We Can't Get Enough Unicorns! More Unicorn Party Favors both Vinyl and Etched Tutorials!

Welcome today's guest blogger back, Alyssa Cardin! 

We are preparing for a sleepover birthday party for 9-year-old girls, so I thought it would be fun to personalize hairbrushes and compact mirrors as favors. It looks like a lot is going on here, but customizing with vinyl and etching the mirrors is probably easier than you think!

Supplies:

Items listed with an * are clickable links to the products

* Black hairbrush

* Metal Compact Mirrors
 
* Oilslick Adhesive Vinyl 

Electronic Cutting & Etching Equipment   

Transfer tape

Cutting Mat and weeding tools

SVG or other digital design

Let's make the hairbrush first!

First open the image you plan on using. Next let's work on the name in the middle of the image. The name Abby is written in the font: Too Freakin Cute Demo.

Type this out, resize if necessary, then place the name on the image.

Once the name is properly placed,  You will need to subtract the word from the image. In the Silhouette Studio software, open the modify panel. Making sure both the image and the name are selected then click subtract all. 

Then you can move the name away from the image and delete the name. 

Place the oilslick vinyl on the cutting mat and load in the machine. Select vinyl as the material, set the cut settings and click send. Do a test cut, this material feels a bit thicker, so I used the following settings: blade 2, speed 3, and force 10. however I am also using an older blade, so these settings may be too much for users with a newer blade. 

Now the design is cut and weeded 

Time to apply transfer tape to the front of the design and rub the back.

Peel the backing off from the vinyl and apply the vinyl to the brush.

Follow the same steps if you want to place a vinyl image on your compact mirrors.

Want to etch your compact on a Curio? Follow the steps below.

To etch the mirror, open the mirror and put it face down on the embossing mat. I found this to fit in the curio best this way. Have the front cover toward the bottom of the mat. My mat is still pretty sticky, so my mirror didn't move while etching. But I have also used painters tape around the edges of irregularly shaped items to keep them in place on the mat.

Select your design and size it to the appropriate size. Make you leave enough room around the edges. My designs were about 1.5 by 1.5. 

Click on the emboss menu.
Select Deboss and then use these settings:
Cross Hatch
Spacing - .004
Angle - .5

Close up of etch lines

Set material to metal etching sheets and make sure you select the etching tool. I do speed 3, Force 26, and pass 1 with Platform 3 (2 plus embossing mat). Again, these settings work for me but other settings might work best for others. Check that the mats slide smoothly and freely under the etching tip on your Curio. Then take a deep depth and click send.

I usually put the mirror through 2 or 3 times before taking it out. As long as you don't move the mirror between passes, you can send it back through and it will etch in the same spot.

When satisfied with the quality of your etch, remove the mirror from the mat. I find it helpful to peel the mat away from the mirror. There will be extra dust on the mirror from etching, but brush that off away from the mat. You want to be careful to not to get dust on the mat, the dust makes your less sticky which leads to you mat replacement sooner.

Once the dust is brushed off you should have a beautiful etched mirror!

Thank you Alyssa! I know there were quite a few excited girls at that birthday sleepover!
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