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Learn how to make these festive and functional Christmas Lights Planner Clips with your Cricut using faux leather and heat transfer vinyl. These planner clips will add extra holiday joy to your daily planning or journaling!

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 series, Cricut Explore series, Cricut Joy Xtra, Cricut Joy 2, 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 you’d like. I used several solids from The Polka Dotted Peach: Candy Apple Red, Crushed Pineapple Yellow, Solid Mint Green, California Breeze Blue and Lavender Mist from The Polka Dotted Peach. I ordered 9×12 inch size.
• For the heat transfer vinyl, I used:
  • Siser Glitter HTV in Silver. You could also use Teckwrap Craft Heat Transfer Vinyl Iron On in Metallic Silver.
• Other Project Supplies
  • Fabric or Craft Glue – I used Beacon Fabri-Tac
  • Colorful “jumbo” size paper clips (2 inches tall)
• 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 SVG file for the Christmas Lights Planner Clip 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 Glitter Vinyl setting with Default pressure when cutting Siser Glitter and the TeckWrap Craft Foil Iron On (these are both thicker products). I repeat the cut on the glitter mat so it cuts twice.
5. Trim a piece of faux leather to a size just larger than the size shown in the mat preview screen.

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 shape.

Cut the Heat Transfer Vinyl

1. Cut the heat transfer vinyl layer. Repeat the cut if necessary.
2. Weed away the excess HTV. Trim the two shapes apart from eachother.

Press the HTV onto the Faux Leather

1. Press the HTV layer onto the faux leather 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.
4. Press the second bulb. When the second bulb is pressed, cover both bulbs again with a cover sheet and press once more for 5 seconds.
5. Place the warm shape under your heat pressing pad for a minute or two so it cools flat.

Create the Planner Clip

1. Thread the faux leather shape through the top hole in the paperclip. Slide it to the middle.
2. Apply fabric or craft glue all over the back of one half of the shape.
3. Apply a little glue where the paper clip touches the bridge area of the faux leather to secure the shape to the top of the paperclip.
4. Fold the unglued half over on to the glued half. Place the glued shape under a heavy book for 1 hour.

Your Christmas Lights Planner Clip is complete! Make a few of these in different colors to make your daily planner or journal sparkle with Christmas cheer.

Answers to your questions about making Faux Leather Christmas Lights Planner Clips

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 Maker 5, Cricut Explore 5, Cricut Explore 4, Cricut Explore 3, Cricut Explore Air 2, the Cricut Joy Xtra, Cricut Joy 2, 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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