Holiday Gifts Made Personal With Cricut

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.

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When it comes to holiday gifts, I always like to include something a little more personal.  Something that says to the person, that I really gave it some thought.  And that isn’t always easy.  But having my Cricut Maker, it definitely helps me in that category of holiday gifts.

Some people (like myself) don’t have big budgets when it comes to the holiday season, and adding that personal touch to a gift can take it to a whole new level of special for the receiver.

Having my Cricut Maker can allow to do so many different things, whether it be a personalized card, adding a monogram to an item,  engraving or embossing.  The possibilities are endless.

To help you add that personal touch to your holiday gifts this year, I’ve rounded up 25 gift ideas personalized with the help of Cricut to give you inspiration.  These ideas range from custom drawn t-shirts, to engraved bracelets, to monogrammed bags.  So many great ideas, you’ll be sure to find something for everyone on your holiday gifts list.

 

A Boy and His Mom – Personalized T-shirts and Totes

 

The Mommy Bunch – Christmas Cabin Reverse Canvas

 

Blue I Style – Reusable Monogram Gift Tags

 

Tried & True – Personalized Letter to Santa Wood Sign

 

Eclectic Momsense – Matching Family Pajamas

 

The Quiet Grove – Name Coasters

 

Housewife Eclectic – DIY Personalized Chemistry Set

 

The Small Stuff Counts – Monogram Makeup Bags

 

Hey, Let’s Make Stuff – Baking Set

 

Tastefully Frugal – Personalized Gift Basket

 

Sew Simple Home – Easy Personalized Kitchen Gift Set

 

Southern Couture – Personalized Christmas Tea Towels

 

Clarks Condensed – Baby’s First Christmas Ornaments

 

That’s What Che Said – Personalized Scarf and Gloves Gift Set

 

Polkadot Chair – Personalized Wood Christmas Sign

 

Laura’s Crafty Life – Engraved Charm Bracelet

 

Pineapple Paper Co. – Christmas Hostess Gift

 

Practically Functional – Personalized Grandparent Pillows

 

Someday I’ll Learn – Christmas Tea Towels

 

SparkleShinyLove – Easy Christmas Ornaments

 

Teacups and Things – DIY Socks with Sayings

 

Artsy Fartsy Mama – Personalized Christmas Eve Box

 

Today’s Creative Life – Holiday Pillows

 

Happiness Is Homemade – Rainbow Glitter Tumblers

 

See Kate Sew – Monogram Journals

 

 

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Breaking the Stigma with K-Y

Disclaimer: I have partnered with YMC and K-Y for this post. All opinions are my own.  

I’ve said it before and I will say it again, dating into your 40’s sucks.  With dating apps being the norm these days, it’s kind of like that box of chocolates…you never know what you’re going to get. And, if you finally find someone that you connect with and start dating, it starts a whole new set of issues.   

 Not only is the whole dating and connecting part different than it was in my twenties but taking a relationship to the next level of intimacy is completely different too.  My body and all its parts operate very differently than they did now that I am in my late 40’s. 

 I feel like I am being so vague and skirting the issue here and there’s no reason I should be afraid or ashamed to talk about the changes my body is going through or anything of a sexual nature at all but it’s just not the norm.  Women don’t tend to talk about anything about things like that.  It’s rare for women to talk about entering into menopause aside from perhaps the hot flashes they experience.  With men, everyone knows the ongoing joke that if a man starts having issues with his sexual performance as he ages, he just popped a little pill and everything’s okay 

 Why should a woman be ashamed or embarrassed about what is just natural? Women should be empowered and be able to take control of their own sex life and always and not be ashamed of it.   

 I know I have always been reluctant to talk about anything relating to being a woman and being a sexual being. In the past there have been times where I have even cancelled dates knowing I have my period because if there was any hint that the date could get remotely intimate, that last thing I wanted to do is have to explain any reluctance I had about things moving forward. It’s a natural, monthly occurrence that every man knows but it’s the last thing I’d ever want to bring up in a conversation.   

 And now that I am in my late 40s, and things are changing with my body because of early stages a menopause there are even things that could interfere with an enjoyable sexual experience. 

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 One issue that can take the pleasure out of a sexual experience is not being properly lubricated.  There, I said it and I shouldn’t be ashamed to say it.  Did you know that two-thirds of the Month women are not optimally lubricated for sex?  That’s something that I did not know and as women, we shouldn’t be embarrassed to talk about it and do something to fix it. 

