I am back. After a long hiatus from my blog, I feel as though my life is once again in a place where I can spend time posting to my blog, and doing what I love – designing new SVG files for you! Perhaps a glut of Christmas svg files, since December is fast approaching!
Perhaps you clicked on a Pinterest image with these cute little wooden Christmas trees, or you stumbled here by accident. However you came to be clicking around my site, welcome! If you haven’t been here before, allow me to introduce myself. I am Kristin, a lover of creating, wife of an actuary, mother to three beautiful young daughters, and a math and programming enthusiast too.
Likely the 3 biggest reasons I have not posted for so long!
I have a big yellow laser, which I love. My poor Silhouette Cameo has been gathering dust in the closet as I have a new favorite in the house (or rather garage). I have pulled it out for vinyl a few times, but I think I am overdue for a Cameo project, so let me know if there is a file you are dying to see and maybe I can make it happen!
My big yellow laser in action!
Christmas trees are so versatile in crafting, so I am putting a few Christmas Tree Designs out here for you. These are the simple ones for you and your Cricut or Cameo, or perhaps your Glowforge and a wooden sign? These Christmas trees would also work great in vinyl on a t-shirt for your holiday festivities with the whole extended family!
Simple Christmas Tree SVG files for your Christmas crafting.
If you like these, be sure to check out my 3D Christmas Tree files that I designed for 1/8″ material like Baltic Birch. For the trees in these photos, I used a green gel stain on the wood, cut them out, and slipped them together. As a bonus, you can slide them apart for easy storage!
Hope you enjoy these fun Christmas Tree SVG files. Let me know what else you want to see as I am always hunting for new ideas.
What do you do on the fourth of July? Growing up we often went to a park with a blanket to watch the fireworks. Or, sometimes, went to see the Rockies play and watch the fireworks afterwards. More recently, we have done nothing. Yep. Nothing.
To be fair, we have three young children (ages 5, 4, and 0). Whenever I feel like we never do anything, I have to remind myself that the time will come where things will be easier, maybe?
If, unlike me, you throw a grand party, I have some great files for you. The one below is one I made last year. They would be great place cards for a more formal gathering, or labels for your buffet!
Additionally, I have a new 4th of July svg file for you to download.
Now, if I had one of the laser cutting machines that look so amazing, I would be making myself some cute little lanterns with this file. Can you blame me, doesn’t it look amazing?!
I mean, wouldn’t it look great on the side of a little lantern with an LED candle inside? I suppose I could make it into a paper lantern…
What machine or machines do you use? I currently use the Silhouette Cameo 3. It has served me well and handles everything I have needed thus far.
However, I have heard that the Cricut Maker is amazing! Anyone have it? If I upgrade though, it may be in the fall when the new Silhouette 4 is set to come out. It is supposed to match or surpass the Maker and be cheaper!
As a side note, the singular of ‘fireworks’ does not roll off the tongue easily. I looked it up. It is ‘firework’ but was noted as ‘rarely used’ in the singular. Languages were my thing in college. And math. I like words and I suppose that make me a nerd. I am okay with that.
Well, anyway, I have a beautiful fireworks SVG for you today.
YOU definitely can manipulate an SVG shape. It may look complicated, but it doesn’t take long to get the hang of it. If you want an introduction to the SVG file format and why it is so fantastic, check out the first part of this series: SVG file format for Crafters.
When you first try to edit an SVG, it may seem like a very strange object. Unlike your typical image editor on the computer, the svg files are not all about pixels but about points and angles. Each point and the way it is connected to the other points is recorded in the definition of the file. Each of these points is called a node and each node has one or more handles.
What is a NODE?
So, what is a node? I am so glad you asked. I was just dying to explain it!
Wink, wink…
A node is a point on the plane that contains your SVG shape. Many nodes make up each shape. The way these nodes connect to each other defines the path that creates your SVG shape. Each node can have two “handles” on it extending to their own points in the plane. These handles define the slope of the curve of the path for the mathematical equation that generates the lines of the shapes.
This way, instead of storing the pixels of a line, the data is stored in a discrete number of points which your computer can use to compute the lines and structure of the shape. We could go into more math here if you would like (I do have a mathematics degree after all) but I have a feeling the majority of my readers would prefer some practical information for editing the SVG files they have. But, if I am wrong just let me know, I would be happy to let my inner nerd shine out.
This manner of storing information is what makes the SVG file format stand out. It doesn’t matter how big you make it. It will always look sharp.
First, we see the SVG path without any markup. Second, if you go in to edit the SVG path, you will see the nodes. Lastly, if you click to edit the nodes, you should see little “handles” with “control points” on the end pop up. These will move the path without moving the nodes. If you like, you can think of the nodes as anchor points for the shape. Here is another illustration for you.
Well, I suppose that may be enough on the terminology of the SVG format.
