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Learn how to make a Faux Leather Spring Mini Basket with a Cricut

This project is Day 1 of The Spring Fling Crafting Event!

I’m Amy Romeu, and in this tutorial I’ll be showing you how to make a fun Spring mini basket with faux leather and a Cricut, perfect as an Easter Basket or to hold candy, sewing supplies and notions, or any small gift items.

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 Spring Mini Basket with a Cricut Step by Step

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Materials you’ll need to make a Faux Leather Spring Mini Basket 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
Not Compatible Machines❌: Cricut Joy
Blade Used: Standard Fine Point Blade
Cut Setting Used✂️: Faux Leather (Paper Thin) with “More” pressure

• Faux Leather
  • Polka Dotted print faux leather in this set (also available by the sheet separately here)
  • I buy 9×12 inch size, Portrait Orientation, Regular Scaling but you can choose whatever options you’d like!
• Heat Transfer Vinyl
  • Optional for inside basket lining and handle lining – use the HTV you have on hand! I used Siser Easyweed in pastel colors.
  • If you use Heat Transfer Vinyl you’ll also need to use a heat press like the Easy Press Mini or an EasyPress with an EasyPress Mat and a cover sheet like a Teflon sheet, Butcher Paper or Parchment Paper.
• Other Project Supplies
  • 6mm rivets and hammer or craft or fabric glue like Beacon Fabri-Tac
  • Blue Painters Tape
  • Small Curved Scissors
• Other Cricut Supplies
  • Purple Strong 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 mat is mirrored, drag the shape apart from the edges a bit.

Drag the handle and basket shapes around as needed to be sure they will fit on the piece of faux leather you are using.

Since I have a 9 inch x 12 inch piece of faux leather, the basket shape will cut from that piece, and the handle will cut from another piece of faux leather 12 inches long and 2 inches wide.

I dragged the handle shape off to a separate part of my mat to make this process easier.

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.

Step 3 (optional): Press heat transfer vinyl to the back of your faux leather before cutting if you want to have a pop of color inside the basket or handle.

💡TIP! If the idea of pressing heat transfer vinyl onto the large piece of faux leather for the basket inside is intimidating, just press HTV on the back of the handle shape. You won’t really see the inside of the basket once it’s stuffed.

To press heat transfer vinyl onto the back of the faux leather, cut a piece of each material so that they are the same size. Place them back to back on a heat pressing pad.

Then cover with a Teflon sheet, butcher paper or parchment paper.

Set a large EasyPress to 265 degrees for 15 seconds. Press the heat transfer vinyl all over and let it cool for about a minute.

The carefully peel the clear carrier sheet.

Repeat for the handle shape if desired.

Step 4: Cut your faux leather mat. To do that, place your faux leather pretty side down (heat transfer vinyl side up, if you did that step) on the areas of the mat you saw the basket shapes will cut from the mat preview screen.

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 basket and the handle.

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

Step 5: Assemble the materials for the assembly portion.

You’ll need 6mm Rivets and the rivet tools included in the package.

Time to assemble! Each flap of the basket has a square edge and a rounded edge.

You’ll push the rivet post through the square edge from the inside, then fold over the next flap and push it through the rounded side.

Add the cap, and then use your rivet tools and hammer to secure it in place.

To do that, place the strike plate on your work surface with the flat side up, Then center one of the rivets on top of the strike plate.

Place the concave end of the plastic tool down on the rivet. Hammer 5-7 times on the flat end of the black tool to hammer the rivet tight.

Add another rivet to the next flap. Then it’s time to attach the handle. This time thread the rivet from the inside of the basket first through the handle hole, then through the two basket flaps as before.

Hammer the rivet connecting the handle to the basket shut.

Attach three more regular rivets, then the other side of the handle.

Then finally the last rivet.

That’s it! Your Faux Leather Spring Mini Basket is complete. Here’s another look at three different polka dot print patterns made with the SVG template.

What will you put in yours? Let me know in the comments!

Answers to your questions about making a Faux Leather Mini Purse with 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. I used a 12×12 inch Cricut EasyPress for the optional heat transfer vinyl lining inside the basket.

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!

Want to remember this project? Save this tutorial to your favorite Pinterest board!

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