Tag: cricut

Circus Props & Decor (Talent Show)

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Every year, my daughter’s school holds a talent show and it is something that everyone looks forward to. I have the wonderful opportunity of being a part of the Theater Booster Club (TBC). The TBC is a group of parents who support all things “theater” at the school, and one of my favorite tasks is creating fun decor for our events.

Last year, we had an “Old Hollywood Theme,” which included giant film reels and oversized popcorn boxes. I was hoping to reuse some of our incredible props from last year, and the red and white striped popcorn boxes were just begging to be used in a circus-themed event. So last May, our team started planning to make this year’s talent show “CIRCUS” an EPIC event for the kids and their families to enjoy.

As you can see, our fabulous popcorn boxes made another debut, but the backlit silhouettes and circus sign stole the show. Our stage was amazing! Just enough to make for an eye-catching backdrop for our performers, but not too much to take away from their acts. Here’s how we got this effect. Once again, my mini mooka projector came in handy. (#commissionsearned) I found some cool silhouettes on Pinterest and took a screenshot of them. Then I wirelessly connected the projector to my computer and drew them out on 1/4 of a cardboard refrigerator box. I was able to get all 4 silhouettes out of one large box, and I painted them black with acrylic paint.

Because cardboard is so flimsy, and we need the silhouettes to stand up, our awesome facilities guy at our school built us 5 wooden stands to attach the silhouettes to. We stretched white muslin around the frames. Each frame was 6 ft tall, so I purchased 10 yards of muslin to cover all 5 frames.

The middle frame was purposefully empty because we opened the talent show with a rendition of “The Greatest Show” from the movie The Greatest Showman. Our ringmaster stood in a pose behind the middle silhouette, and as he started to sing, he made his way onto the stage, followed by a choir of 8 other students. We had 4 kids already on stage waving signs that said “WOOAAH” to get the audience to participate. Then the rest of the kids (who wanted to be in the opening act) paraded across the stage and around the amphitheater, singing along as they went. It was such a fun way to kick off the night.

As the evening went on and it got darker in the outdoor amphitheater, the colored lights behind the silhouettes became vibrant and created such a wonderful display.

Not only was our stage top-notch, but we added some wonderful touches all around the room. One of our amazing moms painted a huge clown that was mounted above the double doorway. I was able to project the clown onto the 4 panels of another refrigerator box and traced out the image (that I also found on Pinterest). Then I handed it off to the most creative mom, who took it to the next level by adding additional cardboard sides to make the mouth touch all the way to the floor. She painted it with such detail that it looked fantastic, and she added PVC pipe to help mount it above the doors. You can see just how tall it is in the picture of my daughter and I standing under it.

That same mom created a ticket booth at the entrance, and I made a big sign that said, “WELCOME TO THE GREATEST SHOW” using my Cricut Maker 3 and black cardstock. (#commissionsearned)

Our team painted the most adorable circus-themed “photo booth” with a lion, ringmaster, and clown…another image that I projected onto an open refrigerator box. We used a variety of colors of acrylic paint and brushes and it turned out great! #commissionsearned

My Cricut came in handy once again for these directional signs, and they were not just for decoration, they actually led to the locations displayed on the arrows. I used colored cardstock in red, yellow, and black and a variety of fonts from Cricut Design Space. We wanted to be able to reuse the arrows that we had painted and cut out of cardboard, so I attached the letters with glue dots so they were easily removable. The glue dots also came in handy for sticking the white and yellow balloons together to look like clumps of popcorn in the oversized popcorn boxes. #commissionsearned

A couple of tips for those of you who want to try out making these oversized popcorn boxes. They are made out of free refrigerator boxes from our local appliance store. Be sure to grab a couple of inexpensive nets and an electric balloon pump. If you line the inside top of the box with a net, you will need a lot fewer balloons. Also, be sure to blow up your balloons in a variety of sizes to give them more of a “popcorn” vibe, and use those glue dots to cascade a few popcorn pieces over the sides of the box. Painter tape is super helpful in making your red and white lines straight, and the popcorn logo was created on a piece of white poster board and taped onto the box. #commissionsearned

Be sure to subscribe to my blog for more amazing DIYs, crafts, and more. We are already planning next year’s show and it’s going to be a good one!!!

