!

Colorful Nautical Gallery Wall Tips and Tricks

2 · Mar 20, 2017 · 1 Comment

The Gallery Wall… Everyone loves them. Yet, some find them really challenging. It can be hard to come up with the perfect combination of items that complement each other. Finding the right arrangement on the wall can be mind boggling BUT… It doesn’t have to be. You don’t have to be a certified gallery wall specialist, you just need to find a good partner like Michaels and then follow a few tips and tricks to create the PERFECT gallery wall for your home.

Gallery Wall 101

Gather items that compliment the room – You need to stay true to the space and find items and frames that enhance the space and stay true to the style of the room. If you have a rustic white farmhouse space, it would make no sense to put together a mid-century inspired wall gallery. The examples below are from Michaels new Gallery Wall collections. They are each designed to complement YOUR STYLE and make it easy to pull that style together without a degree in the fine arts… They’ve done all of the hard work for you.
Don’t be afraid to gather more than you need – It’s so much easier to gather items such as frames, photos, hooks, clocks, shelves, planters, wall art, mirrors, meaningful items… The list could go on and on. It’s better to have too much to start with than not enough. It’s easier to start working on your layout and then edit out items that don’t work. (Michaels PRO TIP, If you join their rewards program YOU NO LONGER NEED A RECIPT TO RETURN ITEMS! Yep, they keep all of your purchases stored under your account and you no longer have to keep those pesky recipes.)
Define your space – Gallery walls come in all shapes and sizes. Don’t be afraid to break the rules! Trust your eye and see what works best for your space. For my gallery wall, I wanted something nice and tight that didn’t go too much past the edges of the dresser in my daughter’s room. Yet, I didn’t really want it to be in a uniform shape. Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box. Gallery walls can also spread out over multiple walls, around corners and take up larger spaces. So, don’t be afraid to spread out as well.
Layout your design on the floor – Jennifer Rizzo created a fun gallery wall using this idea. Before you get out the hammer & nails… Layout your design on the floor to get an idea of what it will look like. It’s so much easier to move stuff around that way and play with different designs. It’s much easier on your walls as well. Click on the photo to see how beautiful her gallery wall turned out!
Layer items to give more dimension – Flat is OUT! Gallery walls don’t need to to be one dimension. For my gallery wall I layered some items to give the space a little POP. I used strong adhesive glue like E-6000 to layer my different items.
Add color and texture with decorative paper – Not all frames need to be filled with photos. Using decorative papers is an inexpensive way to add color and texture.
Trace your items on paper – STOP! Before you hang one single thing… Trace all of your items onto butcher paper or old paper grocery sacks. Cut them out and hang it on the wall just like your perfect layout that you created on the floor. Ashley Hacksaw from Lil’Blue Boo shows how to use inexpensive paper and some painters tape to layout your gallery wall BEFORE you start putting holes in the wall. Once you get your layout perfect then the hanging can commence. You can even hammer or drill right on top of the paper to make sure your nails or screws are in the perfect place. Click on the photo below to see how Ashley’s cool gallery wall turned out!
Don’t be in a rush – Take your time. If you have a hard time feeling comfortable with creating your gallery walls and feel like you need a few second opinions, do it! Lay your gallery wall out on the floor and hand your paper gallery wall up and invite a couple of trusted friends over. Let it sit at this point for a few days until you are good and ready to move on to the next step. There is no need to rush… Unless your Mother-in-Law is coming soon, then you should probably get a move on.
Don’t be afraid to try other methods to hang your items – We live in an amazing time when we don’t always have to put nails in our walls to create an amazing gallery wall! Have you tried using Command Strips to hang your gallery wall items? I LOVE THEM!!! I especially LOVE the Command Strip picture hanging strips that are like Velcro. They are my current obsession. Will it surprise you to know that I didn’t use a single nail or screw for my gallery wall? Not a single hole was made in the wall. (My Dad would be so proud!) Now with that said, some heavier items will need a more secure way of hanging, so follow the directions on the Command Strips and make sure to use the right tool for the job.

The bottom line is, DONT BE AFRAID! Break the rules, do what works for you and your space. You aren’t creating Mount Rushmore, if after some time you feel the need for change, than change it. Luckily Michaels makes it so easy by creating a great starting point with fun products for their four new gallery wall collections the Farmington, Catalina (that’s the one I used), Alexandria & Savannah. Come on over to their blog the Glue String to get even more inspiration on how to create the perfect gallery wall for your home.

