What are the Cricut Maker’s Tools?? When the Cricut Maker was launched 2 years ago, Cricut promised that they would come out with new tools and materials so the Maker would grow with creators. The Cricut Maker was designed with an adaptive tool system. These Maker Tools only work in the Cricut Maker. This system brings together 3 major technologies that give the Maker professional class cutting, versatility, and performance.
These new Maker Tools allow creators to utilize more techniques, such as engraving and debossing. Quickly turn any project into a personalized gift with the engraving tip!
Debossing means it will imprint into the material of your choice. Leaving that detailed print/design that’s perfect quality.
These tools can be used on materials like paper, metal and leather.
The other 2 tools that were introduced were the perforations blade to create tear away pieces and the way blade to get that fun decorative edge in half the time.
As you can see pictures above, Cricut has created a QuickSwap Toolset. This means that creators can quickly and easily move between tools.
How does that work? There is a button on the top of the Maker Housing. Press that button to release the tip that is attached. Quickly change out for a different tool as needed.
I wanted to give these tools a test and decided to design some leather earrings. For this project i will be using 2.4mm tooling leather. I created 2 differant styles one using the debossing tool and one using the engraving tool.
Materials needed:
*These contain affiliate links which means, I will receive a portion of the profit from purchased items from these links at no additional cost to you. Thank you
CLICK LINKS BELOW TO PURCHASE
- Cricut Maker
- Cricut Debossing tool with housing
- Cricut Engraving tip
- Cricut Knife Blade
- Cricut Strong Mat
- 12×12 Piece of Tooling Leather
- Jump rings
- Ball hook wires
- Earring Fish hooks
- Jewelry pliers
- Leather hole punch, mallet, mat
- Fiebings’s Leather stain (saddle tan)
- Chain 1.8 mm
- Paint brush
HERRINGBONE LEATHER EARRINGS
Let’s get started!
Open up Cricut design space, Search image, patterns and choose this image
You will need to change the pattern into a debossing image. Select the image, at the top left corner under, line type, change it to debossing. you will see the image change the way it looks into the debossing line style.
Search for a tear drop shape and insert into canvas. I sized mine to as close to 2×3 as i could. Make a copy of the tear drop so your have 2 images, drag one off to the side.Place the pattern on top of the tear drop. Select both images, right click and slice. This will then give you a tear drop shape for the debossing pattern. I like to do it this way then you don’t have to waist more material for the big square.
Place the debossed tear drop onto your other solid tear drop. Right click and attach. This will tell the Maker that you want the debossing pattern onto that cut image.
Click cut and choose Material tooling leather
Prepare your leather and mat. You will need to wet the tooling leather to make it softer to work with. I just used a wet washcloth to dampen both sides of the leather
Push the star wheels on the machine, all the way to the right. these need to be moved in order to use this thick of leather in the machine.
Place the wet leather on a strong grip mat. Using some painters tape tape the leather to the mat. I found this kinda left a mark so place it barley on the edge in just a few place to make it secure. Load mat into the machine.
The Maker will walk you through the steps. First place the debossing tool into the machine. you will see that additional tools are needed. I made both earrings in the tutorial together. If your only making this one you wont need the engraving tool for the step.
Press the go button and let the Maker Machine deboss your leather when it is done and ready to cut it will prompt you to load the Knife Blade.
Click the go button and continue until your done.
The Maker will prompt you to check your leather to make sure the cut is all the way through. DO NOT UNLOAD TO DO THIS!!! if it isn’t all the way through, click the go button and cut again. continue until its cut all the way through.
Using the Leather punch and mallat, add the holes to the top of the earrings.
Now you are ready to apply stain. Using a fine paintbrush and the Fieblings saddle tan leather stain, carefully paint the upper areas of each earring. It’s pretty forgiving so its ok if its not perfect.
Place the jump ring on the earring first. Cut the chain the the length desired. Thread the chain through the earring fish hook. Add the combo to the jump ring.
FLORAL ENGRAVED LEATHER EARRINGS
Materials needed:
*These contain affiliate links which means, I will receive a portion of the profit from purchased items from these links at no additional cost to you. Thank you
CLICK LINKS BELOW TO PURCHASE
- Cricut Maker
- Cricut Engraving tip
- Cricut Knife Blade
- Cricut Strong Mat
- 12×12 Piece of Tooling Leather
- Ball hook wires
- Jewelry pliers
- Leather hole punch, mallet, mat
- Fiebings’s Leather stain (saddle tan)
- Paint brush
Open up Cricut design space, Search image, flowers and choose this image
Insert image and then search for tear drop and insert that image.
Resize the tear drop to 1.5″x 2.5″
Change the flowers line style to, Engrave.
Position the flowers over the teardrop, where you want them to be engraved at. select both images and attach the engraved image to the tear dop. *Since this is a fine image it wouldn’t slice this image. since its not a huge image the overlap is fine.
Now you are ready to engrave and cut! click the make it button. Choose the Tooling Leather 2.4mm
Prepare your leather and mat. You will need to wet the tooling leather to make it softer to work with. I just used a wet washcloth to dampen both sides of the leather
Push the star wheels on the machine, all the way to the right. these need to be moved in order to use this thick of leather in the machine.
Place the wet leather on a strong grip mat. Using some painters tape tape the leather to the mat. I found this kinda left a mark so place it barley on the edge in just a few place to make it secure. Load mat into the machine.
The Maker will prompt you in between tools. Load the Engraving tool first .
Click the go button on the Maker Machine. The Maker will prompt you when it’s ready for the knife blade to cut.
The Maker will prompt you to check your leather to make sure the cut is all the way through. DO NOT UNLOAD TO DO THIS!!! if it isn’t all the way through, click the go button and cut again. continue until its cut all the way through.
Using the Leather punch and mallet, punch holes for the Ball hook Hardware.
Time to apply the stain. Using a fine paint brush carefully paint over the engraved design. do this several times then paint over the whole earring surface and then a time or two more on the designed image until it looks like you like it.
Slip the hardware into the holes and your done!
These new Maker Tools really allow you to dig deeper in your creativity and gives you more freedom. The variety of materials you can now cut is incredible.
Thank you all for joining me for these fun new Maker tools and learning together how to deboss and engrave leather!! I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.
MAKE SURE AND PIN FOR LATER!!!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.
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