Monday, May 17, 2010

Contact paper...the po' mans vinyl.....

I do a LOT with my Cricut...and by far my favorite projects are those that include vinyl. I've learned rather quickly that vinyl is EXPENSIVE, and I'm a "measure once, cut twice" kinda gal, so I tend to make a LOT of mistakes!

I read on a blog once about using contact paper as transfer tape, so I bought some in the hopes of trying it. Then one day, I got an idea...contact paper is sticky...why not use that INSTEAD of vinyl? I've tested it on many surfaces, and I've found that the smoother the surface, the better the hold. Glass being one of the best...

So you can imagine why I would get so excited when I found THIS at my local dollar store:

A double paned frame?!?!??! My light bulb went off rather quick. Surprisingly, the pre-printed word on the glass (family in this case) came off with very little elbow grease, and then I had a nice clean surface to work with :)

I decided the words I wanted on there, and cut them in varying sizes based on emphasis, and in the end I had this:

I couldn't be happier! Not bad for a $1 investment...and it makes a GREAT gift :)

PS-when working with letters this small (varying from 1/4" to 1") I found that scotch tape makes THE BEST transfer tape!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOVE IT! Oh and contact paper does come in different colors, but check your home improvement stores for the best selection...


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12 comments:

  1. maybe I can get one of those ;)

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  2. Does contact paper come in colors or just white? I think it looks awesome!

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  3. You can get contact paper in different colors, but its mostly black, white, and now they even have a silver/stainless steel looking one :)

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  4. I am probably going to have to get me one of those Cricuts someday...Very nice work...

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  5. ok...it's getting really scary now girlfriend!!! Guess what I picked up when I went shopping with my girls??? Six of those babies....same idea in mind...vinyl! Unbelievable! Then there is the "kill for coffee" thing...read my "7 things"! LOL

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  6. I'm going to have to try this with my Silhouette. I'm so jealous of that frame- what a great find!

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  7. OH that is awesome! My hubby is getting me a Cricut for our anniversary in Sept. and I was really worried about bankrupting us with the cost of vinyl! Great idea! :)

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  8. Nice! I need to remember that phrase more often, lol.

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  9. What a fantastic idea! I never would have thought about contact paper. Bookmarking for a future project. You should sell these. Its really great!

    ~Ela

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  10. Oh dearie, we need to talk about the sticker maker. The sticker maker is a cricut's sidekick, like Batman and Robin :)

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  11. Oh what a good tip on the contact paper!!! Thanks for sharing at Anything Related!
    ~Bridgette

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  12. Awww, I was hoping you were showing a way to use contact paper INSTEAD OF a Cricut and vinyl. Guess I'll have to stick to hand-painting for now (the *really* poor man's vinyl)! :) (fellow CSI poster)

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