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🎁 DIY Personalized Gifts with SVGs for the Holidays

There’s something special about gifting something you made yourself.

 

It’s been a little while since my last post — but I’m so excited to be back here on Kabram Krafts!

Over the past year, I’ve been busy experimenting with new laser-cut projects, refining my SVG design process, and dreaming up new ways to spark creativity for you. With the holidays right around the corner, now feels like the perfect time to jump back in.

There’s just something magical about giving handmade gifts — especially ones that feel truly personal. Whether you use a Cricut, Glowforge, or another cutting machine, SVGs make it easy to create thoughtful, one-of-a-kind pieces your friends and family will love.

Today I’m sharing five easy personalized gift ideas that are fun to make, affordable, and perfect for spreading a little handmade holiday cheer.


🎄 1. Custom Family Name Ornaments

Ornaments are a classic gift that never go out of style. Use a simple round ornament SVG as your base, then add a last name or year using your favorite font.

For an elevated look, layer wood and acrylic, or use glitter cardstock for a shimmery paper-based version. These look beautiful tied to a wrapped gift or hanging on the tree.

Custome Name = instant heirloom ornament.

 

☕ 2. Personalized Mug or Tumbler

A custom mug makes a small but meaningful gift. Apply vinyl decals with a name, monogram, or short holiday quote.

Pro tip: Use permanent adhesive vinyl for mugs, or mirror your design if you’re applying heat-transfer vinyl (HTV) to tumblers.  Pair the finished mug with cocoa packets or tea for an easy, cozy bundle.

Add a cozy touch with personalized mugs — easy with an SVG and a little vinyl.

🔑 3. Engraved Keychains or Tags

Small projects can have a big impact! Cut or engrave keychains from acrylic or wood and personalize them with a monogram, pet name, or favorite word. If you have a laser – these are really simple, but even if you don’t they aren’t too hard. You can buy keychain blanks at your local craft store, and then simply add a custom vinyl name.

They’re perfect stocking stuffers or teacher gifts — especially when tied with a bow or added to a wrapped package.

Acrylic keychains are simple to make — and endlessly customizable.

 

 

🍪 4. Custom Recipe Board or Coaster Set

For sentimental gifts, engraved recipe boards are unbeatable. Scan a handwritten family recipe and convert it into an SVG (I’ll share how in an upcoming post!), then engrave it onto bamboo, slate, or acrylic.

The result is a heartfelt keepsake that brings family memories into the kitchen.

engraved cutting board

 

 

🏠 5. Holiday Home Decor Signs

Signs are a fun way to decorate and personalize someone’s home. Try one of these ideas:

  • “Joy to the World” or “Our First Christmas” wording

  • Layered nativity or snowflake SVG

  • Farmhouse-style wooden plaque with laser-cut lettering

For an extra touch, add LED backlighting behind the top layer for a soft, festive glow.

A personalized sign adds handmade warmth to any holiday space.

 

✨ Wrapping Up

I hope these ideas spark your creativity this holiday season! Handmade gifts are my favorite way to share love and creativity — and there’s still plenty of time to make something meaningful.

I’ll be sharing new SVGs, tutorials, and laser projects here each month, so if you haven’t already, subscribe below to get updates (and free SVG files!) delivered straight to your inbox.

If you make one of these projects, I’d love to see it! Tag me on social media or leave a comment with your favorite personalized gift ideas.

Happy crafting, and Merry Christmas from Kabram Krafts 🎄

Can’t wait to craft alongside you this season!
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Paper Cut Pop-Up Heart SVG Template

Pretty Pop-Up Hearts

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Time for a new file. This one, as you may notice, is a paper-cutting pop-up file for all you card makers out there! 

Sadly, my poor Silhouette Cameo has been sitting unused for a long time. After my laser arrived, I have neglected paper crafting despite the fact that I still enjoy it. Paper has an allure to it. So many possibilities. 

What better time to pull out your cutting machine and make a card than Valentine’s Day? This is a very simple file to cut. It cuts really fast, the tricky part is folding it correctly. I recommend scoring the center and folding it first. Then, you can accordion fold the sides and your card pop-up insert is all set to put in your card and add a nice sentiment. 