  To help us, K-Y is encouraging Canadian women to take control of their bodies and take control of their sex life by putting pleasure and comfort at the front of the line and breaking the stigma of the embarrassment and empowering us to take charge of our bodies and enjoying sex on our terms. 

 I’m sure you’ve heard of K-Y before, it’s the #1 Doctor recommended lubricant brand, but did you know that K-Y has a full line a personal lubricant that a woman can use so that she is able to enjoy sex just as much as a man does? 

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  There’s so much talk on social media these days about body positivity and women being able to express themselves in any way they want so this is no different.  Our bodies are forever changing and so are the needs of our bodies. My needs have changed dramatically from my twenties, they changed after I had my son and have changed even more since I’ve started showing signs of the early stages of menopause.  Yes, I’ve never been comfortable to talk about it until now.   You don’t hear men being embarrassed to talk about their sexuality and the things that they want and they need so why should women be?   

 Let’s break the stigma attached to talking about our wants and needs when it comes to our sex lives and live our best lives in all aspects. 

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Disclosure: This post is sponsored by K-Y. In exchange for this post, I have received perks in the form of compensation and products. All opinions on this blog are my own. 

Personalized Gifts Made Easy with Cricut

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.

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When it comes to holiday gift giving, I always like to give something unique and different and when I can incorporate some type of personalized gifts. So when Cricut announced their Infusible Ink line earlier this year, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it and start using it.  If you don’t know what Infusible Ink is, it’s a heat transfer product that you can use with either transfer sheets (somewhat similar to regular Cricut iron-on sheets) or special markers that you can use to make your own creations, that when ironed on, have a completely seamless application.

The one item in particular that I was excited about were the Infusible Ink pens and markers.  These allow for the most personalized gifts as you can use these markers/pens to draw your own creations on printer paper and heat transfer them on.   My son loves to draw and my family love all his creations and this was the perfect way to give them a piece of his artwork in a unique, personalized gifts.

With that as a starting point, I decided to make t-shirts for my Dad and brother and a tote bag for my Mom as part of their Christmas gifts this year using the boy’s art creations. (Sshhhh don’t tell them.)

Supplies Needed:

Cricut Maker

Infusible Ink transfer sheets

Infusible Ink markers and pens

Cricut Blanks – tshirts and totebag

Cricut EasyPress 2

Cricut EasyPress Mat

Heat Resistant Tape

Laser Printer Paper

Butcher paper

Step 1

Create!  This was the easy part and the most fun.  I handed over the pens/markers to the boy and some laser printer paper and let him start creating.  He wanted to draw things that was specific to each person and he showed a lot of creativity with that part.  The one thing you need to remember whatever you are drawing will be placed face down on to the blanks so if you plan to use any words, you need to make them “mirror image” or backwards.

One other note; you can use the Infusible ink pens and markers in your Cricut Maker to draw designs on the laser copier paper similar to using pens to draw on cardstock etc with card making projects, we just chose to make our personalized gifts that much more personal with the boy’s art.

On my end, I wanted to add “Nana” to my Mom’s tote bag, so I created that in Cricut Design Space using the same steps as I would with other heat transfer projects.   Always be sure to read the instructions when selecting what type of material you are cutting, especially when using a particular type for the first time.  My instinct was the to put the Infusible Ink transfer paper face down on the cutting mat, even though the app warned me to place it face up, and I ended up wasting material on my first cut.

Step 2

Prepare you blanks.  In order for the Infusible Ink to properly transfer, you need to ensure the blanks are clean and lint free.  I refer to the shirts and tote bag as blanks because the Cricut brand tshirts, totes and coaster give you the best quality transfer when using the Infusible Ink products.  I found a great comparison from Practical and Pretty that shows the difference in results between using Cricut brand blank tshirts vs cotton shirts.

Once the blanks are prepped, be sure to consult the Cricut Heat Guide for the very specific steps you need to take to ensure you get the perfect transfer of your Infusible ink creations.

You will need to use heat resistant tape to fasten both the Infusible Ink transfer sheets and laser jet paper to the blanks as you don’t want them to move when heating.  You will also want to ensure your EasyPress completely covers your design for perfect heat transfer.

Step 3

Heat Transfer.  As I mentioned before, there is a very specific layering process with the EasyPress Mat, Cardstock, blanks, transfers and butcher paper so again be sure to consult the Cricut Heat Guide first.

