Easy Interchangeable Ribbon Greeting Card Hanger

Instructions

STEP 1: GET MY FREE INTERCHANGEABLE CARD HANGER DESIGNS

First, download my interchangeable ribbon greeting card hanger files from my free library – look for Design #781. 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 SVG folder, you’ll find four versions of my interchangeable card hanger design that you can use for different occasions: “Birthday Wishes,” “Merry Christmas,” “Just Because,” and “Sent with Love.”

There is also a DXF folder with cut files, and a PDF folder with versions you can print and cut by hand.

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: PAINT YOUR TOP DISPLAY PANELS & SEAL WITH MOD PODGE

NOTE: Only the top display panels will be painted for this project. We’ll attach the display panels to an unpainted back panel. Plan to paint and seal your panels a day before applying your vinyl decals and assembling the rest of the pieces so the paint has plenty of time to dry.

1. Cover your work area with butcher paper to protect the surface.

2. Use a lint roller to clean any debris from the panel.

3. Wood patterns and coloring on each side of the panel may vary, so check both sides for inconsistencies and choose the best side as your display side.

4. Lay your panel display side up.

5. To paint a panel a solid color, apply a coat of chalk paint to the front and sides of your panel using a foam brush, painting with the grain of the wood.

TIP: Shake or stir your chalk paint before using to evenly distribute the pigments for consistent color.

NOTE: I’ll use solid red for my “Sent with Love” panel and solid teal for my “Birthday Wishes” panel.

6. Allow the paint to dry for two hours.

7. Apply a second coat of paint, then allow it to dry for another two hours.

8. Or, to create a faux wood stain look, take a baby wipe and fold it into fourths.

NOTE: We need the moisture from the baby wipe to spread the paint, so a regular paper towel won’t work here.

9. Dab a small amount of chalk paint onto the wipe.

NOTE: I’ll use white for my “Christmas” panel and brown for my “Just Because” panel.

10. Rub a thin coat of paint onto the front and sides of the wood panel using long, even strokes.

11. Allow the paint to dry for 10 minutes.

12. If you’d like the faux stain to be darker, repeat Steps 8-11 to apply a second coat.

13. If you’d like to seal a panel, once the paint is dry, use a clean foam paint brush to apply a small amount of Mod Podge to the front.

TIP: For solid paint, allow the full two hours to dry before sealing. For faux wood paint, you can add Mod Podge after drying for 10 minutes.

14. Brushing with the grain, completely cover the panel’s front and sides with an even layer of sealant.

15. Allow to dry for 24 hours for a full cure.

16. Repeat these steps to paint and seal each of your panels.

17. Your panels are ready to decorate!

STEP 3: PREPARE AND CUT YOUR INTERCHANGEABLE CARD HANGER DESIGN

CRICUT DESIGN SPACE

1. In Cricut Design Space, open a blank Canvas.

NOTE: If you’re new to using Cricut Design Space, go to cricutkickoff.com for my introductory tutorial on Design Space basics.

2. Click “Upload” and then “Upload Image.”

3. Click “Browse.”

4. Select the “christmas” SVG file to start.

5. Click “Open,” and then “Continue.”

6. Click “Upload” to add the design to your Canvas.

7. Repeat Steps 2-6 to add the “birthday,” “just-because,” and “love” SVGs as well.

NOTE: If you don’t want to make your hanger interchangeable, you can load the design you want to make in Step 4 and skip Step 7.

8. Spread out the designs.

TIP: Click the minus (-) icon in the lower left corner to zoom out if needed to see everything on your Canvas.

9. Click “Save” and give your project a name.

10. The designs are sized to fit the boards in my materials list. If you need to resize them to fit your boards, keep the “Lock” icon closed to maintain proportions, and use the corner Resize handles to adjust each decal’s size.

11. To change the color of a piece to match the vinyl you’ll cut it from, “Ungroup” the design if the piece is in a grouped layer.