Disclaimer // I am thrilled to be a Michaels Maker and to have a chance to share with you some of my favorite Michaels projects. As a Michaels Maker they do provide the product for me to create with each month. However, I will only share what I truly love and use in my typical day-to-day life.

Lighted Floral Swag | Perfect to Add a Little Romance to Any Room

10 · Mar 2, 2017 · Leave a Comment

I know the majority of the country is looking forward to a little Spring heading their way. There is nothing better than some early spring blooms to help you out of the winter doldrums, but, if you’re still knee deep in snow… They aren’t going to show up any time soon. That’s when the Floral Market at Michaels should be your next stop ASAP!! Refreshing your home for spring is as easy as swapping out a few décor pieces or adding pretty faux florals. Or, you can make a Lighted Floral Swag to add a little romance to your room. Michaels has everything you need to get started!

How beautiful is THAT! Won’t that brighten-up your dull, gray day?

I started with these lovely flowers from the Michaels Flower Market…

Then I grabbed two different kinds of led lights to add a little flair…

This fun vintage style string of Edison LED light bulbs and then just your basic LED string lights. The next item I needed was some great branches from out in the back yard. If you don’t have any fallen branches, scour your neighborhood and see if your neighbors would be willing to part with some of theirs. You can even buy branches at your local garden center if needed.

Lighted Floral Swag Instructions

First, I wired my branches together with floral wire and used some twine to create loops to hang the branches from. Then I wrapped them with the wire LED lights first.

Don’t worry about the battery packs that you can see on the sides. Those will be hidden later on with the flowers. You’ll also need to trim your twine to make it look nice.

Next, I draped the light bulb string loosely around the branches.

I love how those bulbs look hanging from the branches!

Finally, I hot glue my flowers to the branches. I wanted kind of a minimalist look for this swag, but, you can go totally crazy with the blooms if you’d like. It’s totally up to your preferences.

I completed the look with a few old pieces from around the house, plus a new FABULOUS foot stool from Michaels!!

I mean how cool is that footstool?! I also grabbed that yummy gold “hello” at Michaels as well in the same section. I just adore it all!

This project is super easy! Run on over to Michaels to grab your favorite florals and get started. Let’s start Spring off with a lovely BLOOM!

Looking for more inspiration? Make sure you visit Michaels’ blog, The Glue String, to see the rest of the Michaels Makers’ Spring Refresh project ideas.

An InLinkz Link-up

Using Cricut Faux Leather + Gold Foil to Dress-up Your Home

15 · Feb 15, 2017 · 2 Comments

5 stylist walk into a bar… Alright, maybe not a bar. A glorious industrial blank space in the heart of Salt Lake, they have 3 Cricut Explore Air 2 machines, new bedroom furniture from Hayneedle and all kinds of Cricut tools & materials. One stylist says…

Alright, this is starting to sound like a really bad joke. The strange thing is, it really happened. I had the great opportunity to head out to Salt Lake to share in the creation of a fun bedroom space with some great blog friends. Hayneedle graciously supplied the basic room elements and then we had the assignment to add a little pizzaz to the space. The main themes were industrial, softened up with a little romantic floral flair. My assignment was the chair and then heading up the collaboration of one of the gallery walls.

For the chair, I created a classic pillow using the Cricut Faux Leather and designed a fun wreath using crafting pearls from Michaels for the “berries.”

I LOVED how it turned out… It added just enough personality to make the beautiful chair from Hayneedle SING!

I then worked on a super fun piece of wall art that I adore…

Since the room was going to have a floral flair, I thought a playful quote on the wall would look fantastic. I found this quote and then set to designing it so that would tie the other wall art pieces from the other designers together. I decided to use the AAAAMAZING Adhesive Gold Foil from Cricut for this piece and I ADORED how it turned out.

Come on over to the Cricut Blog to see WHO the other stylist are, see the rest of the projects, learn how to RE-CREATE what I designed and see the COMPLEATED ROOM. PLUS, you’ll have a chance to WIN the whole room for yourself!! You won’t want to miss out on that!

Disclaimer + I am a Cricut Ambassador and this post does have affiliate links. Please know, I will NEVER promote a company or product that I don’t truly believe in and use myself.