DIY Halloween T-Shirt

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Halloween is just around the corner and my daughter wanted me to make her a fun Halloween tee on my Cricut Maker 3. I recently purchased a huge variety pack of HTVRONT heat transfer vinyl, a heat press machine, and a heat press mat, so I already had most of the supplies I needed. I found an inexpensive tee and went to work. #commissionsearned

We looked through the designs in Cricut Design Space and my daughter loved this “spooky season” SVG. I am still fairly new at layering heat transfer vinyl, so I was really pleased that this shirt turned out perfect. I started with the black vinyl and only pressed it for about 12 seconds. Then added the pink and orange. By cutting the carrier sheet close to the letters, I was able to press both colors at the same time. I only pressed this layer for about 10-12 seconds as well. I finished off by layering the white ghosts and pressed for an additional 20 seconds just to make sure that all of the layers were securely transferred to the t-shirt.

Here are a couple of important tips to remember when doing layers with HTV.

  1. always mirror heat transfer vinyl
  2. press each layer for a short amount of time- usually between 10-12 seconds, just to get the layer to stick to the tee and come off of the transfer paper
  3. trim the transfer paper close to your design to try and save on the amount of layers you are pressing
  4. be sure to use a Teflon sheet or parchment paper between your vinyl and heat press
  5. finish off with a final press of 15-20 seconds to make sure your design is thoroughly pressed onto your tee
  6. wait 24 hours before washing your tee and always wash inside out on cold without fabric softener and hang to dry

For more Halloween Fun, check out some of my other posts:

DIY Axolotl Costume

DIY Wings of Fire Dragon Costume

Nightmare Before Christmas Movie Night

Halloween Marshmallow Pops

Axolotl Tote Bag

Published on by kerricreatesblogLeave a comment

Recently, I picked up a set of blank tote bags to make some library book bags with my Cricut Maker 3. These totes are quite sturdy and they come in 26 different colors, so I definitely will be ordering more in the future. I also decided to purchase a year-long subscription to Cricut Design Space, and I have not been disappointed! The variety of fonts and images is beyond amazing.

My daughter loves axolotls, so this little pink cutie reading a book was the perfect choice for my girl. I found a gorgeous set of heat transfer vinyl on Amazon in boho colors. #commissionsearned. Full disclosure, as beautiful as these colors are, you definitely get what you pay for. This HTV was difficult to weed and I would only recommend it for projects with larger cuts. The more intricate ones were a bit of a pain, even with using the “more pressure” setting on my Cricut. But the colors kind of made it worth it.

For those of you who are new to using Design Space and to layering heat transfer vinyl, here is the step-by-step guide for how I made this fun tote.

Search “axolotl” in Design Space.

If you have not purchased a subscription, this image will cost $0.99. It’s free with a subscription.

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Click on the image and then click on “add to canvas”

You can now size your image to fit your tote bag. You can easily add this to a t-shirt or sweatshirt as well.

I decided to add a bit of contrast with an oval behind the image. Go to shapes and choose
“circle.”

Now you will see a circle added to your canvas.

Go to “size” at the top tool bar and hit the unlock button. Now you can make your circle into an oval that covers your image.

You need to change the position of your oval so that it is behind your image. Go to “arrange” and click “send to back.”

Now you can change the color of the oval. I wanted mine to be the same color as the book that the axolotl is holding.

Make sure that your entire image is the size that you want to put on your tote bag.

Click “Make It.” I chose “on mat.”

Be sure to click “mirror” on every mat. This step is super important. And don’t forget that you will want your HTV to be shiny side down on the mat.

You can cut each color separately, but I have a little time-saving trick that I like to use. I move several colors onto one mat.

Click on the 3 dots to the left of your object.

Move the objects to the mat of your choosing.

As you can see, I was able to get 3 cuts on one mat. I used the grid to figure out the size of each color of HTV and where to place it on the mat. This saves a lot of time loading and unloading mats. Just be sure to put the right color in the right spot and remember to mirror your image.