Once your transfer is complete, slowly lift of the EasyPress 2, the butcher paper and peel off the transfer while still warm for a perfect, amazing looking transfer.

I never thought I could create such colorful, vibrant personalized gifts but the Infusible ink products has changed that for us!

 

 

Shop Local This Holiday With These Durham Region Shops

I like to be a crafty person and give personalized or one of a kind types of gifts but there are some things that I don’t have the talent or the creativity to make on my own.  In the Durham region we have some pretty amazing makers that can help you find that hand crafted, unique gift idea that people on your gift giving list will love.  And what better way to support your town than to shop local.

This is not a sponsored post, I have not received any sort of compensation in lieu of including these shops.  They are just shops that I genuinely love their products and want to ensure you know about them too!

About Pink Lemon Décor

Decorating your home for everyday or the holidays should be simple and timeless! Pink Lemon Decor creates pieces that fit any space with a modern, clean look. This holiday season you can find simplistic, Scandinavian inspired holiday signs that you can use year after year or give as the perfect gift!

Upcoming  Events and Where to Shop Local

Market list: https://www.pinklemondecor.com/event-directory/

Shop locally at Gather, Bella Fleur, Markets by Dream Day, The Nooks

Website and Social Media

https://www.pinklemondecor.com/

https://www.instagram.com/pink_lemon_decor/

 

 

About Love Squared Kids

Love squared kids begin in 2013 and has evolved into a hip & happy headwear brand. Their products are 100% proudly Canadian made and designed with a focus on sustainable fabrics. With sizes that range from baby to adult staying cozy, cute and hip is easy for the whole family.

Upcoming  Events and Where to Shop Local

You can shop LSK locally at markets by dream day in Brooklin, the Nooks in Port Hope & This Is Made in Vaughan as well as at one of our many shows and online during our monthly releases at shopLSK.ca

Website and Social Media

http://www.lovesquaredkids.ca/

https://www.instagram.com/lovesquaredkids/

 

About Georgian Chocolate Co.

 

At Georgian Chocolate Co., they handcraft sustainably sourced chocolate. Their bars are finished in artwork by local artisans, because, great chocolate is an art!

Upcoming Events and Where to Shop Local

List of all in-store locations: https://georgianchocolate.com/retail
Holiday Soiree, Barrie, November 17th
The Handmade Market, Niagara, November 22nd, 23rd, 24th
Hello Makers, Uxbridge, December 1st
Winter Maker Market, Barrie, December 7th, 8th
Spice Holiday Market, Barrie, December 7th
Picks and Giggles, Oshawa, December 15th

Website and Social Media

www.georgianchocolate.com – Shop online and use giftguide10 to save 10%. This code will expire on December 15

https://www.instagram.com/georgian_chocolate_co/

 

 

About Everyday Hustle

This amazing company is run by 2 sisters from Durham Region. All products are completely Canadian made (even the fabric). All products are ethically made. They focus on making staple pieces for your wardrobe that will last.  They are trying to make ethical fashion accessible to everybody and every body.

Upcoming  Events and Where to Shop Local

In-Store:
This is Made – Vaughan, ON
Markets By Dreamday – Brooklin, ON
Aruma – Lanark, ON
Petit Nordique – Bowmanville, ON

Pop Up Markets:
Modern Mom Show (Nov. 22 / Nov. 23 in London)
Picks and Giggles ( Dec 15 in Oshawa)

Website and Social Media

https://shopeverydayhustle.com/

https://www.instagram.com/everyday.hustle/

 

 

About Dream Day Cookies

Sarah is the face behind Dream Day Cookies & Markets by Dream Day.  She realized her talent for creating whimsical hand-piped sugar cookies after designing and decorating a Peppa Pig themed set for a children’s birthday party. Since then, her business has exploded. She now offers workshops, attends regular artisan markets and even has her cookies in a few storefronts.

Upcoming  Events and Where to Shop Local

You can find her; Friday Nov 15th at the Mama & Chicks Show
Sun Nov 17th at the Handmade for Littles Market
OR shop 6 days a week at Markets by Dream Day in Brooklin, which had over 75 local handmade vendors to shop from too!

Website and Social Media

https://www.dreamdaycookies.com/

https://www.instagram.com/dreamdaycookies/

About Little Monkey Designs

Specializing in personalized decor.  Everything from Pillows, Blankets, Gowth Charts, bibs and more.  Some sweet stocking stuffer ideas for babies including our rattles and bibs.

