Whether you’re looking for a DIY project, or just need to spruce up your bookshelf, stacked book décor is the way to go. With this simple Cricut craft you can make some DIY Bee Humble and Kind Stacked Books!
These DIY Stacked Books will add character and an uplifting message to any bookshelf or serve as a table accent on their own, and it makes a unique addition to any room!
Homemade Bee Humble Stacked Books
Supplies Needed:
- Cricut Machine and Tools
- 3 Wood Blocks 5”x3”x1”
- White Chalk Paint
- Yellow Acrylic Paints
- 1” Wired Buffalo Check Ribbon
- Jute String
- Sunflower Pick
- Cricut Black Permanent Vinyl
- Cricut Transfer Tape
- Bee Button
- Wire Cutters and Scissors
- Hot Glue and Gun
You can also make this craft using old books instead of wooden blocks, however, I just could not bring myself to do that so we went the wooden block route 😉
Tips for Making Bee Humble and Kind Stacked Books
With this Cricut craft, we are using permanent vinyl on top of painted wood. If you are new to the Cricut this can be slightly overwhelming, but I promise you it is not as hard as you would think!
When picking out a block of wood to work with, choose a softwood that can be painted. For our paint, we simply used acrylic paint with just a tad of chalk paint to add some texture.
When using vinyl I like to add chalk paint as it does give a bit more grip. But at the same time, it really isn’t necessary.
The most difficult part of this craft is weeding (which really isn’t too terrible if you choose a simple text) and lining up the words on the blocks (line your words to the right edge of the stacked books…it will save your sanity).
If weeding is giving you are a hard time there are 5 simple things you can do.
- Make sure you are using a sharp blade to cut. Is your blade dull? Sharpen the blade with a ball of aluminum foil.
- Use a weeding tool. The Cricut weeding tool is beyond my favorite, but there are all sorts of tools out there. If one isn’t working for you, give another a try. Even tweezers will work!
- Start in the corner of your design and use your tool to pull up excess vinyl. Corners are easier to hide mistakes.
- Use a light pad. This can help a lot if you are struggling to see where your cut lines are.
- Cut off excess vinyl as you go. This will prevent the sticky backside from accidently clinging to the vinyl you need for your design.
- Place a square around your design before cutting – this way you won’t waste vinyl!
- And lastly, unless you absolutely have to use that light pad, keep your vinyl on the mat until it is fully weeded. This will help keep your vinyl from rolling.
Once your words are weeded then simply add your decorations to your stacked books and viola it’s finished!
How to Make the Bee Humble & Kind Stacked Books
Ready to get crafting? You will find the full tutorial below!
Bee Humble & Kind Stacked Books
You don't have to be an expert crafter to create beautifully personalized stacked book décor: with your Cricut you can easily make these handmade Bee Humble and Kind Stacked Books!
Materials
- 3 Wood Blocks 5”x3”x1”
- White Chalk Paint
- Yellow Acrylic Paints
- 1” Wired Buffalo Check Ribbon
- Jute String
- Sunflower Pick
- Cricut Black Permanent Vinyl
- Cricut Transfer Tape
- Bee Button
Tools
- Sponge Paint Brush
- Hot Glue Gun (can substitute with E6000 Glue)
- Silicone Finger Tips
- Scissors
- Wire Cutters
- Cricut Machine
- Cricut Blue Mat
- Cricut Vinyl Weeding Tool
- Cricut Scraper / Burnishing Tool
Instructions
Make Your Stacked Books
- Paint wood blocks with desired color of yellow. I mixed White Chalk Paint and the two yellow acrylic paints together in a small disposable plastic food storage container. Start with a large dollop of White Chalk Paint and add the dark and light yellow paints a little at a time. Stir the yellow paint into the white paint until desired color is achieved.
- Use a sponge paint brush to paint the wood blocks. It isn’t necessary to paint the areas that will be glued together, but you can if you want to.
- Use hot glue to adhere the blocks together. Make sure to line the blocks up quickly before the glue sets, which should take less than a minute.
Create the wording for your stacked books.
- Make 3 separate text boxes in Cricut Design Space, one text box for each word. Type one word in each Text Box. Choose desired font for each word. Re-size the font to less than 1 inch to insure each word will fit on side of the wood blocks. I chose Verdana font at size 60px.
- Line up the words as you want them to look on your stacked books. Add a binding box around the words using the Square Shape Tool. Move the box layer underneath all the word layers. Resize the box shape to fit close to the words so not to waste vinyl. Attach all layers together.
Cut the wording using your Cricut Machine.
- Lay out the permanent black vinyl on a Blue LightGrip Mat and push the “Load” button on your machine. Set your machine dial to “Vinyl” and use a fine-point blade.
- Click the “Make It” button in Design Space. The “Prepare” Screen will appear and you can move your design to the desired place on your cutting mat.
- Click the “Continue” button at the bottom of the screen.
- Push the “Cut” button on your machine.
- Once the design is cut, push the “Load” button again to eject the mat.
Design the Stacked Books
- Weed the vinyl around the words using a weeding tool.
- Cut 3 strips of transfer tape, slightly larger than each word. Remove the backing from one of the Transfer Tape strips and place over one word. Use the burnishing tool to adhere the vinyl to the transfer tape. Follow the same process for the other 2 words.
- Line up the words on the sides of your wood blocks. Use the burnishing tool to rub the vinyl on to the wood. Remove the transfer tape slowly, leaving the vinyl on the wood.
- Wrap the Buffalo Check ribbon around the wood blocks. Start and finish the ribbon ends on the top of the wood blocks. Use hot glue to adhere the ribbon. This is a good time to use silicon finger tips because the hot glue will seep through the ribbon and on to your fingers.
- Wrap the Jute string three times around the wood blocks aligning it in the center of the ribbon. Again, start and finish the string on the top of the wood blocks and use hot glue to secure.
- By wrapping one side with Jute string, the wood blocks will sit slightly off. I added a half loop of Jute string to the
opposite side, on the bottom of the wood. This makes the wood blocks sit level. - Snip one sunflower from the floral pick, leaving a short piece of stem. Gauge the best placement for the flower and glue the stem to the top of the ribbon and string. Glue two bunches of leaves behind the flower, covering up the glued ends of the ribbon and string.
- Hot glue the Bee button to the front of the wood
blocks.
Notes
For more fun Farmhouse Decor Crafts visit DollarCrafter.com
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