This tutorial will show you how to make a personalized wood slice wreath using vinyl and your Cricut. You'll even see how to cure real tree slices.
This tutorial was born from a collaboration idea between my friend Lindsay and I. Lindsay blogs at "A Butterfly House" and makes projects that often involve a mitre saw and safety glasses!!
She doesn't own a Cricut and knows absolutely nothing about it! But she's my friend anyway! 😆 We've been helping each other with our blogs for over a year and talking to each other every week. Even though she lives in the U.S., she's probably the friend I've seen the most lately! (pandemic social distancing!) Haha
DIY wood slice wreath
As she's the one skilled with a saw and I, with a Cricut, Lindsay was in charge of making this beautiful wood slice wreath.
It's amazing, don't you think?
So I invite you to visit her blog to find out:
- How to cure wood slices (honestly, I didn't think it was that easy!)
- How to build a wreath with wood slices
For my part, I was responsible for making the letters with vinyl and mailing them to Lindsay (don't tell her, but I think I was the one who had the easy job!!!!) This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience and at no extra cost to you. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.
Cut vinyl to apply to wood slices
Tools required
- Cricut (I have the Maker, but the Explore Air and even the Joy will do)
- Weeding tools
- Scraper (optional but very useful!)
Required materials
- Wood slices (you can buy them if you can't make them yourself!)
- Permanent Vinyl (such as Cricut Premium Permanent or Oracal 651)
- Transfer paper
- SVG file (see below)
By subscribing to my newsletter, you will have access to these words in SVG, DXF, PNG and PDF files. You can also choose between these 4 types of writings.
Sign up here to get access:
As for my friend Lindsay, by subscribing to her newsletter, you will find the same fonts, but with different words (except for the Ho Ho Ho).
Click here to see her tutorial and subscribe.
In case you'd rather write what you want, these fonts come from this "20 Christmas Fonts" bundle I bought.
They are called "Snug Sweater" and you can also find them individually here.
Should you add a sealer on wood or not?
To apply permanent vinyl on wood, you don't necessarily need to seal the wood. If your wood is smooth and clean and you use permanent vinyl, a sealer or protective layer on the wood is not necessary.
On the other hand, if your wood is very uneven, I would add something like Minwax polycrylic underneath to help the vinyl adhesion. If in addition your decoration is outdoors and subject to the weather, I would use an exterior varnish, under, and maybe even on it to increase its lifespan.
(Note: I'm doing an outdoor test on different types of vinyl. I will come back to you soon with the results and recommendations. If the types of vinyl get through a Quebec winter, nothing will stop them!!)
Preparing vinyl to send to another person
My friend Lindsay being in the United States, I had to mail her the vinyl.
So I did the layering of the vinyl on the transfer paper as if I were to install it myself. Then I simply put the transfer paper back on its carrier sheet. 🙌
Layering several layers/colours of vinyl
Speaking of layering vinyl, do you know the easiest and most precise way to layer multiple colours of vinyl?
You use parchment paper!
Apply the vinyl to a piece of parchment paper, allowing a small portion of the vinyl at the top to exceed.
Then press the parchment paper onto the piece of vinyl on which you want to layer it by bending the top to prevent it from sticking.
As parchment paper slides and is transparent, it will allow you to align the vinyl perfectly.
Once perfectly aligned, press the top part to make it stick.
Lift the transfer paper by making sure the top doesn't move and remove the parchment paper.
Re-apply the transfer paper by gradually pressing down from top to bottom with the scraper.
There you go! Two layers of vinyl perfectly aligned!
Detailed tutorial
To see the tutorial in detail, watch the video!
I'm really happy to have done this project with my friend! Proof that, even physically far away, we can collaborate! Awesome isn't it?
Don't forget to pin it for later!