Upcoming Events and Where to Shop Local

The full product line can be accessed via their website at www.littlemonkeydesigns.ca  We also ship across Canada and the US, and can include a gift note to make gift giving even easier!

You can purchase a selection of ready made items (pillows, bibs, blankets and rattles) at “Markets by Dreams Day” in Brooklin or “This is Made” in Vaughan.

Website and Social Media

http://www.littlemonkeydesigns.ca/

https://www.instagram.com/littlemonkeydesigns/

 

 

About Mei Designs

Mei offers personalized items from decor pillows, coasters and drinkware; all of the items are made with permanent ink or if requested vinyl is used.  They also make Glittered Tumblers sealed with resin – these are custom made and are a longer process than other items.

Upcoming  Events and Where to Shop Local

Brooklin Marketplace – Brooklin High School December 7th 9:30-3:30

Circa Pop Up – Oshawa Centre – December 20 Open – Close

Markets by Dream Day December 14th 10-5pm

Website and Social Media

Facebook: www.facebook.com/meidesignsca

Instagram: www.instagram.com/meidesignsca

 

About Splendid Greetings

Cute & Funny Holiday Cards, bookmarks and gift tags

Upcoming  Events and Where to Shop Local

Available via my website www.splendidgreetings.ca or at Markets by Dream Day

– Order cut off is December 15 for shipping and December 22 for local pick up.

Website and Social Media

https://www.splendidgreetings.ca/

https://www.instagram.com/splendid.greetings/

 

About Freckle Face Jewellery

Angie Henderson designs high quality, affordable fashion jewellery in Bowmanville Ontario.Her goal is to provide jewellery that inspires women to feel confident and gives them the opportunity to express who they are!
Her Exclusive Charm Bar has become a huge part of her business. It allows customers to make their own jewellery designs for a very affordable price. The Freckle Face Charm Bar has options for creating charm bracelets, necklaces and key chains. It’s a fabulous way to give something personalized to those important people in your life and you get to say you designed it! FUN!

Upcoming Events and Where to Shop Local

In Store:
Gather, 51 King Street E, Bowmanville (large variety of my fashion
Jewellery)
The Nooks, 68 Walton St, Port Hope (Fashion Jewellery and a Mini
Charm Bar)
The Nooks, 208 Princess St, Kingston (Fashion Jewellery and a Mini
Charm Bar)
Markets by Dream Day, 66 Baldwin St, 3 rd Floor, Brooklin (Fashion
Jewellery and a Mini Charm Bar)
Simcoe Street Market, 359 Simcoe Street, Beaverton (Fashion
Jewellery only)
The Nooks, Gravenhurst Warf – COMING NOV 15, 2019

Pop-up Markets:
Nov 14 from 5-10pm, Gather, 51 King St E, Bowmanville (Ladies night
out downtown Bowmanville)
Nov 15 from 10-4pm, Mamas & Chicks Merry Market at the General
Sikorski Hall, 1551 Stevenson Rd N., Oshawa ($5 at the door and kids
are free)
Nov 23 from 10-5pm, Gather, 51 King St E, Bowmanville
Dec 6 from 5-10pm, Gather, 51 King St E, Bowmanville (Moonlight
Magic downtown Bowmanville)
Dec 7 from 9-5pm, Gather, 51 King St E, Bowmanville
Dec 14 from 9-5pm, Gather, 51 King St E, Bowmanville
Dec 21 from 9-5pm, Gather, 51 King St E., Bowmanville

Website and Social Media

Coupon Code ‘supportlocal10’ for 10% off her website. Enter it at checkout. Note: it is only valid for ONLINE shopping.
www.frecklefacejewellery.com
www.facebook.com/frecklefacejewelry
www.instagram.com/frecklefacejewellery

 

 

Cricut Gift Guide For The Crafty Mom

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.

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Are you a crafty Mom or a crafty Mom wannabe? If you answered yes to either of these, this is the gift guide you want to forward to your spouse or partner or kids with all the best that Cricut has to offer for your crafting dreams.

And if you don’t want to wait for someone else to buy them for you, it’s the perfect time to buy them for yourself and put them to good use by making holiday gifts with that personal touch.

I’ve already completed a new holiday project this year to add to the ones I have done in the past but still have a couple items that I want to try before it’s too late.  There are also a few items on this list that I will be sure to ask Santa for myself.

