Make a Bobble Head Card With Your Custom Photo!

Instructions

STEP 1: GET MY FREE MAKE A BOBBLE HEAD CARD DESIGNS

First, download my Bobble Head Card designs from my free library -- look for Design #546. Alternatively, you can use the Save This Project form near the top of this post and the design link will be emailed to you.

There are three designs in the folder: a fox, a cat, and a bobble head card design that you can customize with your own photograph using Print Then Cut in Cricut Design Space. I’ve also included a “score” version of each design that you can cut using a scoring tool, and a “no-score” version with dashed cut lines that only needs the Fine-Point Blade. 

If you’d like to make the version with score lines using a scoring wheel or stylus, you can refer to my tutorial on Cricut Scoring to learn how to adjust the files.

In this tutorial, I will show you how to prepare and assemble the cat bobble head card, but you can also follow these steps to make the fox card.  I will also show you how to customize the photo card with your own photo. Choose a photograph you’d like to feature and upload the SVG file you need 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.

PROJECT 1: CUSTOM PHOTO BOBBLE HEAD CARD

STEP 2: PREPARE YOUR CUSTOM PHOTO DESIGN

PREPARE YOUR CUSTOM PHOTO

1. Select a photo, ideally with the head face forward.
   Head to https://www.iloveimg.com/ and select “Upscale Image.”
   
2. Upload your image and upscale it to “2x.”
3. Download the finished file on the next screen by clicking the “Download Upscaled Images” button.
4. Head back to https://www.iloveimg.com/ and select “Crop Image.”
   
5. Upload the upscaled image.
6. Crop the image to the head, leaving just a little bit of space between the head and the edge of the image on all four sides.
   
7. Download the cropped image.

CRICUT DESIGN SPACE

1. Open Cricut Design Space and click “New Project.”
2. Click “Upload” and then “Upload Image.”
3. Click “Browse.”
4. Select the “bobble-head-card-photo-no-score-jennifermaker-SVG” file.
5. On the Prepare to Upload screen, it will say “Cut image” with the design preview.
6. Click “Upload.”
7. Find the design in Recent Uploads and add it to the Canvas.
   
   
   
8. Next, add your photo by clicking on “Upload” again, then “Upload Image.”
9. Click “Browse.”
10. Select your upscaled and cropped photo and click “Complex” and “Continue.”
    
    
    
11. Erase the background, shoulders and neck as much as you can with the Magic Wand tool or the eraser, being careful not to erase too much. 

TIP: Remember that every edge will be cut so try to eliminate extra shapes when possible (stray hairs, etc). You can always trim the final cut image with a pair of scissors by hand.

1. You can preview the cut by clicking “Preview Cut Image” in the top right corner.
2. Once you have it trimmed as much as you’d like, click “Apply and Continue.”
   
   
   
3. Select “Print Then Cut Image” and click “Upload.”[make-a-bobble-head-card-photo-Print-then-cut]
4. On the next screen, select your image and click “Add to Canvas.”
5. Scale the head image so that it is bigger than the white oval backer, but not bigger than the entire card.
   
   
6. In the Layers panel, click on the top level layer of the SVG design and click “Ungroup.”
   
7. This file comes with variations for the clothing - a dress, shirt, and two aprons. Click on the Eye Icon in the Layers Panel to hide the pieces you don’t wish to cut.
   
   
8. Your layers are ready to cut!
9. Make sure the correct machine is selected in the top right.
10. Click “Make It.”
11. If prompted, click "On Mat," choose your mat size, and click “Confirm.”
12. On the Prepare Screen, you should have five mats. Make sure your Print Then Cut mat’s Material Size is set to “8.5 in x 11 in (Letter).”
13. Select the first mat again and click “Continue.”

PRINTING

1. On the Make Screen, click “Send to Printer.”
   
   
2. Select your printer from the Printer dropdown.
3. Toggle “Add Bleed” on.
4. Toggle “Use System Dialog” on.
5. Click “Print.”

TIP: Sometimes the print dialog box is hiding behind the Design Space window

1. The print dialog box should have the correct printer selected, the Media set to “Premium Photo Matte,” and the Quality set to “Best.” “Flip Horizontally” should be unchecked.
   
   
2. Make sure the photo paper is loaded correctly 
3. Click “Print”

CUTTING

1. The first mat will be your Print Then Cut image. 
2. On the Make Screen, select the “Medium Cardstock - 80 lb (216 gsm)” setting.
3. Change the Pressure to “More” for a cleaner cut.
4. Select “Remember Material Settings” to apply the paper and pressure setting to every mat.
   
5. Place your paper face up on a StandardGrip machine mat and use a brayer to make sure it’s fully adhered. 
6. Check that your Fine-Point Blade is clean and in the clamp
7. Press the flashing “Load/Unload” button to load the prepared mat into your Cricut. 
8. Press the flashing “Go” button to begin cutting.
9. When it has finished cutting, unload the mat, flip it over onto your work surface, and roll it back to release the paper.
10. Here is what my Print then Cut photo looks like.
    
11. Follow steps 6-10 to cut and remove your remaining pieces
12. Here are what the cut pieces for my customized photo bobble head card look like:
    

TIP: Use a spatula to carefully remove any intricate parts and a weeding tool to pop out any small pieces. If you have trouble with any of your cuts, check out my Cricut Tips & Tricks for Cleaner Cuts.

