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Learn how to make Faux Leather Bird’s Nest & Birdhouse Earrings with a Cricut

This project is Day 2 of The Spring Fling Crafting Event!

I’m Amy Romeu, and in this tutorial I’ll be showing you how to make Faux Leather Bird’s Nest & Birdhouse Earrings and a Cricut, perfect as a Spring accessory.

Follow along with this written tutorial including all the materials, SVG files, and tips you need.

Ready to get started with this beginner friendly Spring Cricut craft tutorial?

Let’s dive into the materials and steps!

Want to watch a video tutorial instead? Check it out below!

How to make a Faux Leather Bird’s Nest & Birdhouse Earrings with a Cricut Step by Step

This page contains some affiliate links (which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link, I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you). Read my full disclosure policy here.

Materials you’ll need to make Bird’s Nest & Birdhouse Earrings with a Cricut

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

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
Blade Used: Standard Fine Point Blade
Cut Setting Used✂️: Faux Leather (Paper Thin) with “More” pressure

• Faux Leather
  • A light colored solid faux leather. I used this White, I also love this White faux leather from Amazon
• Heat Transfer Vinyl
  • Bird’s Nest: Siser Easyweed in Tan, Sweet Mint, Bubble Gum Pink, Retro Mint, and Lilac.
  • Birdhouse: Siser Easyweed in Sweet Mint, Retro Mint, Lilac and Siser Glitter HTV in Lemon Sugar.
• Other Project Supplies
  • Earring Hooks
  • 6mm Jump Rings
  • Chain Nose Jewelry Pliers and Flat Nose Jewelry Pliers
  • Cricut Easy Press Mini
  • EasyPress Mat, 8×10
  • Teflon Sheet
  • 1/16″ Hole Punch
  • Blue Painters Tape
  • Small Curved Scissors
  • Purple Strong Grip Mat
  • Green Standard Grip Mat
  • Weeding Tool like a Pin Pen or like the one in the Cricut Basic Tool Set

• The SVG template for this project is available in my shop here or inside the Spring Fling Crafting Event VIP Pass.

Step by Step Instructions

After all the mats are mirrored, drag the shapes apart from the edges a bit. Arrange them on your mat so the shapes will cut from your piece of faux leather.

Repeat for all of the heat transfer vinyl mats.

Click the CONTINUE button.

When the material selection screen loads, click on the faux leather mat and then select the Faux Leather (Paper Thin) setting.

If you don’t have that setting bookmarked as a favorite like I do, you can click on Browse All Materials and search for it. (If you are using the Explore Air 2, you’ll need to turn your dial to Custom before you can find that setting in search.)

Then choose “More” from the dropdown Pressure menu.

You’ll cut the heat transfer vinyl layers from the manufacturer’s recommended cut settings for the type of heat transfer vinyl you are using.

💡TIP! Press heat transfer vinyl to the back of your faux leather before cutting if you want to have a pop of color and add structure to the back of your earrings.

Step 3: Cut your faux leather mat first. To do that, place your faux leather pretty side down (heat transfer vinyl side up, if you did that step) on a sticky purple strong grip mat.

Place blue painter’s tape around all sides of the faux leather. Load the mat into the Cricut and begin the cut.

When the cut is complete, before unloading the mat, lift a small edge of the cut to ensure the cut went through. Repeat the cut if needed by pressing the cut button again.

Once the shapes are cut through, remove the shapes from the mat. Use a sharp weeding tool to poke through the holes in the earrings. If the holes don’t cut all the way through, you can use a 1/16″ hole punch if necessary.

Use small curved scissors to trim any areas of the faux leather cut as needed.

Return to Design Space and cut out all the heat transfer vinyl mats.

Weed away the excess vinyl and cut the shapes apart.

Step 4: Assemble the supplies you’ll need to press the earrings together.

You’ll need a heat press (I like the EasyPress Mini), a heat pressing pad and a cover sheet of some kind (I used a Teflon sheet trimmed to a smaller size).

Time to press! Start by arranging all of the HTV layers on your heat pressing pad.

Refer to the Layering Guides for each design to see the order to press the layers in.

Start by placing a faux leather shape on your heat pressing pad. Then place the first heat transfer vinyl layer on top.

Cover with the Teflon sheet, butcher paper or parchment paper.

With an EasyPress Mini set to Low or a regular EasyPress set to 265 degrees, press the heat transfer vinyl onto the faux leather shape for about 7-10 seconds.

Slowly peel back the clear carrier sheet. If the vinyl lifts up, carefully place the carrier sheet back down and press again.

Repeat pressing the next layer and all of the other layers in order.

Repeat pressing the second earring, then the other earrings, if you are making them.

Step 5: Attach the earring hooks. Turn the bottom loop on the earring hooks sideways so they hang straight. The connect the hooks to the earring shapes with 6mm jump rings.

That’s it! Your Faux Leather Bird’s Nest & Birdhouse Earrings are complete. What design do you like better? Let me know in the comments!

Answers to your questions about making Bird’s Nest & Birdhouse Earrings with Faux Leather and a Cricut

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 Explore 3, Cricut Explore Air 2, or the Cricut Joy Xtra. This project is too large for 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. An EasyPress Mini is best for pressing small HTV layers like the ones in this project.

Q: How do I get the SVG template for this project?
A: Get the SVG file from my SVG Shop here, or you can get it as part of 17 brand new Spring faux leather crafting projects in my Spring Fling Crafting Event VIP Pass.

Until next time… and happy creating!

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