For the crafty Mom’s out there, I am sure a lot of these items are already on your wish list but for those Mom’s that want to be crafty but not sure where to start this list has my top 10 items you’ll want and need to help get from wanna-be crafter to full fledged crafter in no time!

Spouses/partners/gift givers reading this…..here is all you need to buy to have a happy crafter in your life! I’ve split this into two different groups – Main gifts and stocking stuffers to make things a little easier.

MAIN GIFTS

These are the bigger ticket items but in my opinion, every crafters “must-haves”.

The Cricut Maker

If you read my most recent Cricut related post, you will know that I absolutely love this machine and no Cricut gift guide would be complete without including this machine.  It has so many ways that it can be used.  It can cut paper, leather, fabric, chipboard and so much more.  This machine is the starting point for all your crafting dreams.

EasyPress 2

If you’re planning to use your Cricut for any sort of iron-on crafts, the EasyPress 2 is the perfect add-on to your Cricut Maker.  Instead of using your iron, the EasyPress 2 takes the guess work out of ensuring your iron-on materials stay put.  With the online Heat Guide, you just need to choose your base material and your heat-transfer material and it provides you with the timing and the temperature for the perfect heat transfer.  The EasyPress 2 comes in 3 sizes (6×7, 9×9 and 12×10) as well as the latest product, the EasyPress Mini, so there is a perfect size for all your needs.

Cricut Access

Now that you have the Cricut Maker and the EasyPress 2 to start crafting, having Cricut Access will allow you to do so much more.  With this subscription package, you’ll get access to over 400 fonts, over 100,000 images plus discounts on your cricut.com purchases.  I’ve tried crafting with and without having Cricut Access and let me tell you, with Cricut Access you will feel like your crafting possibilities are endless.

 

BrightPad

If there is one thing on this gift guide that I am missing from my crafting arsenal, it’s this BrightPad.  Santa, if you’re reading this, I’ve been super good this year and would really like this.  The BrightPad is basically that, a pad that lights up to help you see the cutting lines so can weed your projects with ease.  It also is great for any tracing you would need to do.  As I am getting older, the fine lines and cuts are getting a bit harder to see, so having the BrightPad will make things so much easier.

 

STOCKING STUFFERS

This part of the gift guide are items that any crafter would love to have in their craft kits for whenever a project idea strikes.  For the wanna-be crafter, these are items that will help make things a little easier and let your creativity blossom.

Infusible Ink Markers

Earlier this year, Cricut introduce a new heat transfer type of product with Infusible Ink.  It is heat proof, flake proof and wash proof and with no seams or edges it’s completely smooth to the touch.  One of the neatest features/products of the Infusible Ink are these pens.  Using your regular copier paper, you can draw anything you like with these markers and using the EasyPress 2, you can heat transfer the image on to shirts, totes and even coasters.  I can’t wait to recruit the boy into using these to help make some personalized custom items for family member gifts.

 

EasyPress Mats

If you are going to invest in an EasyPress 2, you will also want to get yourself the corresponding EasyPress Mat.  This will protect your surfaces when using the EasyPress and helps  eliminate moisture and direct heat to your iron-on design.  If you’re like me and would rather use your crafting table than your ironing board for your heat transfer projects, this is definitely a must-have!

Machine Mats

Machine mats are one of the things in this gift guide that you can never have enough in your supplies.  These are what holds your cutting materials in place when you are using your Cricut Maker to cut.  They can get dirty and lose their grip if you’ve used them and can cause havoc in your projects if the material doesn’t stay put.  This particular set has three different strength of grips (Standard, Light and Strong) so that you always have the correct one on hand.

 

Essential Tool Set

Some of these items your crafter may already have but it is always good to have an extra on hand and this set also comes with the Scoring Stylus that is compatible with your Cricut Maker and perfect for many paper crafts.  I use all these tools with my projects and would be lost without them.

 

Sewing Kit

This is another item that Santa add to my list.  When I was working on my pillow case project recently, I could have used a few of these items.  And it’s also really good to have on hand for just everyday projects like repairing a hole in the boys clothes.  I can tell you that the Cricut Scissors are so nice and sharp and make cutting so much easier.  There is nothing worse than having dull scissors.

