CraftDirect Blog

by Shirley Christmas is just around the corner! Have you started making cards yet? This is a fantastic and fun way to unleash your creative side. Limitless possibilities allow you to add your own touch to every card to make the holiday greeting more personal. There is a certainty that the recipients will appreciate every ounce of extra effort you give into these cards. After all, a handmade greeting card sends a message that you put time and thought into this creation. Your loved ones will feel that you care. Our Christmas dies are the best way to create elegant and unique cards. In this Darling Deer and Leaf Print Thinlits cards post, we feature two artistic die sets (both designed by Tim Holtz) from Sizzix, both from their 2020 chapter 4 release: Darling Deer Thinlits Dies Leaf Print Thinlits Dies Jessie, from our design team, brought these cards to life. She's amazing, but you don't have to be as great as her to create wonderful projects with Thinlits dies. They are easy to use, and they are the only Sizzix dies that you can use to cut, stencil, and emboss. You can use just about any traditional die-cutting machine for these projects, but Jessie used a Sizzix Big Shot. Continue reading →

by Shirley Ho ho ho! Christmas is soon coming and one of the highlights of this beautiful season is sending and receiving homemade greeting cards. It is a great opportunity to use our creative sides and give a meaningful gift from the heart. A handmade Christmas card sends the message loud and clear, "I care about you." Christmas dies are a great way to get started on your projects. This month we are showcasing two wonderful new die sets by Sizzix. Both are Sizzix Chapter 4 2020 product releases: Santa's Workshop Thinlits by Pete Hughes Arctic Thinlits by Tim Holtz You'll love the way that Jessie (from the CraftDirect design team) brought these projects to life. Thinlits are popular because they are the most versatile Sizzix dies. You can use them to cut, stencil, and emboss. You can try to copy her as much as possible or do them completely differently. That's the beauty of paper crafting: the endless creative possibilities. Continue reading →

by Nathan Christmas is just around the corner, and if you're looking for the perfect gift, why not get your bestie a fun craft project? Foundations Decor has got you covered as far as home decor kits go. You've got to check out the Olive and Odi, and Zuhause Gnome Home projects. Foundations Decor makes all kinds of fun themes and projects, and they have three different gnome kits: Gnome, 02753-7 Olive & Odi Gnome Couple, 40035-4 (New!) Zuhause Gnome Home, 40036-1 (New!) Gnomes are so cute and have been a popular sight in home decor since the 1870s. Some people believe they bring protection. Whatever your reason for incorporating them, you will love these Foundation Decor projects. My sister is an artist and she is obsessed with gnomes. When I saw Zuhause and Olive and Odi, I knew she had to have them. I sent them to her and she got to work right away, and now we get to share the final product! Zuhause, Odi, and Olive Project Details The gnome couple, Olive and Odi, are made of 1.25" pine and MDF layers. They are 7.5" tall and go great Gnome Home. The gnome home is an imaginative piece. It is 8.5" tall and made of 1.25" Pine and MDF layers. Continue reading →

Summer's over and it's time for fall projects! With schools facing the pandemic, there is a good chance you have the kids in the house more than you're used to. Giving them arts and crafts for activity time is a great way to harness their attention. Try these free downloadable SVG designs created by Aaron Meyers. In order to create these designs, you need an electronic die cutting machine. September projects include: Fall and Halloween themed t-shirt designs Family reunion t-shirts A print memorializing September 11 And last year's most popular design. Featured here at the top of this post is the I Smell Children t-shirt. It's a nod to the Halloween classic film, Hocus Pocus. Scroll to the bottom of this post to see the download links. Also, if you buy something from CraftDirect, you will be able to download an exclusive design on the order confirmation page. We change the design every month. This month, it's another Halloween tee. Continue reading →

The summer is nearing its close, if you can believe it. School (hopefully not home school) is right around the corner. We have a few fun, new free downloadable SVG designs created by Aaron Meyers. All of them are t-shirts! In order to create these designs, you need an electronic cutting machine. The August projects include: Two camping-themed t-shirt designs. Two back to school t-shirt designs. And last year's most popular design. Scroll to the bottom of this post to see the download links. Also, if you buy something from CraftDirect, you will be able to download an exclusive design on the order confirmation page. We change the design every month. Camping-Themed T-Shirts This is the Camp Life T-Shirt. Continue reading →