STEP 3: ASSEMBLE YOUR CUSTOM PHOTO BOBBLE HEAD CARD

1. Fold the card piece in half, along the dashed or scored line.
   
2. Take the body piece and apply glue to the back.
3. Attach the body piece to the front of the card, aligned in the center along the bottom edge.
   
4. Take the shirt or dress piece and line it up over the body, ensuring that it is facing the correct direction. 
5. Apply glue to the back and attach it to the body piece on the card.
   
6. Line the apron piece up correctly over the body, apply glue to the back side, and attach it to the shirt piece on the card.
   
7. Take the oval backing piece, apply glue to one side and attach it, centered, to the back of your printed and cut photo.
   
8. Remove the adhesive from the thin part of the bobble spring and attach it, centered, to the back of the oval backer.
   
9. While holding the assembled photo and spring firmly, remove the remaining adhesive backer from the bobble spring.
10. Line the photo up with the body on your card so it looks like it’s connected and not covering up the entire body.
11. Attach the assembled photo bobble to the front of the card, pressing firmly.

PROJECT 2: CAT BOBBLE HEAD CARD

STEP 2: PREPARE YOUR DESIGN

CRICUT DESIGN SPACE

1. Open Cricut Design Space and click “New Project.”
2. Click “Upload” and then “Upload Image.”
3. Click “Browse.”
4. Select the “bobble-head-card-cat-no-score-jennifermaker-SVG” file.
5. On the Prepare to Upload screen, it will say “Cut Image” with the design preview.
6. Click “Upload.”
7. On the next screen, select your image and click “Add to Canvas.”
8. Your layers are ready to cut!
9. Make sure the correct machine is selected in the top right.
10. Click “Make It.”
11. If prompted, click "On Mat," choose your mat size, and click “Confirm.”
12. On the Prepare Screen, you should have eight mats.
13. Select the first mat again and click “Continue.”

CUTTING

1. On the Make Screen, select the “Medium Cardstock - 80 lb (216 gsm)” setting.
2. Change the Pressure to “More” for a cleaner cut.
3. Select “Remember Material Settings” to apply the paper and pressure setting to every mat.
   
4. Place your paper face up on a StandardGrip machine mat and use a brayer to make sure it’s fully adhered. 
5. Check that your Fine-Point Blade is clean and in the clamp
6. Press the flashing “Load/Unload” button to load the prepared mat into your Cricut. 
7. Press the flashing “Go” button to begin cutting.
8. When it has finished cutting, unload the mat, flip it over onto your work surface, and roll it back to release the paper.

Follow steps 4-8 to cut and remove your remaining pieces.
TIP: Use a spatula to carefully remove any intricate parts and a weeding tool to pop out any small pieces.

Here are what the cut pieces for my cat bobble head card look like:

STEP 3: ASSEMBLE YOUR CAT BOBBLE HEAD CARD

1. Fold the card piece in half, along the dashed or scored line.
   
2. Grab the white window frame piece and apply glue to the back, making sure not to get the glue too close to the outside edges, and attach it to the yellow rectangle.
   
3. Apply glue to the back of the assembled window frame and attach it to the front of the card, centered left to right, slightly closer to the top than the bottom.
4. Take the green piece, apply glue to the backside, and attach it to the card beneath the window frame (with some space between the frame and the green shape).
   
5. Take the light orange body piece, apply glue to the back, and attach it to the dark orange body piece. Align the two pieces to the left side and top.
   
6. Take the white chest tuft piece and ensure that it is facing the correct direction. Refer to your Design Space Canvas if you need help determining which side is the front.
7. Apply glue to the back side. Attach this slightly above the triangle leg cutout on the light orange body piece.
   
8. Take the extra tail piece, apply glue to the backside, and attach it to the bottom so that it slightly overlaps the body and existing tail shapes.
   
9. Grab the small white circles and apply a dot of glue to the left center of each one.
10. Attach the brown eye shapes on top of each circle, being careful to keep the white showing through the small cutout but not extending outside the edge of the brown shape.
    
11. Take the whiskers piece and apply a thin line of glue on the backside in the middle.
12. Attach the pink tongue and nose shape (with the wider part of the pink shape at the top making the nose, and the thinner part at the bottom making the tongue).
    
13. Grab the dark orange face piece, apply glue to the backside, and attach it to the light orange head piece on the right side.
    
14. Apply glue to the back side of the pink ear pieces and attach to the ears of the cat head.
    
15. Apply glue to the back side of the whiskers/nose/tongue piece and attach it to the lower third of the assembled head.
    
16. Apply glue to the back of the assembled eye pieces and attach them to the head above the whiskers.
    
17. Remove the adhesive from the thin part of the bobble spring and attach it, centered, to the back of the assembled head.
    
18. While holding the assembled head and spring firmly, remove the remaining adhesive backer from the bobble spring.
19. Line the head up with the body on your card so it looks like it’s connected, and not covering up the entire body.
20. Attach the assembled cat bobble to the front of the card, pressing firmly.
    

STEP 4: SHOW IT OFF!

Here is what my finished bobble head cards look like when completed!

You can also follow my How to Make an Envelope tutorial for making a unique envelope for your finished card!

Send these cards to a friend or family member, use them as invitations or just to say “Hello!”