You are probably asking me how can I actually DO anything to edit these SVG paths?
Shaping and Editing SVG shapes?
Would you like to edit a design? Do you have a path or a file that you got that just needs a little tweak? Would you like to make and edit your own shapes? You can do it!
Here are 7 operations you may need to use to accomplish your designing goals. Usually, I use Adobe Illustrator and then import my files into Silhouette Studio Designer Edition. I resisted the Designer Edition of Silhouette studio for a long time, but I finally did upgrade. Checkout why in this article:
Why I finally bought the Designer Edition of Silhouette Studio » Kabram Krafts
However, if you would like to edit your SVGs in Silhouette Studio or in Inkscape(a free SVG editor) I have included little GIFs of what that looks like as well.
Move an Individual Node (this looks the same in almost any program)
Change the curve of the path between Nodes (this also looks the same in almost any program)
Make a Node either a point or a curve
Add a new Node
Delete a Node
Break a path at a Node
Join a path at two Nodes
Apply it!
Now you know the basics. Congratulations. You can now edit your own files with confidence.
Let’s look at an example.
In this example, my 5 year old had choosen a ballerina she wanted for the shirts we were making with heat transfer vinyl. Well, in my humble opinion, the body shape of the ballerina wasn’t quite appropriate for my 5 year old daughter. A couple of node deletions and moves, and all was fixed. Everyone was happy and no unrealistic body images had been memorialized.
What SVG files have you tried to change? Is there a file you are thinking of right now? Go do it! I know you can. Show me the results!
It is fall! It is mid-October and a pumpkin stack svg is just what you need. Halloween is coming quickly. What does your October typically look like? For me, Halloween is a chance for the kids to play dress up and have fun going trick-or-treating. I don’t get too into the ghoulish and ghastly side of the holiday. I do, however, enjoy the fall leaves, crisp air and fun fall traditions. So, pumpkins are always fun!
So, I present you with a stack of pumpkins. A cute, free svg pumpkin stack file. I think they would make a great little picture on the wall for the season. Or perhaps a little card or a temporary window decal! Whatever you use them for, I hope you enjoy.
Meanwhile, Life Goes On
By the way, I don’t know if anyone has missed me or noticed that my posts have been a bit on the few and far between side. If you have, I will tell you that life has been more hectic than normal for us. After just completing a move into a new house here in Denver in the Spring, my husband unexpectedly changed jobs.
The new job is great, the new area is great, but the timing was not! In fact, as I am writing this I am one day past my due date with our third child. We just got some moving containers delivered to our driveway. And, the furniture is being literally moved out from under me! On the bright side, we should hopefully be getting all settled into a nice new house in San Antonio in less than a month. God willing, we will be settling in to a nice new life with a brand new baby girl.
In the meantime, however, my posts are going to stay very few and far between and I have put my Etsy shop on vacation mode. While I wanted to keep it open, the fact that I will have a brand new baby and that my supplies are already packed up meant that reality trumped my desire to keep it open.
At any rate, I hope you enjoy this cutting file. I haven’t (perhaps obviously) had time to test it, but this mock up makes it look really cute.
If you happen to make something adorable with any of my files, I would love to see it!
Free Pumpkin Stack SVG Cutting File – A cute little pumpkin stack for you
Without further to do, here is the free pumpkin stack SVG file.
My First Day SVG File Freebie – Just in time for back to school pictures!
Tomorrow is August. Yes, AUGUST! For many that means summer is almost gone and school is starting up. We just launched our first year of homeschooling with our oldest. It is Kindergarten time! So far, it has been a lot of fun. Still, it doesn’t seem like summer is over. Weather here has been very hot and then very stormy. This is strange weather for Colorado!
At any rate, Iam looking ahead to August. I love new school supplies. Did you know that the fat crayola markers make an excellent tool for hand-lettering? AND they don’t cost a fortune. Especially if you shop the school supply sales this coming month. The sale can be really good, so be sure to shop around. If you are like me, you may already have a good stockpile of supplies, but the sales are sooooo tempting, who can stay away?
The My First Day SVG freebie I am bringing you today is perfect for those first day of school pictures. I only went from 1st to 6th grade with the apples, because I can’t really imagine a junior high or high schooler cooperating for custom shirt school photos. However, if you have an exceptional child who will cooperate, the font is Segoe Print if you need to add other numbers or customize the text in any way.
If, like me, you would like a simplified project that mitigates the need for layering, I have you covered. Included with this download are the following welded apples with the numbers inside for a more silhouetted version. The key here is that you only need one layer of vinyl and should look adorable all the same!
So, will I do first day of Kindergarten photos? I want to, but that doesn’t mean I will. Life gets in the way. Hopefully, however, I will get on the ball with photos. We need some. Do you do professional photo shoots or just take your own? Either way, this “My First Day SVG” would be a great photo prop or t-shirt.
