Free Flower Word Designs For Birth Month Gifts And More

Instructions

STEP 1: GET MY FREE FLOWER WORD VINYL DESIGNS

First, download my Flower Word Vinyl Design files from my free library – look for Design #638. Alternatively, you can use the Save This Project form near the top of this post and the design link will be emailed to you.

In the main folder, you’ll find an SVG file with my vinyl flower designs to cut on a cutting machine. There is also a DXF version with cut files, and a PDF version you can print and cut by hand.

Upload the SVG file to Design Space to get started.

TIP: If you’re not sure how to upload, go to jennifermaker.com/svgs to learn how to unzip and upload SVG files.

STEP 2: PREPARE AND CUT YOUR FLOWER WORD DESIGN

CRICUT DESIGN SPACE

1. Open Cricut Design Space and click “New Project” and then “Blank Canvas” in the pop-up window.
2. Click “Upload” and then “Upload Image.”
3. Click “Browse.”
4. Select the “birth month flowers” SVG file and click “Open.”
5. Click “Continue.”
6. Click “Upload” to add the design to your Canvas.
7. Click the “Minus (-)” icon in the lower left corner to zoom out and see everything on your canvas.
   NOTE: There are twelve flowers on your Canvas, each one containing the month of the year it is associated with written in the stem. There is also a sentiment that says “family.”
   
8. Click “Save” and give your project a name.
9. Ungroup the design.
   
10. Click and drag the flowers you want to use off to the side.
    NOTE: I’ll keep February, April, July, September, and October.
    
11. To create a copy of a flower, select it and click on the “Duplicate” icon.
    NOTE: I’ll duplicate the April flower since I need two for my design.
    
12. Drag a bounding box around the flowers you don’t want to use and click the “Trash” icon to delete them.
    
13. Arrange the flowers left to right in the order you want.
    NOTE: I’ll follow this order: April, July, February, April, October, September.
14. Drag a bounding box around the flowers, click “Align,” and then select “Align Bottom” so their stems are aligned on the same base line.
    
15. Adjust the spacing between each of the flowers using the left and right arrow keys.
    NOTE: You can also use the up and down arrows in the “X” field of the Position menu to move the flowers left and right.
16. Click on “Shapes” to add a free Square to your Canvas.
    
17. Select the square and click the “Operation” menu, then click “Guide” to change the square to a Guide layer.
    NOTE: The Guide layer is for planning your layout, and will not cut with your final design.
    
18. With the “Lock” icon open, type “13.5” into the “W (width)” box and “9.75” into the “H (height)” box to match the dimensions inside your chalkboard sign’s frame.
    
    NOTE: If you use a different sign, remember to measure it as its dimensions might not be the same as mine.
19. In the Layers Panel, click and drag the “Guide” layer to the bottom so you don’t accidentally select it when clicking other pieces.
    
20. Hold the Shift key and click each of the flowers to select them, then move them to the center of the Guide.
21. To resize the flowers so they fit inside the Guide, keep the “Lock” icon closed to prevent the stem’s text from warping, then click and drag a corner of the flowers’ bounding box.
    
    TIP: Leave an equal margin on the left and right sides to help with centering later.
22. Use the “Plus (+)” icon to zoom back in and make it easier to see text on the Canvas.
23. Click on the “Text” icon to add a Text Box to your Canvas.
24. Click the drop-down field under “Font” to choose a new typeface for your name. I’ll use the downloaded font “Cakepop,” which I can find by clicking on the “System” tab and typing it in the search box.
    NOTE: If you want to make a similar design, you can purchase this font at FontBundles using my affiliate link.
25. Use the up and down arrows in the “Font Size” menu to adjust the text size to fit your design. I’ll set mine to size 30.
    
26. Type in the name of a family member to go under your first flower.
    NOTE: I’ll type in “Anthony.”
27. Drag the name and center it under the flower’s stem the best you can.
    NOTE: I’ll center “Anthony” under my first “April” flower.
    
28. Make sure the name is selected and click the “Duplicate” icon to make another copy.
29. Double click the new Text Box and type in your next name, then drag and position it under the second flower.
    NOTE: I’ll type in “Benedict” and position it under the “July” flower.
    
30. Duplicate, edit, and position the Text Boxes for your remaining names and flowers.
    NOTE: I’ll add “Colin,” “Daphne,” “Eloise,” and “Francesca.”
    
31. If you have any letters with dots over them like I do, those dots are very easy to lose once the vinyl has been cut. To prevent that, click on the “Shapes” icon and click the free Heart shape to add it to your Canvas.
    
32. With the “Lock” icon closed, drag a corner of the heart’s bounding box to resize it so that it’s just larger than one of the dots.
    TIP: If you have multiple dots to replace, use the “Duplicate” icon to make as many hearts as you need after getting the size right. This will keep your hearts uniform.
33. Move the heart so that it covers the dot, and make sure its bottom tip touches the main part of the letter.
    TIP: Use the “Plus (+)” icon to zoom in to make sure the letters are touching.
    
34. Hold the Shift key and click both the name and the heart to select them.
35. Then click “Combine” and “Unite” to connect the heart to the letter.
    
36. Once your dots are replaced, hold down the Shift key and click each of the names to select them all.
37. Click on “Align” and select “Center Vertically” to make sure the names are lined up on the same center line.
38. Click and drag the “Family” sentiment above the flowers. Use the handles in the corners to adjust the sizing if you want.
    
