MAKE A HOLIDAY LANDSCAPE MUG THAT WILL MAKE YOU DREAM OF JUST THAT
PLEASE NOTE: This post is in celebration of the launching of my NEW ebook…”Photos To SVGs: A Crafter’s Guide (Cricut Version and Silhouette Version). I want to show you what’s possible when you can use your own photos in your crafts!
I decided I wanted to create a mug design that used a couple of my Hawaii photos. Why not! I have been researching all about turning photos into svgs. I even wrote a book about it!
Why not try to turn a landscape photo into an svg, I thought. I haven’t tried that yet. It’s all been people and animals.
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I found a couple of photos that really made me want to be back in Hawaii.
Now how do I get those photos into svgs?
Well, I used one of the apps that I had been reviewing in my new book (Cricut version, & Silhouette version). It did take me a while to get it to look how I wanted. You have to think about what you are using it for. A mug is quite small, so I knew my design had to be about 3 inches high.
That tells me that I have to really cut down on the little bits I have in the photo. That will make it easier to cut, and easier to weed.
I finally was happy with my result, so I downloaded it and pulled it into my Silhouette Studio software. Then when I sized it down to be 3 inches high, I discovered….oh, dear. The bigger bits are still pretty tiny.
So I started erasing some pieces here, and adding some pieces there until I was pretty sure it would cut.
I did go through some trial and error. My first piece of vinyl was too curled up to lay flat on the mat, and the mat wasn’t very sticky. BIG MISTAKE! Make sure your mat is very sticky! Then you’re guaranteed that the blade on your cutting machine won’t catch the vinyl as it’s cutting.
I ended up cutting the design twice. It’s a back-and-front design. The first time was the major boo-boos, the second time?….perfect!
I’m letting you know right here…the weeding took a while. But hey, I like weeding. It calms me (and challenges me). Yes, I’m that weird.
After weeding, I decided to add a bunch of extra “weeding lines” for you, so you don’t end up cursing at me. It will make it a lot easier for you, if you want to grab my design and try it for yourself.
I went ahead and put some transfer tape on it. I used clear Contact Paper from Walmart. Just make sure you burnish it really well.
Now to put it on the mug!
To prepare the mug, I cleaned it off with some rubbing alcohol. You need it completely clean of any finger prints, or dust before placing the vinyl. Who wants little bubbles under the vinyl, right?
I just eye-balled where I wanted my design to go. Once it is on there, I burnished the heck out of it! Make sure, though, that you don’t damage those tinier pieces. Here’s a mantra to help with that…”be careful, but burnish…..be careful, but burnish“. 🙂
Take the transfer tape off carefully. Careful, carefully…do you see a theme here? Yes, vinyl is a delicate matter. Especially when you are doing something small. But you have to be firm, too. Firm with that burnishing. That could make, or break your project.
Now that the transfer tape is off, what do you think? I know I have to work on using the Conical Warp feature in Silhouette Studio, but otherwise I really like the way it turned out!
This is totally a 2020 mug.
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Help, please! I must be having a “senior moment”, but I cannot find where to log in to My Scrap Menagerie to download the e-book I ordered. (Photo to SVG for Cricut)
Thanks!
Hey Betsy, I’ve included a “login” link at the top of my website homepage. 🙂