 

Everyday Iron-On™ Value Pack

If you’re like me, having lots of iron-on vinyl on hand is a must.  It’s great to have this ready for those last minute projects that come up.  I’ve had friends ask me to whip something up for them on a whim and having the vinyl ready to go has allowed me the opportunity to help them out.  There are different packs available, this one is just one that I know I would probably use the most.

So hopefully this guide gives you some ideas on what to buy for that crafty person in your life.  I know I would be a happy recipient of all of these items!

5 Things I Love About My Cricut Maker and DIY Pillow Covers

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.

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There is no denying that my crafting game totally changed when I got my Cricut Maker.  I took my crafts to a whole new level.

I could probably go on for days about how much I love my Cricut Maker, but I will narrow it down to my 5 top reasons.

Number One – Versatility

There are so many different ways you can use your Cricut Maker.  You’re not just limited to paper cut crafts, the Cricut Maker has the ability to cut a wide range of materials from paper, vinyl, leather, basswood, chipboard and even fabric.  It even has the ability to emboss and engrave with it’s latest tools.

Aside from making all kinds of printed t shirts for the boy, I’ve been able to use it make earrings, embossed bookmarks and now even pillow cases.  But I’ll get to that one in a moment.

 

Number Two – Easy to Use

The Cricut Maker is very easy to use.  With the help of Cricut Design Space, you can make all your crafts come to life.  There are so many tools within the program to help you create where ever your imagination takes you.  When I got my Cricut Maker, it came with the materials to make a couple of small crafts to get you familiar with the machine which definitely helped me get comfortable with the machine from the start.

And it has smart technology built in to help you ensure you using the correct cutting blade based on the material you are cutting.  This has saved me so many times.

Number Three –  Constantly Introducing New Tools

Cricut is always introducing new tools to use with your Cricut Maker.  Just recently they introduced several new tools to help me with some projects I had swirling around in my head. Now, not only can you cut but you can emboss and engrave items with these tools.

Number Four – Ability to use Cricut Access

If you don’t have Cricut Access to use with you Cricut Maker, you’re missing out on so many ideas and tools.   Having Cricut Access allows you to use all it’s available fonts and images and links to hundreds and hundreds of project ideas.  This has been great when I had an idea for a project and new my Cricut Maker had the ability to do it, I just wasn’t sure how to do it.  And with access to more than standard fonts and images, I can add so much more creativity to my projects.

Number Five – Ability to Cut Fabric

I left the best to last. One of my favorite things that the Cricut Maker can do is cut fabric.  I don’t know about you but I can not cut fabric with a pair of scissors without it looking completely butchered.  So having the ability to cut fabric on the Cricut Maker thrilled me.  I understand I am limited to the size of items that I can cut, but being able to cut smaller items with straight edges and perfect corners is definitely something that I will put to good use.  I couldn’t cut a square to save my life with a regular pair of scissors.

So with that being said, I put the fabric cutting ability of the Cricut Maker to good use by making slip covers for my couch pillows and thanks to it cutting the fabric strips for me, it was super easy and came together beautifully.

Cricut Maker Made Pillow Cases

 

Supplies needed:

1. Cricut Maker
2. Fabric Grip Mat
3. Fabric  – I used Cricut Designer Fabric Sampler, High Adventure 2
4. Pillows
5. Sewing Machine

 

I’m sure a lot of people will look at this project and think they could easily pull it together without using any sort of machine to help them out.  But for me, using my Cricut Maker allowed me to ensure I was cutting straight and properly measured pieces each and every time.  Wanting to have the stripes all equal was vital for this project to turn out.

My pillows were 20 inches x 20 inches.  I wanted to use 5 different strips of fabric so I created a rectangular pattern piece in Design Space that was 5 inches by 21 inches.  The end result would be 4 inch stripes having a 1/2 inch seam allowance on each side.

I used the Cricut Maker to cut out 2 stripes of each colour for each of the pillows.  I sewed the stripes together to make each side of the pillow.

One tip:  The Cricut EasyPress Mini came in very handy to iron all the seams down to that everything laid flat when working with all the pieces.

After both sides were complete I put them together with the completed sides together and sewed around 3 sides to make a pocket to pull the pillow into.

 

After the pocket has been sewn, turn it inside out so that the seams are all inside and insert the pillow filling.

Once the pillow filling has been put inside, I used the Cricut EasyPress Mini again to fold the seams on the open side inwards so that they would be easier to work with.  After, with the seams inward, I sewed up the final edge to complete the pillows.

Again, it was a super easy project but it really makes a huge difference in my living room.