Free SVG Cutting File
Without further to do, here is the file. It includes each grade text and apples for you to swap in as needed. I think it would look great cut out in glitter heat transfer vinyl on a shirt. As you see above, it looks very cute on the shirt of this adorable girl I found searching for free stock photos. I wish you and your kids a happy August and hope they enjoy their first day of School!
The SVG file format stands for “Scalable Vector Graphic”. Let’s break that down.
First, “scalable” means that making the image larger or smaller does not change the image. Imagine you have a photo and would like to make it much larger. Chances are that your image will come out grainy and lose much of the detail you can see in the original. This is not the case for the SVG file. No matter how big or small you make it, an svg file will maintain its original detail. This is fantastic because we can take the same file and make it exactly the size we want for our crafting project and it won’t change how the image looks.
Second, the word “vector” indicates how this scalability is achieved. Allow me a moment of indulgence as I was a mathematics major. A vector is simply a term to indicate a line of a certain length and direction. A vector is usually situated within the Cartesian plane (you know, the grid with x and y). To achieve scalability, the SVG file is saved in terms of a bunch of vectors at certain points going certain directions at certain lengths. Therefore, if you want to make your SVG image bigger, the computer just has to multiply all of these vectors by the correct scale which is a simple task for the computer.
Lastly, the ‘G’ in SVG stands for “Graphic”. That is, the image or object in the SVG file. I don’t feel like this warrants much more elaboration.
Why should I care about the SVG file format?
Well, why do we care? You can probably be a wonderful crafter without ever delving deeply into this subject. However, if you ever have an image that would be better with a tweak or an extra spike, then knowing a little bit about the SVG file could come in very handy. The SVG file is a natural choice for the hobby and professional level cutting machines precisely because of its natural scalability.
What cutting machines use the SVG file format?
As far as I know, all of the current generation of common hobby cutting machines can process the SVG file format. The only hiccup you may run into is that some companies will make you upgrade to their paid software in order to open the SVG file format rather than their own proprietary file format. For example, I upgraded to the Designer Edition of Silhouette Studio precisely for this reason. Check out my reasons in this post.
Other Programs for editing SVG files
In addition to Cricut design Space and the DE and up of Silhouette Studio, there are a few other programs that can open and edit the SVG file. My favorite of these programs is definitely Adobe Illustrator. Once I started Adobe’s subscription based Creative Cloud program, I loved it and don’t wish to go back. If you have the budget for it I would highly recommend looking into it. Not only do you get the ability to edit your SVG files in Adobe Illustrator, you also get access to Photoshop, Lightroom, and a slew of other top of the line programs. Seriously, it is super awesome and even comes with companion apps for your phone. The graphic above was made using one of Adobe’s apps. It is addicting and productive at the same time!
If you do decide it is right for you, make my day and purchase it through my affiliate link. 😉 I earn a small (pretty small sadly) commission for the referral at no cost to you.
If your budget is not up for the Adobe software package, have no fear. I used Inkscape for years and it is definitely a great option as well. Plus, it is freely available!
I found it useful to make, edit, and save SVG files though either AI or Inkscape rather than through the cutting machine’s software itself. First, the software that accompanies your machine often can’t save in the SVG file format even if it can open it. Second, I like having the ability to catalog and backup my files separately from the machine software itself in case I change machines or lose access to it for any other reason.
Are there other formats I can use?
There are other formats that are scalable. One that I have used is the DXF file format which stands for “Drawing Exchange Format”. It was developed for use with the AutoCAD program. I have used it in the past before I purchased the Designer Edition of Silhouette Studio as it is a format that can be read by the basic (free) edition of Silhouette Studio. However, it is not as widely used and it isn’t as reliable in my experience. If you want to read more about my experience with DXF, read my post on why I purchased the Designer Edition of the software.
Another format that is used is the EPS file format. This stands for “Encapsulated PostScript” and is also scalable and vector based. It is the standard format for vector images created by Adobe Illustrator. You probably will have no reason to use the EPS format.
What is next?
Learning more about the SVG file is important if you want to have more control over your designs.
Please be on the look out for the second article in this series. I plan to cover the details of actually editing an SVG file in various programs. Also, I will go over what a node is, what the handles are and how to add and delete nodes. These are very useful skills!
Well, Father’s Day is almost upon us again! Time goes by so fast it is hard to keep up with things!
Speaking of time, I don’t know if anyone actually notices when I have been absent for a while, but I have been. Sorry!
We have been moving. First, we moved from a large house in Michigan (Michigan has great prices on housing if you plan to be there a while). Then, we were then in a one room hotel room in Colorado for the summer with our two young girls. Then we moved into an apartment near my husband’s new job. Now, we are finally back in a house! Yay!