You will be asked to select the type of material. I chose “everyday iron-on.” Make sure you have the fine tip blade loaded into your Cricut and now you are ready to go.

After all of your pieces are cut, you can weed each one and begin the process of adding the layers to your tote. I purchased the HTVRONT heat press and it made it so easy to layer the vinyl. I also got an inexpensive heat press mat that is the perfect size for totes and tees. #commissionsearned

One thing I like to do is to layer all of the pieces on each other before I use the heat press, just so that I get the placement right. Then, I peel them apart and layer, one at a time, starting with the back layer. In this case, my first layer was the blue oval.

You only want to heat each layer for about 12-15 seconds, and don’t forget to put a teflon sheet or a piece of parchment paper between your heat press and your HTV. Be sure to check the recommended heat setting and time for the vinyl you are using. Each brand varies slightly. You also need to know if your HTV is hot peel or cold peel.

This is the fun part…seeing your design come to life. In just a few moments, your tote will be finished and ready for your next trip to the library.

For more axolotl fun, check out my daughter’s DIY Axolotl Halloween costume from a couple of years ago.

Tooth Fairy Bags

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Etsy Shop

Sometimes, I miss the days when my kids were little and life seemed a bit more simple. Everyone was tucked in by 8:00 and the house was quiet for several hours before my bedtime. But other times, I am so grateful for this season of life with older kids. There are joys to be found in all of the stages of parenting.

One of the milestones that we just said goodbye to is the season of lost teeth. Sometime this past year, my youngest lost her last tooth. Bittersweet for sure! I remember when my middle son lost his first tooth. He swallowed it while eating a pretzel and he was so worried that the tooth fairy wouldn’t show up. We reassured him that she absolutely would come and he wrote her a note explaining what happened to his very first missing tooth. Another time, the tooth fairy accidentally forgot… but wouldn’t you know that after searching around my son’s room we discovered that she actually did come, the money just “fell behind his bed.” A little parenting hack for those of you who may need to put this nugget in your back pocket just in case.

Even though my kids have outgrown the tooth fairy, I have several friends who have littles. I thought it would be fun to make them tooth fairy bags with some adorable SVGs that I found on Cricut Design Space. I have had my Cricut Maker 3 for over a year now, and if I am being honest, I feel like I am just now getting the hang of it. I was pretty intimidated at first, but now I feel confident that I can make a variety of projects that turn out AMAZING. These little tooth fairy bags are just one example.

Cricut Design Space has thousands of incredible SVGs to choose from, so it was hard to narrow it down to just a handful. I purchased a set of little canvas drawstring bags from Amazon and a bundle of HTVRONT vinyl with a variety of colors. I also invested in a mini heat press to make it easy to heat the vinyl. It took a few tries to get the sizing just right, and I added ovals behind the designs to give each bag a pop of color so that the white tooth really stands out. #commissionsearned

When you think about it, putting a bloody old tooth inside of a bag is kind of gross, so I ordered a set of tiny plastic containers and used permanent vinyl to make a little tooth sticker for the lid. This way, the kids can put their lost tooth in the container, and put the container in the bag.

I also created a little tooth chart so that kids can color in the tooth they lost and write the date. By the time they are done losing teeth, they will have a record of how old they were when they lost each tooth.

I’m getting ready to package these little kits up and send them off to my friend’s kiddos. I think they are going to love them!!! #commissionsearned

If you would like to use this tooth chart for your own child you can find the printable PDF on my Etsy shop thistlesandrainbows.etsy.com and the full Tooth Fairy Kits are also now available for purchase in my shop.

DIY Shadow Puppets

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A couple weeks ago our family went camping, which is a really big deal, because we are NOT campers!  Two of our kids attend a school where they have a Fall Campout each year so we committed to staying one night…and although my husband and I both agree that we are more “glampers,” than campers, we ended up having a ton of fun and our kids loved the whole experience.  I have a feeling we will be camping again!