12. Select the piece you want to change and click the Color Box next to “Operation” to choose a new option.

NOTE: I’ll change my “love,” “just because,” and “birthday” text pieces to white.

13. Your project is ready to cut!

CUTTING & WEEDING

1. Make sure the correct machine is selected in the top right.

2. Click “Make.”

3. On the Prepare screen, make sure the correct Material Size is selected for your materials.

NOTE: I’ll choose 12” x 12” for all my mats, and trim my vinyl down to size.

4. If you like, drag the objects on the mat apart so you have room to trim them into separate pieces.

NOTE: I’ll spread apart the pieces on my white, yellow, and green mats.

5. Once you are satisfied with your mat layouts, select the first mat again and click “Continue.”

6. On the Make screen, set the Base Material for your first mat. I used the “Value Vinyl” material setting for all my mats.

7. Change the Pressure to “More” for cleaner cuts.

NOTE: After you set the material for a mat, you can check the box next to “Remember material settings” to save time between mats of the same material.

8. Use a paper trimmer or scissors to trim your vinyl to cover the design area shown on the screen, plus an inch or so of buffer.

TIP: You can save smaller pieces of vinyl for other projects.

9. Place your value vinyl matte/material 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.

TIP: Make sure the vinyl’s placement matches the screen preview.

13. Press the flashing middle 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 the vinyl, but not the carrier sheet. If not, press the middle button again to make a second pass of cuts in the same spots.

15. When the cuts are complete, keep the vinyl on your mat.

TIP: It can be easier to weed vinyl, especially small, detailed designs, while it is still adhered to the machine mat.

16. Use your weeding tool to carefully peel away the extra background vinyl.

17. Poke your weeding tool into sections of the vinyl you want to remove, such as the small areas inside letters. Gently lift the tool away from the design to remove the excess vinyl.

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. Continue to weed until all that is left is the vinyl for your design.

19. Flip your mat over onto your work surface, and roll it back to release the vinyl decal.

20. Repeat Steps 8-19 to cut and weed your remaining mats. Make sure to match your vinyl color with the mat on screen!

21. Use scissors to cut each of your designs into individual decals.

NOTE: The “Merry Christmas” design has a main decal with the text, and a second decal with extra leaf details.

NOTE: The “Birthday Wishes” design has a main decal with the text, and a second decal for the two candle flames.

22. Lay out all of the decals face up.

TIP: Refer to the Design Space screen if you’re not sure about some pieces’ orientations.

STEP 4: ASSEMBLE YOUR INTERCHANGEABLE RIBBON GREETING CARD HANGER

APPLY THE VINYL DECALS TO YOUR PAINTED PANELS

1. Gather the vinyl decals and the painted panel you want to assemble.

NOTE: I’ll apply the “Christmas” decals to my white panel first.

2. Lay the panel in your work area horizontally with the painted display side face up.

3. Use a tape measure to find the panel’s horizontal center and mark it with a pencil at the top and bottom of the midway point.

TIP: We’ll erase the marks later.

4. Next, cut a piece of StandardGrip transfer tape just larger than your design’s main vinyl decal (with the text).

5. Remove the backing from the transfer tape.

TIP: If you chose not to seal your painted panels, press your transfer tape onto a cloth and peel it back up a few times to make it less sticky so it doesn’t remove the paint.

6. Hold your transfer tape in the shape of a “taco,” sticky side down, then center the bottom of the “taco” onto the middle of the decal.

7. Smooth the transfer tape over the decal from the center outward and burnish it down using the Scraper Tool.

8. Flip your vinyl over and burnish the other side, then gently peel away the backing.

TIP: If any pieces of the decal cling to the carrier sheet instead of transferring to the tape, lay the sheet back down, burnish the area with your Scraper, and carefully try again.

9. Then curve your vinyl to find the decal’s center, and crease the transfer tape at the top and bottom of the midway point.

10. Hold your transfer tape sticky side down and center the decal on the panel piece, using the pencil marks and creases to help with alignment.

