Vinyl Pumpkins with a Cricut
I won't lie to you, I don't reaaaaally enjoy carving pumpkins. And by that I mean, I'm not a big fan of scooping slime out of it! I love pumpkin seeds and actually carving the pumpkin but I usually try to rope my husband into helping me remove the gunk inside of the pumpkin. That's why this year I decided to apply vinyl to some of my pumpkins! It's just as simple as you'd think and doesn't require you to get your hands messy - win-win!
Materials:
The first step is to cut your vinyl cutting on your Cricut. I've made a few free designs if you're interested in making this project too! Simply log into Design Space and then click here!
While the vinyl is cutting, clean your pumpkins with either a baby wipe or soap and water. In order for the vinyl to have the best success in sticking, we'll need a clean surface.
Once you're finished cutting, weed your design. To do this, use a weeder tool to remove any excess vinyl from around your design/letters and also any inside parts of the design/letters.
Then transfer your vinyl to transfer tape. Use a scraper tool to help burnish the vinyl onto the tape. When it's adhered well, slowly peel back the paper backing from the vinyl and then line it up on your pumpkin and apply the vinyl to the pumpkins.
Applying the vinyl to the pumpkin is going to be the trickiest part because the pumpkin's surface is not smooth. A few tips to help apply:
- Use permanent vinyl - it's much stickier than regular adhesive vinyl, so it'll stick better to your pumpkins. I actually used regular adhesive vinyl for this project, but after I finished, I realized I should've used permanent. The adhesive vinyl still worked but I believe it would've been easier with permanent vinyl.
- Go slow and do small sections at a time! Don't try to do it all at once.
- Keep your designs simple -- this is definitely not the project to place a mandala onto!
- Find pumpkins that have somewhat of a smooth surface -- the less bumps the better! Or look for even bumps, if that's even a thing. :)
When you're finished applying the vinyl, carefully remove the transfer tape as you go. Like I just mentioned, it's going to be easiest to go in small chunks when applying this. When you're finished, that's it! Don't you love using your Cricut to decorate for the holidays? I do!
Thanks so much for reading! If you're looking for a Cricut crafting community, make sure to join our Facebook group and share your projects with us there! Happy making, crafty friends!
-Courteney
Halloween Fabric Coasters Using Cricut Glitter Iron-on
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