HCC 2024 Day 09: Cute Critters! Magnets & Cards

PART ONE: How to make shaped magnets

Step 1) Prepare the project in Design Space

This step will vary depending on how you are adding the magnetic backs to your cardstock creations.

I am going to use the deep point blade in my Explore Air 3 to cut 0.4mm magnetic sheets into the exact shapes of the critters.

If you don’t have a deep point blade (or compatible Cricut machine) then you can cut the magnetic sheets with scissors instead – either to the shape of the critters or simply cut a square shape.

If you don’t have magnetic sheets, you could use any size magnet that is smaller than the size you cut your critters.

Size the critters in Design Space to the size you want to make your magnets.

If you’re using your Cricut to cut the magnetic sheets then open up the layers next to one of them and click the very bottom layer.

Press “Duplicate” to make a copy.

You MAY need to flip/mirror the bottom layer. It depends on your magnetic sheet and how you will be loading it into the Cricut.

I will be cutting mine with the sticky side at the top, so I do NOT need to mirror.

Duplicate the bottom layer of the other design and change the colour of your two new bottom layers so that you know these are the ones to cut from the magnetic material.

Step 2) Cut the project

Save your project and then press “Make”.

Scroll down the list on the left of the screen until you get to the page that will be cut from the magnetic material.

Move the pieces around on the mat so that they aren’t lined up so close to the edges of the paper. This is so we have space to tape the magnetic sheet to our Cricut mat to help stop it moving about.

On the cut screen, click “Browse All Materials”.

Type “magnet” into the search and then select the material that best fits your sheets. Mine are 0.4mm thick so I’ve chosen the 0.5mm option.

My magnetic sheets are magnetic on one side (the black side) then the other side has white paper on top of it, with sticky adhesive underneath.

I’m placing mine magnetic side down on my Cricut mat.

If you have a purple Strong Grip cutting mat then use that. I don’t have one, so I used a green Standard grip mat.

Put your magnetic sheet on your mat and press it down firmly. Tape all the edges to help stop it moving.

Move the white plastic star wheels in your machine over to the edges to stop them marking the magnetic sheet.

Load the mat into your Cricut and follow the on-screen instructions to cut out the pieces.

Don’t worry if your Cricut goes around the edges multiple times. It’s repeating the cuts to make sure it goes all the way through the thick material.

When it’s finished cutting, don’t eject the mat. First, make sure it has cut all the way through. If it hasn’t then you can press the “Go” button again to repeat the cut.

Step 3) Glue the magnets together

Glue all the cardstock pieces together.

It’s easiest to stick the tongues to the backs of the mouths so you know they are in the correct position.

The pumpkin critter goes: white layer, black layer, green stalk, tongue, bright orange layer, dark orange layer.

The candy corn critter goes: white layer, black layer, tongue, cream layer, orange layer, yellow layer.

If your magnetic sheets have an adhesive backing then peel that off and stick the cardstock to them.

If not, glue them on.

Your magnets are now finished!

PART TWO: Custom greetings cards

Step 1) Create a base card

First, insert the two cute critters onto your project.

Then click “Shapes” and choose a square.

Make it the size that you want your final card to be. I am making a 5×7 inch card so my base rectangle is 10 inches wide and 7 inches tall.

Colour it to the dark yellow from the candy corn (or any colour of your choosing).

Step 2) Add a score line

If you have a scoring tool or scoring wheel for your Cricut machine, it’s a good idea to add a score line to the middle of the base card to make it easier to fold in the correct place.

If you don’t have a way to score with your Cricut, move on to Step 3.

Click “Shapes” and insert a Score Line. Make it 7 inches tall.

Select the score line and the base card, then click “Align” and “Center” to put the score line exactly in the middle of the card.

Select the score line and the base card, then press “Attach” at the bottom of the layers panel.

Attach is what tells the Cricut that we want it to do the score line down the middle of the base card.

Step 3) Finish the card design

Add extra detail to the card by adding some layers of different colours.

I created a rectangle at 6.5 inches tall and 4.5 inches wide and made it the dark orange colour from the pumpkin.

Then I made a slightly smaller rectangle of 6.25 inches wide and 4.25 inches tall and put that in the middle. I’ll be cutting this from patterned scrapbook paper so I’ve made it a blue colour to remind myself when it comes to cutting the project.

Position the critters where you will be sticking them onto the card. You may need to resize them to get them to fit.

Don’t forget to save your project!

Step 3) Cut the project from cardstock

When you’re happy with how the project is looking in Design Space, click “Make” to begin the cut process.

TIP: New to cutting cardstock with a Cricut? Check out this in-depth tutorial which goes through every step of the process, including tips for getting the best quality cuts from your Cricut.

Click “Continue” and then choose your material type.

Follow the instructions on-screen to cut out all the different pieces of card.

Tip: When taking the card off the mat, turn the mat upside down and peel the mat away from the card. Use one hand to keep the card pressed flat against your work surface. This ensures the card stays flat when it comes off the mat.

Step 4) Stick the card together

My favourite glues to use on papercraft projects are Bearly Art Glue and Collall All Purpose Glue.

These are great because they don’t “warp” or bend the cardstock like some glues do. You can use as much of it as you want and the card stays perfect – and it dries perfectly clear too!

Bearly Art Glue comes with a tiny nozzle to make it easy to apply glue to small areas of card. The Collall glue doesn’t come with this, so it’s easiest to decant it into needle tip applicator bottles so that you have more control.

The foam pads that I use are from “Dot & Dab”, but any foam squares will work. If yours are big then you may need to cut them smaller with scissors to fit inside the edges of the layers.

The pumpkin patterned paper is from this paper set which I purchased from The Range (a store in the UK). It was a couple of years ago, so they might not sell this exact set any more but they do tend to release new packs frequently, so you may be bale to find something similar.

Glue the critters together. It’s easiest to stick the tongues to the backs of the mouths so you know they are in the correct position.

The pumpkin critter goes: white layer, black layer, green stalk, tongue, bright orange layer, dark orange layer.

The candy corn critter goes: white layer, black layer, tongue, cream layer, orange layer, yellow layer.

Fold the base card in half along the score line.

Glue the orange layer on top, then the patterned paper piece on top of that.

Use foam squares to stick the cute critters to the front of the card.

Custom Halloween greetings cards and magnets

With your Kawaii-inspired pumpkin and candy corn projects complete, you’ve added a delightful touch to your Halloween crafting.

Whether you’re displaying the fridge magnets or sending out the festive greeting card, these cute critters are sure to bring a smile to everyone’s faces!

I hope you enjoyed making these easy and fun projects.

Best of all, you can use the techniques shown in this tutorial to make magnets or greetings cards using ANY cut files that you have in your collection!

Happy crafting,
Sarah x