Cricut Access Challenge: 3D Bows

3D Bow made from Party Foil

I’m so excited!

I had a major “A Ha!” moment yesterday and I just cannot wait to share it!  I even re-arranged my posting schedule to make this post!

I don’t know about you, but I became fascinated with a product Cricut recently launched called Party Foil.  With its shiny and holographic glitter finish, I immediately fell in love and just knew I needed to have all the pretty colors!

As soon as I could, I ordered several rolls on Cricut.com and when it arrived (very quickly, by the way!) I “oohed” and “ahhed” over their shiny-ness!

And then I put it on my shelf.  And it sat there for several months, overlooked and unused.

I have to admit it.  As much as I loved the holographic glitter and foil-like qualities of the Party Foil, I could never find a good project to use it on.

Plus with ALL the wonderful new holographic and sparkle vinyl and adhesive foil and iron on materials that Cricut keeps adding, my rolls of beautiful Party Foil sort of got lost in the pile.  (Seriously.  Have you been shopping at Cricut.com lately?  They’ve added so many new things, it’s crazy!)

And then yesterday happened.

Yesterday, for some inexplicable reason, I got it in my head to make 3D Bows.  You know…like those big poofy bows you spend several dollars for at the card store?

I’ve made 3D Bows before, but I’ve always used paper to make them.  Paper can be problematic, because you really need to “work it” so it will bend correctly.  And–even when you do work it–paper still tears when you try to bend it too much.

But, Party Foil?!?  OMG! Party Foil is so flow-ey and silky!  And that was the precise moment I just *knew* Party Foil would make the best 3D Bows!

So, of course, I set to work to find out if my theory was correct and I am very happy to report that it does indeed!!  Party Foil makes the best 3D Bows!!

For today’s Cricut Access Challenge, I decided to use an image from the 3D Bows collection–slightly modified, of course–and cut it with Party Foil!  And all I can say is “Wow”!  Just “Wow!”

And, well, you guys must know me by now…I just can’t keep a secret a secret for very long!

So here’s today Cricut Access Challenge: 3D Bows with Party Foil

Here are a few things you should know before you attempt this project:

First, because of its unique feel, Party Foil is slippery, like a fish, and can be a little difficult to work with.  Know this and prepare yourself.  I used a newer mat with a very good grip so the foil wouldn’t slosh around on my mat.  If you are using an older mat, the foil may move around on your mat when it is cutting and could interfere with the proper cutting of each piece.

Second, Party Foil comes in super long lengths, which adds to any frustration in getting the Party Foil on your mat.  Because making 3D Bows requires some oversized pieces, I recommend that you use the oversized mats for this project.  Using the 12″ x 24″ mat cuts down on any frustrations you may have with working with this unique material.  Remember to change your settings when cutting from the default 12″ x 12″ mat to 12″ x 24″ mat, so that you can arrange more cuts on the mat.  It’s okay to move the pieces around on this set up screen, so you can maximize the material.

Third–and this one could be me–but I as I was cutting out these bows, I felt like my machine would benefit from a tiny bit more pressure, so I raised the pressure on my blade from the default to the more setting.  Of course, your mileage may vary, but consider this if you find that a little extra pressure really makes those cuts sharper.

Once you have all the cuts made, it’s time to put the bows together.

All three bows on this file consist of three star like pieces–each slightly smaller than the other–and one straight length.

You will need some brads for this project.  Brads are these adorable little things that you can find in any craft store or even in office supply stores.  The brads become the post that we will use to center the bow on.

Starting with the biggest of the three cross pieces, put the brad at the bottom of the center hole.  Then–while holding the brad with your finger–you are going to take each length of the star, twist it and put the edge through the brad.

It’s the twist that’s important here and you will see the foil naturally wants to do that twist for you!

Work all the way around the first star cut and–while using your finger to hold what you’ve done–get your middle layer and work around all four lengths the same way as you did the largest piece.

Proceed to the third piece and do the same.

Finally, you are going to loop the straight piece and place it over the center on both sides and open the arms to the brad.

I will admit.  This process takes a little bit of practice to master, but working with the very-forgiving Party Foil is infinitely easier than working with paper to make these bows.

Once you get the brad arms open, you can fiddle with your bow.  If you didn’t when you were adding each layer of the bow, you can fluff out each bend and offset the layers, so the bow will look professional.  Thankfully, Party Foil is *very* forgiving and you can fluff and play all you like without damaging the finished bow.

Seriously…isn’t that the cutest bow?

There are THREE bows in this file.  They are all the same, but sized differently.  You don’t have to make them all, of course, so don’t forget you can turn the others “off” in the Layers panel.

I really hope you try this project!  Please feel free to comment here or on Facebook with your attempts!

Pinterest post:  https://www.pinterest.com/pin/273030796146110305/

Design Space project file:  https://design.cricut.com/#/design/123116391

“Go Forth and Cricut, my friends!”

Best always!

Miss Rita

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