The hot summer months are here, which means it's time for patriotic holidays. We have another installment of free downloadable SVG designs that you can bring to life using your die cutting machine. In case you are new here, we offer fresh designs every month, created by Aaron Meyers. The July projects include: A 4th of July t-shirt - for the kids. One everyday t-shirt - show off your personality with this fun design. One gallery print - a message to the family! And as always, we bring back a past year's top download. Scroll to the bottom of this post to see the download links. To use an SVG in a craft project, you upload it to your machine. It will cut the design from various materials, including cardstock, heat transfer, and more. You can use the designs however you want, and you don't have to use them as they are prescribed. For example, the T-shirt design can be used on a greeting card, and the print design can be put on T-shirts. 4th of July T-Shirts Continue reading →

Well, we've made it through another month of quarantine, and things are opening up. With graduations happening right now, and Father's Day around the corner, we have the perfect projects for you. Make these free downloadable SVG designs using your die cutting machine. We offer new designs every month, designed by Aaron Meyers. The June projects include: Two card projects - one for Father's Day and one for graduation (featured here on the right at the top of the post). Father's Day T-shirt design - a design just for the super Dad in your life. Quarantine T-shirt design - your kids will love it! And as always, we bring back last year's top download. To use an SVG in a craft project, you upload it to your compatible die cutter. It will cut the design from various materials, including paper, heat transfer, and more. You can use the designs however you want, and you don't have to use them as they are prescribed. For example, the T-shirt design can be used on a greeting card, and the card designs can be put on T-shirts. Continue reading →

Hey social distancers, we've got lots of projects for you this month! It's now the middle of April, and that means a lot of our favorite holidays are just around the corner (Mother's Day and Cinco de Mayo), and what better way to stay busy while sheltering in place than paper crafting. That means it's time for some free downloadable SVG designs to go along with these two holidays. We offer new designs every month, designed by Aaron Meyers. So for April, the downloads include: Two card projects - this here pictured Hugging Koala Bear Card, and a Mother's Day design). Cinco de Mayo icons - a pinata, peppers, a cactus, and more. A T-shirt design - for Moms; your kids will love it! Three coffee mugs - all off these are Mom-themed, and if you don't drink coffee you can put the designs on layouts and cards. A gallery print - perfect home decor for the season. To use an SVG in a craft project, you upload it to your compatible electronic die cutter. It will cut the design out of scrapbook paper, heat transfer vinyl, and all kinds of other materials. You can get creative with these designs, and you don't have to use them as they are prescribed. The T-shirt design can be used on a greeting card and the card designs can be put on T-shirts. Continue reading →

March is here, and that means a few of our favorite holidays are right around the corner. We've dedicated this installment of free SVG design downloads to projects with Easter themes. To use the design files, download them using the links at the bottom of this post. After that, you upload them to your electronic die cutting machine to cut and draw the images. Here are March's downloads: An egg-decorating project Two new T-shirt designs One religious gallery print And last year's most popular download, this Some Bunny Loves Me T-shirt (modeled by a CraftDirect employee's baby): You can repurpose these designs for a variety of projects. For example, you can use the above t-shirt design and add it to a greeting card. Here are a few timely, seasonal collections that you should check out: I Love Easter by Echo Park, I Love Spring by Echo Park Hip Hop Hooray by Simple Stories Easter Wishes by PhotoPlay Continue reading →

We hope you're not freezing your way through February. If you are, take advantage of these hot new SVG designs that will keep you busy until springtime. We've got some timely St. Patrick's Day designs and other fun projects. These free SVG design downloads are made by Aaron Meyers. To use them, download the links at the bottom of this post. Then upload them to your electronic die cutting machine to cut and draw the images. Here are February's downloads: Three St. Patty's themed t-shirt designs A set of Irish-American themed designs for Foil Quill projects Last year's most popular download You can repurpose these designs for a variety of projects. For example, you can use this gnome t-shirt design and add it to a greeting card. Speaking of gnomes, check out this Tulla & Norbert collection. Additionally, here are a few timely, seasonal collections that you should check out: Lots O' Luck by Doodlebug Designs Simple Vintage Garden District by Simple Stories Fruit & Flora by Graphic 45 Continue reading →