Fall is quickly creeping up on us and I must say, I am excited to do all of the fall things! I am BIG on decorating! By September 1st, our home is filled with the sweet smell of pumpkins! While we probably won’t visit our local pumpkin patches until later next month, I’ve already taken a few trips to Michael’s craft store to grab faux pumpkins! They are my favorite way to decorate our porch and stairs, since the city squirrels destroy the real ones lol! Today, I am sharing how I personalize my craft pumpkins using my Silhouette Cameo, pumpkins from Michael’s, transfer tape and vinyl from HTVRont.
Let's Get Crafting
What you’ll need:
- craft pumpkins
- permanent vinyl
- transfer tape
- weeding tool
- vinyl scraper
- cutting machine
- or pre-cut/ready to apply designs
If you don’t have a cutting machine, you can order your custom vinyl prints from me! I am happy to help make your crafting easy! Learn more here!
First, you’ll want to start by preparing your design in your preferred design software. I like to use Adobe Illustrator and export my file as an SVG. Then, open the file in Silhouette Studio. Once my design is opened in Silhouette Studio, I gather my vinyl (I used black and orange) and cutting mats to load into my cutting machine. I have owned my Silhouette Cameo 3 for maybe 4-5 years. I upgraded from the Silhouette Cameo 2. Although I own a commercial machine (the Roland BN20), I do love using my Cameos for smaller projects that I do with my kids.
Once the designs are cut, I will remove the vinyl from the cutting machine and begin weeding. Weeding is when you remove the excess vinyl from your design. Some people loathe weeding, but I love it! Pro tip: when weeding permanent vinyl, take your time. Cut any excess vinyl as you work through the design and be sure to test cut your settings in your design program before you begin cutting your actual design.
For this craft, I would recommend a thicker font. Thin words will be a pain to weed and transfer.
Next, layer transfer tape over top of your weeded design. Use your vinyl scraper to transfer the vinyl on to the tape. Remove the white vinyl backing.
Pro tip: I like to save the carrier sheet from the transfer tape. Once I have transferred the design and removed the white vinyl backing, I will put the carrier sheet back on to keep the design free of dirt/dust until I am ready to apply (as pictured).
Now, it’s time to grab your pumpkins! Make sure they are clean by wiping with alcohol and a soft towel.
Let’s apply the vinyl to your pumpkins! Take your vinyl design and gently place it on to your pumpkin. Try to pick the smoothest section of your pumpkin. Most craft pumpkins have side seams, try to avoid this area as the vinyl will lay better on a smooth surface. I like to start in the middle of the design, using my vinyl scraper and finger. I push the vinyl into the pumpkin, being sure to remove any air bubbles as I go along. Work outwards to the left, then to the right. Be sure to press the vinyl into the pumpkin, so that it sticks to the pumpkin, leaving the transfer tape. Discard the transfer tape once the design is on the pumpkin.
Watch Me in Action
@mmandcoprintshop heres a fun diy fall project: decorated pumpkins! i personalized craft pumpkins from @Michael’s with my favorite vinyl and masking tape from @HTVRONT! this is such an easy and fun way to personalize your fall decor! . . . #htvrontvinyl #htvrontsuperstar #diyfalldecorating #diyfalldecoration #fallcraftsdiys #fallcraftsforkids #fallcraftingideas #mmandcoprintshop #michaelsstoreshalloween #michaelscraft #halloweendecoratingtime #halloweencraftsforkids ♬ original sound - MM & Co Print Shop
And that’s how you personalize your craft pumpkins for fall! I hope you found this blog helpful and I hope it inspires you to personalize all of the pumpkins haha!
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