39. In the Layers Panel, hover over the Guide layer and click the “Eye” icon to hide it.
    
40. Drag a bounding box around the flowers and the names to select them all, then click the “Group” icon so you can move them as a single unit.
41. Select the flowers and the “family” piece, then click “Align” and “Center Horizontally” to center the word “family” over the flowers.
    
42. Select the entire design and click “Attach” to make sure it all cuts together on a single layer.
    
43. Click the Guide layer’s “Eye” icon in the Layers Panel again to unhide it.
44. Make any final sizing or positioning adjustments, using the Guide to visualize how your vinyl decal will look when applied to the sign.
45. Your project is ready to cut!
    
    
    
    CUTTING

1. Make sure the correct machine is selected in the top right.
2. Click “Make.”
3. Click “On Mat” if prompted, and select 12” x 24” for the Mat size.
   
4. On the Prepare screen, make sure the correct Material Size is selected for your mat.
   NOTE: I’ll trim my vinyl to fit the design, so I’ll keep the 12” x 24” setting to use the whole mat.
5. Click “Continue.”
6. On the Make screen, set the Base Material for your mat. I used the “Premium Vinyl - Permanent Glossy” setting with “More” pressure.
   NOTE: If you don’t see “Premium Vinyl - Permanent Glossy” in your list, click on “Browse All Materials,” type in “Glossy” and select “Premium Vinyl - Permanent Glossy.”
   TIP: Changing the Pressure to “More” results in a cleaner cut.
   
7. Check the screen to see how large your vinyl piece needs to be to cover the entire decal, plus an inch or so around it.
   NOTE: Each grid box is one inch. My piece needs to be about 9” wide and 14” tall to cover the whole design.
8. Use a Paper Trimmer or scissors to trim your vinyl down to size. I’ll measure and cut my vinyl 14” from the end, for a 12” x 14” piece.
   TIP: You can trim your vinyl closer to size and save the smaller pieces for other projects.
9. Place your vinyl shiny side up on a green StandardGrip machine mat so it covers the design area on your screen.
   
10. Use a brayer to make sure it’s fully adhered.
11. Check that your Premium Fine-Point Blade is clean and in the clamp.
12. Press the flashing “Load/Unload” button to load the prepared mat into your Cricut.
13. Press the flashing “Go” button to begin cutting.
14. When it has finished cutting, don’t unload the mat right away. Gently lift a corner of the material to make sure the cuts went all the way through. If not, press the “Go” button again to make a second pass of cuts in the same spots.
    NOTE: Cuts should go through the material, but not the carrier sheet.
15. When the cuts are complete, unload the mat, flip it over onto your work surface, and roll it back to release the vinyl.
    TIP: If you have any issues with your cuts, go to jennifermaker.com/cleaner-cuts.
16. Use your weeding tool to carefully peel away the extra background vinyl. I like to work from larger to smaller sections during weeding.
    
    TIP: Use a light box like the Cricut BrightPad to illuminate the cuts in the vinyl so they’re easier to see.
17. Use scissors to cut away large sections of vinyl that have already been lifted to keep the vinyl from re-sticking to your design.
    
    TIP: Make sure you do not pull up any pieces you want to keep! If they come up, gently pat them back in place and try again. Refer back to the Design Space screen if you’re not sure which pieces to remove.
18. Poke your weeding tool into small sections of the design you want to remove, such as the petals or the insides of letters. Gently lift the tool away from the design.
    
    TIP: It can be easier to weed vinyl, especially small, detailed designs, while it is adhered to the machine mat if you're using a darker color of vinyl and don't need the BrightPad to help see the lines.
19. Continue to weed until all that is left is the vinyl for your design.
    
    
    

STEP 3: ASSEMBLE YOUR FLOWER WORD CHALKBOARD SIGN

1. Check the back of your chalkboard sign to be sure of its orientation. The hanging hardware should be near the top of the frame.
   
2. Lay the sign chalkboard side up on your work surface.
3. Measure the length of the inside of your frame from left to right.
   
4. Divide that measurement in two to find the frame’s center point. Mark that point on the top and bottom of your frame with a pencil.
   
5. Lay the vinyl decal face up on your work surface.
6. Cut a piece of StandardGrip transfer tape just larger than the decal.
7. Remove the backing from the transfer tape.
8. Hold your transfer tape in the shape of a “taco” sticky side down, then put the bottom of the “taco” onto the middle of your decal.
   
9. Smooth the transfer tape over the decal from the center outward and burnish it down using the Scraper Tool.
   
10. Flip the design over and gently peel off the backing from the vinyl.
11. Lay your vinyl decal sticky side up inside your chalkboard frame to visualize final placement.
    
12. If needed, trim down the transfer tape to make sure the piece fits completely inside the frame without touching any edges.
13. Lift the decal and fold it in half, sticky side out, creasing the halfway point of the transfer tape at the top and bottom.
    TIP: Make sure not to crease the vinyl!
    
14. Holding it in the shape of a “taco” again, align the center creases of the decal with the center marks on your frame.
    
15. Lower your decal onto the chalkboard surface.
16. Using your finger, rub from the center of the vinyl outward, tacking the vinyl into place on the chalkboard.
17. Take your time and use a scraper to press out as many bubbles as possible.
    
18. Carefully peel away the transfer tape, burnishing down any vinyl that lifts from the surface as you go.
    
    
    

STEP 4: SHOW IT OFF

You now have a beautiful chalkboard sign featuring your family members and their birth flowers. Hang it anywhere in your home!