Mini Halloween Treat Bags

Hi friends! Connie here from Kutie Kaira Designs showing you how to make some adorable mini Halloween treat bags using canvas draw-string bags and heat transfer vinyl...glitter of course! I love these bags because they are reusable and although they are mini, you can fit a lot of goodies in there. My daughter loves to put little toys and rocks and blocks in bags/bins, so I figured this would be a great little baggie for her, even after Halloween!

Things you will need:
-Cutting machine (I use a CAMEO 3)
-Glitter HTV in black and neon purple 
-Canvas drawstring mini bags (found online or any craftstore)
-Iron or heatpress
-Goodies to fill the bags

Step One: Design Your Image and Cut
In real life, I don't really like pets *gasp I know* but I do think these little cats are super adorable and Halloween-y!

Next, write the name of the recipient right below the image. The bag is about 3.5 x 3.5 inches so just make sure to size it down so that it will fit on the bag. My entire design when grouped was approximately 3.3 x 2.8 inches.

Ungroup your design based on the colors. I am cutting the cats in black and the name in neon purple. I like to color the images on the software to help me visualize and organize the cuts I need to make. Don't forget to mirror your image when cutting any type of heat transfer vinyl.

Pro Tip: When cutting like-materials, you can cut them all at the same time if you place the corresponding colors of HTV on the mat lined up the same as the software. Use the grids on the screen and on the mat as a guideline. 

Step Two: Place Vinyl Pieces On Bag and Press

Once you cut your images, weed them out and place them on the bags. I always love this part because if you do the math correctly, it fits perfect every time! No surprises in math :)

Use an iron or heat press to press the image onto the bag. I used a heat press with the settings at 320 degrees, which is the setting for the glitter HTV. Check out this awesome chart that Expressions Vinyl made to remind you of what temps to use. It's amazing. I use it every single time!

Last Step: Fill Your Bag 

Now the fun part! My daughter loves candy, coloring and finally leaves bows in her hair so I decided to fill hers with all these things. Get creative with it! I can't wait for her to be in a classroom so I can make little goodie bags for all her friends! 

If you create your own bags, be sure to tag me on Instagram @kutiekairadesigns so that I can see your beautiful creations.

Happy crafting and Happy Halloween, friends :)

XOXO, Connie 

Vinyl Painted Rock Stencils

Hi everyone! Connie here from Kutie Kaira Designs showing you how to create vinyl stencils to use to paint your own rocks! Painted rocks is a super trendy phenomenon where you paint awesome rocks and hide them for others to find. I have been seeing these rocks everywhere online and I figured I would find a fun way to DIY using my cutting machine. My 2-year-old daughter has an obsession with rocks! You will usually find her with 2 or 3 rocks in her hands at all times. I knew this project would also be a fun way to jazz up her little favorite rocks! Let's get started!

Things you will need:

-Cutting machine (mine is a CAMEO 3)
-Vinyl/stencil vinyl (I used white Oracal 651)
-Transfer tape
-Rocks
-Acrylic paint
-Paintbrush
-Waterproof sealant of your choice

Step 1: Choose and Cut Your Designs

I found some random cute designs and I cut them really small. I measured my rocks and they were all under 2 inches so I made my designs pretty small. The vinyl square was 5 in. x 5 in. so you can see how small they are, since they all fit so nicely in the square.

Cut the vinyl stencils out using the appropriate vinyl cut setting for your machine. Once they are cut, weed out your designs. Since we are making a stencil, be sure to weed out all the middle pieces so that we can paint through them. Apply clear transfer tape over your designs and cut them out individually.

 

Your little designs should look like this! Pick out a fun color palette and get ready to paint!

Step 2: Apply Designs On Rocks & Paint 

Peel your designs off of the paper backing on the vinyl and slowly begin applying them on the rocks. I found that using my hands/fingers was the best way to really ensure that the stencil was smoothly on the rocks.

Once you have applied them all on the rocks, begin to carefully peel the transfer tape away from the  rocks. Don't worry too much if the design is too big for the rock (like my cloud design). You can still get good use out of it.

Use a small brush to begin painting on your rocks. Get creative with your colors! My rocks were pretty dark and I felt like some colors definitely needed more than one layer. Let each layer dry for a little bit before you add another layer of color.

Peel the vinyl off once the paint is mostly dry. I did find that some of the designs bled a little bit, but not too much. Since most rocks (even the smoothest ones) have bumps and holes in them, I knew a some bleed through was normal. They are still super adorable and super fun to make. I can spend all day long painting rocks.

Seal your rocks with your favorite waterproof sealant and ensure they are completely dry before you handle them. I can't wait to see what fun rocks you create! Be sure to tag me on Instagram @kutiekairadesigns so that I can see!