If you need a good sentiment to add to your card, check out 1 Corinthians 13. Best love passage there is, if you ask me. 

Love Never Fails

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 ESV



FREE SVG DOWNLOAD

My project-1

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Inspirational SVG Quote for the New Year

Bag with "Secret to Getting Ahead" Quote

Some inspiration for a new year!

Bag with "Secret to Getting Ahead" Quote

Happy New Year!

Well, 2023 has arrived. The older I get, the faster time seems to fly by. I spent some time this week thinking about what I actually wanted to do with the year. Usually, I just try to get through each day. With three little girls running around, that is about all I can manage sometimes, and that’s okay. It is a season in my life. However, I still want to be a bit more intentional this year if I can. I find myself in an exhausted stupor too often. These are some things I think may help me this year.

Just do the next right thing!

Daily Walk

Drink more water

Eat less sugar and more protein

Read parenting books

Set exciting goals

Have a positive attitude

Realizing that I need goals to work toward that excite and motivate me, I am going to really focus on working on both this blog and the svg designs I have for sale here on my website and on Etsy. I have the resources. I have the knowledge. What is stopping me? Well, it is like this quote from Mark Twain says, I just have trouble getting started. So here is to new beginnings. 

Just GET STARTED!

And, if you weren’t here for my mildly inspiring rant, but were looking for this lovely SVG file of Mark Twain’s quote – “The Secret of Getting Ahead is Getting Started” – here it is in all its motivational glory. My plan is to make a nice little bundle and put it up here and on Etsy for sale. However, I need some more design time before I have enough for a bundle. Hence, you get this freebie as a teaser. Maybe it will motivate you to do some awesome things this year. 

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Christmas Tree Time – SVG Freebie

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.

Download by clicking the button below!

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.

Don’t forget to check out my other Christmas posts. Merry Christmas in September!

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First Day of School – Distance Learning Covid-19 Style!

First day of school is coming. Back to school sales have started. Backpack sales are going to be down I am guessing!

Who is ready for school to start? Well, I would be if I wasn’t going to be the main teacher. At one point, we were seriously considering homeschooling. However, I decided some precious quiet time without supervising kids would go a long way toward preserving my sanity.

Yet, here we are. Covid-19 has placed many parents in the role of teacher, or at very least student supervisor whether they wanted to be or not. I am really hopeful that the distance learning my Kindergartner and Second Grader participate in this fall will be more streamlined than what we experienced in the Spring. There were WAAAY too many sites and logins to navigate for a first grader.

What have you decided will work best for your children? Honestly, I think homeschooling would be really great this year if you can swing it. We want to keep our spots at the charter school, so distance learning it is until it is safe to go back.

Now, on to the file I made for you. I thought we needed a special back to school sign for “first day of school” this year. I think this has good potential and can be customized for those starting the fall off distance learning.

Enjoy! Please share pictures with me if you use the file, it makes my designing more meaningful to know people are enjoying it. 🙂

Here is the download. For the custom one I just inserted text. I am probably going to use this on some cute little chalkboards I found at Michaels. Have fun crafting and good luck with schools!

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Coronavirus 2020 SVG File for COVID-19

Please enjoy this COVID-19 Coronavirus 2020 SVG file. I designed the virus icon from a diagram of the actual virus cell. (I’m not sure if cell is the technically correct word here, but it has been a while since I was in Biology class!)

Health is so important to the daily enjoyment of our lives. This Coronavirus outbreak has hit our world so very very hard. I sincerely hope that you and yours are doing well and are well provided for.

With mostly everyone at home, I thought it might be enjoyable to send out cards to those you love to let them know you are thinking of them. That was the inspiration for this card. It is intended as a little bit of humor in the midst of a scary time. 

Wishing you well. Here is the Coronavirus 2020 COVID-19 SVG FREEBIE!

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Free Mom & Dad SVG Layered Files

So, the world has gone mad. I mean, doesn’t it feel almost surreal?