However, all that moving has put a serious cramp on my crafting and blogging time, so I apologize. I did however manage to make a new father’s day card overlay. My first was tool themed for my dad, then I made a fishing themed one last year, and now I present my gold themed overlay!
What does your dad like to do? I would love some inspiration for other overlays. Actually, I really like this collection of svg files. After all, a one cut and adhere card that still looks great is an awesome time saver!
Previous Father’s Day Cards
Take a look at the card I made a couple years ago. My dad was always fixing my toys, working on a project, or just being a handy man. He even built me doll bunk beds one year!
While I do not fish and no one I know fishes, these fishing images were just too cute. Plus, Father’s Day makes me think of dads and fishing!
So, for all of you with fishermen in your lives, this card overlay svg file is for you. I haven’t had time to test cut it out, so let me know if you run into any snags.
Turning your Photo to SVG file has satisfying results
From Photo to SVG: The topic of taking a photo and making an SVG is one I keep coming back to. Perhaps it is because custom images from your own photos are simply delightful. Also, it is a great way to get some adorable silhouettes just in general. Whatever your reason for wanting an SVG from your photograph, you can do it! It may take some patience and attention to detail, but it is totally worth it.
My first attempt at a silhouette was one of our bunny rabbit Geronimo. It came out nicely, but wasn’t a very hard shape. With this shape I basically made a bunch of little shapes and then combined them with the path merge tools.
Geronimo the Bunny
Then, for my second attempt I created some custom artwork for my girls’ playroom. These images were definitely more complex and took a lot longer, but with spectacular results. I used a different approach for these images. First, I edited the original photos to make them as black and white as possible.
Second, I traced the images using Inkscape (you can also use Adobe Illustrator or your cutting machine’s software). Lastly, and most tediously, I hand edited the nodes of the path until it was just the way I wanted it. At last, you have converted your photo to svg.
From Photo to SVG
While I am not going to go into detail in this post as it is not my first on this topic, I will hit a few important points.
First, you need to find the right photo – a crisp, clean silhouetted photo with nothing in the background will be much easier to create a custom silhouette cutting file from than one that has a lot going on.
Second, you want to use a photo editing software to get it as close to a silhouette as you can from the start so it will be easier to trace. Like the ones shown below.
Third, you trace the image using a Vector capable software to go from your photo to svg file. I have used Silhouette Studio, Inkscape, and Adobe Illustrator.
Lastly, unless you are really lucky, there will be some hand editing to do to get it just right. And sometimes, when the background of the image just won’t cooperate, you may just have to use the path tool and trace your image point by point!
From Photo to SVG: my latest results
While I haven’t cut these images out yet, I can’t wait to do so. From pictures of my daughters swinging, I arrived at these adorable cutting files. One was begging for extra detail and ended up not being a true silhouette. I tried my best to make it all one connected path, but couldn’t see a way to connect in the facial details without compromising on the cuteness!
For the second image, I went true silhouette all the way. There is enough detail in the overall shape that you can still tell what is going on in the image.
While they may not hold the same emotional signifigance for you as they do for me, I am posting my final SVG files here because they are simply so adorable. Feel free to use them for your own personal projects if you so desire or make your own silhouettes using some of these photo to svg methods!
My silhouette cameo is my go to for creating beautiful home decor from these files!
Can you believe March is here? Well, here I have a free SVG file to remind you that St. Patrick’s Day is on its way. So, who likes four leaf clovers? Did you ever spend hours in a field trying to find one? I feel like I did as a kid, but I don’t remember ever finding one.
Do you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? We didn’t do much for it growing up, except for wear some green to avoid being pinched! Occasionally we would go out for lunch or dinner to somewhere vaguely Irish. What are your traditions? Is it a Holiday you take note of or just skip over? I have never been a big drinker, so I imagine that those who enjoy that pastime may do more to celebrate than I do.
Free SVG Cutting File
At any rate, this is a really cute little four leaf clover cutting file. I think it would look great cut out in glitter heat transfer vinyl on a shirt. Maybe with a cute little saying of some sort underneath? Well, I hope you enjoy! And have a fabulous March!!
Here I present to you this St. Patrick’s Day SVG file freebie, the famed four leaf clover!
Are you making lots of handmade Valentine’s Day cards this year? These free SVG hearts should make a wonderful addition to your projects whether you are making a new shirt with HTV, a super special handmade card for your sweetheart, or a card for everyone. Please enjoy and also check out my past Valentine’s Day freebies!
Free SVG Hearts for Valentine’s Day
Happy Valentine’s Day – a bit early!
I think these hearts would look great on a t-shirt with sparkly HTV! Sorry, I haven’t had time to try it out yet, but here is a mock up for you all the same. Please pardon my Photoshop skills, they are still in progress!
Also check out my other Valentine’s Day cutting files:
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