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Learn how to make this springy Dragonfly Bookmark with your Cricut using faux leather and heat transfer vinyl.

This dragonfly design is the perfect spring craft project, whether you’re keeping it for yourself or gifting it to the book lover in your life.

In this tutorial I’ll show you how a bonus tip of adding HTV to the back of the bookmark before cutting for a polished look and to add structure to the bookmark. The SVG file is available in my shop if you want to make this project!

Ready to get started? Let’s dive into the materials and steps!

Step 1: Get the SVG Template

Step 2: Shop the Supplies

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Compatible Machines✅: Cricut Maker, Cricut Maker 3, Cricut Maker 4, Cricut Explore Air 2, Cricut Explore 3, Cricut Explore 4, Cricut Joy Xtra, Cricut Joy
Not Compatible Machines❌: none
Blade Used: Standard Fine Point Blade
Cut Setting Used✂️: Faux Leather (Paper Thin) with “More” pressure

• Faux Leather & Heat Transfer Vinyl
• Use any smooth faux leather and easy to weed HTV you’d like. I used this solid peach faux leather and Siser Easyweed HTV in Melon.
• For the optional HTV on the back of the faux leather, use a thin HTV so the Cricut will be able to cut through it when it’s pressed onto the back of the faux leather. I used Cricut Foil Iron On in Rose Gold.
• Other Project Supplies
  • Bookmark Tassels
• Other Cricut Supplies
  • Blue Painters Tape
  • Small Curved Scissors
  • Teflon Sheets
  • Purple Strong Grip Mat
  • Green Standard Grip Mat
  • Weeding Tool like a Pin Pen or like the one in the Cricut Basic Tool Set
  • Cricut EasyPress Mini
  • EasyPress Mat, 8×10 size

🛒 To shop many of these supplies below in my Amazon storefront, click here.

Step 3: Make the Project

Set Up Your Design

1. Open a new canvas in Cricut Design Space.
2. Upload the Dragonfly Bookmark SVG file to your canvas.

Prepare to Cut

1. Click Make It.
2. Mirror your mats, since you’ll be cutting the faux leather and heat transfer vinyl face down.
3. Choose the Faux Leather (Paper Thin) material setting with More pressure for the faux leather mat.
4. Choose the manufacturer’s recommended cut setting for the type and brand of heat transfer vinyl you are using. I use the Iron-On setting with Default pressure when cutting Siser Easyweed.
5. Trim a piece of faux leather to a size just larger than the size shown in the mat preview screen.

Press HTV on Back of Bookmark Before Cutting (optional)

1. If desired, you can press HTV onto the back of the faux leather before cutting. This adds some stiffness to the bookmark and adds a professional look and a pop of color to your bookmark.
2. To do this, cut a piece of heat transfer vinyl or foil iron-on just slightly smaller than the cut piece of faux leather.
3. Place the faux leather and the HTV back to back and lay them flat, faux leather side down, on a heat pressing pad or other protective surface.
4. Preheat an Easy Press to 265 degrees or set an Easy Press Mini to the Low setting.
5. Cover the HTV with a Teflon sheet or cover sheet and press for about 10 seconds.
6. Slowly peel away the clear vinyl cover sheet. If it peels easily, remove it. If not, re-press for another 5-10 seconds at a time.
7. Place the warm bookmark under your heat pressing pad to cool for 1-2 minutes.

📺You can watch a video tutorial that shows how to press HTV onto the back of a faux leather bookmark before cutting here.

Cut the Faux Leather

1. Place the faux leather pretty side down on a Strong Grip (purple) mat.
2. Secure all edges with blue painter’s tape.
3. Load the mat into your Cricut.
4. Press the C button to begin cutting.
5. When the cut is complete, without unloading the mat, use a sharp tool to gently lift the edge and check the cut.
6. Repeat the cut if necessary by pressing the cut button again.
7. Once the cut is complete, unload the mat and remove the bookmark shape.

Cut the Heat Transfer Vinyl

1. Cut the dragonfly layer from heat transfer vinyl. This is an intricate design, so you’ll want a good quality, easy to weed heat transfer vinyl and a weeding tool with a small tip. I like Pin Pen Weeding Tools for projects like these.
2. Weed away the excess HTV.

Press the HTV onto the Bookmark

1. Press the HTV dragonfly layer onto the faux leather bookmark with an EasyPress Mini on Low or an EasyPress set to 265°F.
2. Cover the HTV and faux leather before applying heat with a Teflon sheet, butcher paper, or parchment paper.
3. Press for 7-10 seconds all over. Carefully try to peel the HTV layer. If it doesn’t come up easily, cover and press again. If necessary, let the HTV layer cool for about 60 seconds before trying to peel. This is often helpful with detailed HTV layers.
4. Place the warm bookmark under your heat pressing pad for a minute or two so it cools flat.

Add a Bookmark Tassel

1. Thread the bookmark tassel, loop first, through the hole at the top of the bookmark. Pass the tassel through the open loop and pull gently.

Your Dragonfly Bookmark is complete! Curl up with a good book in the garden and mark your place with this beautiful Spring accessory.

Answers to your questions about making a Faux Leather Dragonfly Bookmark

Q: Which Cricut machines will cut faux leather?
A: You can cut faux leather with any of the current Cricut machines because they all cut faux leather with the standard fine point blade included with each machine. For this project you can use the Cricut Maker, Cricut Maker 3, Cricut Maker 4, Cricut Explore 5, Cricut Explore 4, Cricut Explore 3, Cricut Explore Air 2, the Cricut Joy Xtra or the Cricut Joy.

Q: What do I need to press heat transfer vinyl onto faux leather?
A: To press heat transfer vinyl onto faux leather you’ll need a traditional heat press, Cricut EasyPress, or Cricut EasyPress Mini. I used a Cricut EasyPress Mini for this project because it’s great with pressing small projects like earrings, keychains, and accessories. I set the EasyPress Mini to the Low setting and covered the HTV on the faux leather with a Teflon sheet before pressing for about 10 seconds. For a larger EasyPress I set it to 265 degrees F.

Q: How do I get the SVG template for this project?
A: Get the SVG file from my SVG Shop here.

Until next time… and happy creating!

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