A world wide pandemic is something I thought I would only see in movies and board games. It really never occurred to me that it would actually be something to touch and even deeply affect my day to day life.

First, Here is to hoping that this finds you and yours safe and well supplied for all your needs. Our family is stocked for a couple weeks and ready to hunker down. My girls and I are not especially vulnerable to the virus, thankfully, but my husband does not have a strong immune system.

All anyone can do is be prepared and pray!

So, how are things in your neck of the woods? Lots of hand-washing here and we have enough toilet paper and soap too! 😉

Hopefully, these couple SVG files will be a welcome diversion for you.

Layered Bee File Posted on Etsy

If you happened to catch my last post, you saw that I created an adorable layered bumble bee file. I used it as a baby shower gift, but I have had at least two people purchase it for a beekeeper they know.

Anyhow, I did polish up the file and get it posted on Etsy. You have to add your own text, but the rest is ready to cut!

Mom and Dad Layered Paper Art

Since we all have our family and their well-being on our minds, I thought a quick couple files for Mom and Dad would be perfect. Mother’s Day and Father’s day aren’t too far away. Get your cards done early.

While I envision these as layered card fronts, but you could definitely do more with them.

Here are some of my past posts on Father’s Day Cards and Files.

And some on Mother’s Day Cards and Files!

Click below to download the bee zip file. Happy quarantine crafting!

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Free Bee SVG Download – Ha ‘Bee’ Birthday

I have a free Bee SVG for you tonight. Looking at this smiling bee is definitely cheering me up a bit. While I am glad to be back here posting a new file for everyone, it has been a rough week here my neighborhood.

Sadly, a little girl on her bike was hit and killed on her way to my daughter’s school this week. It is so tragic to lose such a young life. Please keep her family in your prayers. Her name was Irie.

It has been so heavy on my heart, especially having to share the news with my young daughters. They are so sweet though, and they were reassuring me that she was not dead, but alive with God in heaven. Such sweet little hearts children often have.

BEE Layered Paper Art

Anyhow, if you need a little cheering up after such a heavy topic, I have just the file for you tonight. I made this cute little bee for a gift a few weeks ago. It was my first attempt at a layered paper art picture.

Actually, this is how the layered file looked in Adobe Illustrator before I cut it out.

Not that I like to brag, but I do really love how it turned out. Hopefully the recipient did too!

If there is enough interest, I may put the layered file up for sale on my Etsy Shop, but for now I wanted to share the cute little bee. Before I can put it up for sale, I will need to write up instructions and figure out how to make the name layer more customizable.

UPDATE

I managed to get the layered file cleaned up and posted on Etsy!
Find it HERE.

The one thing I would change were I to make it again is to put a little more support behind the middle of the name layer as it was a wee bit wobbly.

Free BEE SVG and hand-lettered sentiment

Also, because I felt the little bee was lacking something, I hand-lettered a cute birthday message to go with it. Hopefully you enjoy it and are able to make something adorable with it.

I also have some other cute animal files if you want to take a look.

Happy Creating!

If you are curious, I separated the layers in my picture using cork scraps. I use cork for the backs of the coasters I have on my Etsy Shop, and always have lots of scraps left over. They turned out to be just perfect for the job. Here are some behind the scenes photos of this project.

Well, I sincerely hope you have a wonderful week. BEE happy, and enjoy life.

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Fireworks 4th of July Free SVG Download

Fireworks for the Fourth of July!

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!

Fireworks SVG File Download

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.

Happy Summer and Happy Fourth of July!

DOWNLOAD SVG
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How to shape your SVG files with confidence.

Can I change an SVG? How!?

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.

If you do like the math behind it, I found this little article here which delves into the math a bit. https://people.gnome.org/~federico/news-2016-11.html

Also, I borrowed his handy diagrams:

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

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.

  1. Move an Individual Node (this looks the same in almost any program)
  2. Change the curve of the path between Nodes (this also looks the same in almost any program)
  3. Make a Node either a point or a curve
  4. Add a new Node
  5. Delete a Node
  6. Break a path at a Node
  7. 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!