11. Once the decal is in place, lightly let the middle touch the board. Then, smooth each side down from the middle outward.

12. Burnish the decal firmly onto the panel, starting in the center of the design and working your way out.

TIP: Keep your pressure on the vinyl and not the empty transfer tape sections to avoid damaging the paint.

13. Starting in a corner, slowly and carefully peel the transfer tape away from the panel, burnishing down any vinyl that lifts from the surface as you go.

TIP: It can be helpful to pull your transfer tape parallel to the panel while peeling it away.

14. If your design has an additional vinyl decal, repeat Steps 4-8 to apply transfer tape to it.

15. Hold your transfer tape sticky side down and lightly position the vinyl in the correct place on the main decal.

NOTE: Refer back to your Design Space screen if you’re not sure where your details should go.

16. Then repeat Steps 12-13 to apply the vinyl to the panel and remove the transfer tape.

17. Erase the pencil marks on your panel.

18. Repeat Steps 1-17 for your remaining panels.

19. Your panels are ready to assemble!

ADD YOUR MAGNETS OR COMMAND STRIPS, RIBBONS, & CLIPS

1. Lay your back (unpainted) wood panel horizontally on your work surface.

2. Peel an adhesive magnet from its carrier sheet and apply it sticky-side down in the top left corner of your panel.

3. Do the same to adhere magnets in the panel’s three remaining corners.

4. Next, peel an adhesive magnet from its carrier sheet and attach its magnetic side to the back panel’s top left magnet.

NOTE: Stacking the magnets this way instead of applying them directly to the panels ensures that they line up with each other properly.

5. Do the same to stack magnets in the panel’s three remaining corners.

6. Hold your first prepared panel display side up and carefully lower it directly onto the back panel, keeping all four edges aligned.

7. Press down firmly to adhere the top layer of magnets to the back of your top panel.

8. Remove the panel.

9. Repeat Steps 4-8 to adhere magnets to the back of your remaining display panels.

10. Or, follow Steps 2-8 to adhere command strips instead of magnets. Apply the bottom strips to the base’s corners, place their matching tops on top, then press the display panel down on top to adhere the strips.

11. Set aside the display panels for now.

12. Turn on your hot glue gun and let it warm up.

13. Cut a piece of jute twine to about 11” in length.

14. Put on your finger caps to prevent burns from the hot glue.

15. Place one end of the twine on the back unpainted panel, about an inch to the right of the top left magnet.

16. Add a generous amount of hot glue on top of the twine.

17. Then place the other end of the twine on the panel, about an inch to the left of the top right magnet, and add glue on top.

18. Use the tip of your weeding tool to make sure the twine is fully submerged in the glue, if needed.

19. Allow the glue to dry to secure the twine to the back panel.

20. Next, cut four pieces of ribbon to 36” in length.

21. Add a small dot of hot glue about an inch to the right of the bottom left magnet.

22. Hold a piece of ribbon pretty side up and use a capped finger to press one end into the hot glue to secure it to the wood panel.

TIP: Make sure the ribbon will hang straight down from the panel.

23. Repeat Steps 21-22 to secure one piece of ribbon an inch from the right magnet, and then two pieces of ribbon evenly spaced between the two outer ribbons.

NOTE: My ribbons are about three inches apart.

24. Allow the glue to fully dry.

25. If needed, trim the ribbon ends so they’re all the same length.

TIP: Hang your project on a wall to check the ribbon length!

26. Apply a small amount of Stop Fray or Mod Podge to the end of each ribbon to prevent fraying.

27. Attach one of the display panels using the magnets, and store the rest until you’re ready to use them.

28. Use mini clothes pins to clip your cards to the ribbon, and keep extra pins clipped to your ribbons until you need them.

29. Your project is ready!

STEP 5: SHOW IT OFF

You now have an interchangeable greeting card holder with clips and ribbons to show off cards, letters, or even photos! Hang the back panel on a wall, and change the front display panel to match the time of year!