My daughter was super excited because her daddy bought her a pink flashlight and she was really looking forward to making shadow puppets in the tent with her big brothers.  Of course, when we got home, she wanted to create some animal shadow puppets to play with.  One evening, last week, we went to work creating these cute little popsicle stick puppets that have provided a ton of content for imaginary play and story telling for little miss.

I used my Cricut Expression 2 to cut out the animals and other shapes, but if you do not have a Cricut, simply create a document with templates that you can cut out of card stock.  Here is one I put together that you can print off and use to make your own animal shadow puppets without using a Cricut.  animal template pdf

The possibilities are endless with these little puppets.  You can create seasonal themes, print off silhouettes of your child’s favorite story book or movie characters, weather puppets, dinosaurs, garden, farm, cars, princesses, fairies, and so much more.

One thing that I realized, after creating so many characters, was that they were hard to hold onto.  So with an old shoebox and a pair of scissors, I created a diy holder for all of the puppets.  This made a perfect “stage” for my daughter to put the puppets on as she told her story.  The great part about using a shoebox, is that it doubles as storage to hold all of the characters and a flashlight so they are contained & easy to find for future use.

Check out my video tutorial above for tips on making some shadow puppets with your own children.  fullsizeoutput_eda2fullsizeoutput_eda1IMG_9671IMG_9676IMG_9677IMG_9679

Moana Birthday Party

Published on by kerricreatesblog22 Comments

We celebrated my daughter’s 7th birthday the first week of June with a Moana Themed Birthday Party.   My girl fell in love with Moana after watching the movie in the theater and she’s been belting out “How Far I’ll Go” at the top of her lungs ever since.  Her Grandma and Papa surprised her with the soundtrack for her birthday, which made the party even more special to have her favorite Moana songs playing in the background while she swam and played with all of her sweet friends.

I had so much fun planning this party and I’m happy to say that everything turned out just as I imagined it would.  I started making decorations several weeks in advance because May and June are always crazy busy with all of the end of school activities, dance recitals, and two kids with birthdays just a couple of weeks apart.

I used my Cricut Expression 2 to make the black and white tribal sewn paper garlands and the HAPPY BIRTHDAY KARIS pennant banner.  I also used it to cut some of the pieces for the Kakamora faces.  These were all made out of card stock that I purchased from Joann Fabrics.  I also found the tribal print material at Joann’s that I used to cover the contents of our two bookshelves.

The Dollar Tree is a great place for inexpensive tropical decorations this time of year and it did not disappoint.  This is where I purchased the tissue paper for the giant tropical flowers, the leis, the grass skirts that I used to surround the table, the plastic beach backdrop, plates and napkins, and the Moana and Maui “magic towels” that we gave to the children as party favors.  You can also find a lot of beachy party decorations on Amazon.

My favorite part of the whole party, was the Moana Boat and Sail Photo Backdrop (tutorial link below).  All the kids were greeted by my daughter and given a lei to wear and the first thing they saw when they walked in was a huge beach scene with a cardboard Moana boat and sail to play in.  I even made an oar out of a dowel, cardboard, and twine.  We got some super cute pictures of the kids in Moana’s boat. #CommissionsEarned

If you are planning a Moana party of your own, here are three fun tutorial for you as well as a ton of pictures from my daughter’s party.  Enjoy!

Moana Marshmallow Pops Tutorial

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Moana Boat and Sail Photo Backdrop Tutorial

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Heart of Te Fiti Cupcake Tutorial 

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If you are planning your own Moana party, I’ve included links to some products that you can purchase for your child’s party. #CommissionsEarned

For the Marshmallow Pops you will need-  Moana Stickers, Marshmallows, Lollipop Sticks, blue Candy Melts, and Pretzels

Moana Figurines

Moana Party Decorations 

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Book Page Banner

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I love books!  In this day in age when so many are reading books on Kindles, Nooks, and iPads, you will find me curled up in a cozy spot in my house with a traditional paper book.  The library just so happens to be one of my very favorite places on the Earth!  I think that is why my eyes are drawn to creative projects made from book pages.

