Christmas in July with Kira

Hey everyone!  I can't help myself when I see a fun trend going on in the crafty world...I just HAVE to join in.  So when everyone started posting about their fun Christmas in July projects, I was feeling a bit left out.  Since I usually complete my entire holiday album in December, I don't have a lot of Christmas photos to scrap in July, but I thought I could make some cute Christmas decor instead!

Have you used The Cut Shoppe cut files for home decor yet?!  If not, I am going to show you step by step how easy it can be!

First, gather your supplies:
 - project surface (I used this 18" x 5" wood plaque)
 - paint and paint brushes (I stuck with white and black but clearly you could make this project as colorful as you'd like!)
 - vinyl (I am no vinyl expert and know there are tons of choices out there, I used American Crafts black mat vinyl which I purchased at my local Tuesday Morning)
 - a cut file or two!
 - a die cut machine (I own/use a Cricut, but I know Silhouette has all the same capabilities in this department)
 - contact paper or blue painters tape

I started by painting my wood plaque.  I used regular acrylic paint and painted the background white and the "frame" black.  It's best to do this first so you can let it dry while you cut your vinyl.

Next, choose your design.  I used the Wintry Mix cut file as my main focus on this piece.  I had a hard time deciding between a few of the designs on this cut file because they're all so cute!  I eventually went with the mountains.  I sized them to 4" tall so they would fit on my plaque.  This only made them about 8" wide though, and needed to fill in some space.  So I used the Brush Up Alpha to spell out the phrase "Let it Snow". 

Once I had the sizing how I wanted it, I cut everything out on the vinyl.  You'll place your vinyl color side up on your mat to cut, and choose the appropriate setting on your machine. 

 Once the images are cut out, you'll need to "weed" the image, leaving it looking like this:

Then you'll use contact paper, or blue painters tape (whichever you have on hand, they both work great!) to transfer the images to your project base. 

If you use painters tape, layer each strip over the other so it forms a single sheet of tape.  Rub over the top of the tape so that the vinyl adheres to the tape and lift it from the vinyl backing. Then place the image on your project base. 

Once all the images are where you like them, rub down so that everything sticks in place.  When removing the tape, go slowly so you don't accidentally ruin placement or tear the vinyl.

 And there you go!  A custom piece of Christmas decor!

I had made a mistake on my first cut so I had an extra little tree from the Wintry Mix cut file.  I decided to place it to the right of "Let it Snow". 

I am super happy with how this came out and can't wait to display this with the rest of my holiday decor this winter!  Thanks for stopping by!

xo, Kira