Several years ago I made this pretty little book page banner to hang across my mantle for Valentine’s Day and I have reused it several years in a row because I love it so much!  To make one of your own, you will need a book that you don’t mind cutting up (I bought mine from the Dollar Tree).  You will also need scrapbooking paper in several colors or patterns. I went with a black, red, and off white theme.  Grab a couple of buttons and some twine and you are all set.

I used my Cricut Expression 2 to cut the L O V E letters, but made my own template for the large and small hearts.  The book pages are 6 inches long by 4 inches wide.  This gives you enough length to fold the top over to hang them on the twine and to cut a 1 1/2 inch triangle out of the bottom of each.  For my banner, I stapled the individual book page pieces over the twine and then glue the hearts on after to cover the stapes.  For the LOVE portion, I lined the staples up with one of the words to “hide” it as much as possible.

If you love creating banners for your own home, check out my tutorial on How to Make a Pennant Banner.

If you are looking for some other simple and fun Valentine ideas, here are some links you will enjoy.

Valentine Paper Garlands

Valentine Craft for Kids: Cookie Cutters and Paint

Valentine Words of Affirmation for Kids 

Chocolate Covered Strawberries 

Valentine Paper Garlands

Published on by kerricreatesblog3 Comments

Paper garlands have become one of my absolute favorite DIY decorations.  They are simple to create, inexpensive, and they are perfect for everything from holiday decor to birthday parties.  These elegant heart and circle garlands will add a little bit of love to your home for Valentine’s Day.  Watch my tutorial for some tips on how to make some of your own.

For my hearts and circles, I used the Cricut Expression 2, but if you do not have a Cricut, you can simply cut hearts and circles out of card stock.  I used 3 different colors of card stock, plain white, and a shiny gold & red that I purchased from the Dollar Tree.  Sometimes, when I make paper garlands, I use my sewing machine, but for these, I just used a needle and white thread.  I wanted to be able to space them out, so this gave me the option to slide them along the thread and place them where I wanted to. #CommissionsEarned

Some friends of mine gave me this beautiful old window, which made the perfect backdrop to display a collection of Valentine Paper Garlands.  Happy Valentine’s Day from Kerri Creates!

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Valentine Words of Affirmation for Kids

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Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to be intentional about expressing our love in creative ways to our children.  So why save it all for one day?  Take the beginning of February and create an “affirmation heart chain” for each of your children.  Hang it on their bedroom doors and write a word or phrase affirming something uniquely wonderful about who they are on one heart, each day, leading up to Valentine’s Day.

I will never forget the first time we did this with our kids.  It made getting up each morning a little more pleasant.  You could see the joy on their faces as they read the words written just for them.  I would even catch them reading down the list several times a day.

To make this a bit easier for me to stick to (as we all know how busy life gets), I like to print out a list of 14 words or phrases of affirmation for each of my kids before February 1st.  I cut them up and put them in baggies.  Then I just glue one on each of their hearts before I go to bed every night.

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For more Valentine ideas for kids, see my latest blogpost,

Valentine Felt Heart “LOVE BOMBS”

Thankful Tree

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One of our Thanksgiving traditions is to create a thankful tree.  We have done this several ways throughout the years, but this has become my favorite way to display our gratitude in the month of November.  It is a great activity that encourages families to spend quality time together and to focus on the things we are grateful for.

Fall walks are full of beauty with the changing colors and leaves and twigs scattered throughout.  We are blessed to have gorgeous walking trails in our city.  This year we took our kids out to collect branches near the river.  We brought the branches home and placed them in a vase.  This year I just used a large mason jar. I cut out simple tags using my Cricut machine, punched a hole in the top, and threaded a loop of twine through each one. #CommissionsEarned

One evening, when we were all home together, we sat down in the living room and spent a few minutes writing the things that we are thankful for, then decorated our “tree.”   This activity can be done anytime in the month of November and can become part of your Fall decor, or it can be an activity that you do with extended family and friends on Thanksgiving day when many are gathered, as a part of your time together.

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For more fun Fall activities check out my latest blogpost: Thanksgiving (Turkey Handprints) Kids Table