Be still my monogram loving heart.
It took me all of 20 minutes to start cutting monograms with my new Cricut Explore. If you come near me – chances are I will monogram you. Watch out. But, since you’re not around for me to monogram, I’ll make a pencil pouch instead.
And as an extra treat, you’ll be happy to know that today’s post is a two-fer. I’m gonna walk you through this pencil pouch tutorial AND I’ve got a little hidden gem that will give you a behind this scenes look at cutting a monogram with your Cricut Explore.
Let’s get started:
To create a the glittery finish on your pencil pouch, you’ll need a few specialty tools.
For a while I’ve been on the hunt for a way to apply glitter to fabric without having it flake off constantly. Welp. I found it! Tulip Glitter Bond adheres glitter like none other.
{1} Place painter’s tape onto two pieces of canvas, which you have cut to size based on the size bag you are making.
{2} Squeeze the Tulip Glitter Bond below the painter’s tape
{3} Use a sponge pouncer to evenly distribute the glue below the tape
{4} Sprinkle glitter onto the glue. I found that you can use any glitter you want as long as it is not to chunky. I opted for Martha Stewart Florentine Gold.
{5} Spread glitter evenly, using firm pressure to make sure the glitter adheres well.
{6} Shake off any excess glitter that is not well adhered and peel back the painter’s tape. Make sure to shake off the glitter over your neighbor’s lawn. Tell em a leprechaun did it.
{7} Allow the glitter to dry for about 30 minutes before assembling the pencil pouch
{8} Now it’s time to stitch this sucker up…and since Damask Love is not and never will be your number one place for sewing advice, I’m gonna refer out on this one. Head over to Design Sponge for an awesome tutorial on how to sew up your pencil pouch. You can also follow the {i damask love} sewing Pinterest board for more tutorials on creating makeup & pencil bags.
With my cute, monogrammed bag all done, I filled it with some equally cute pencils. I spray painted them gold and then used the Explore one more time to add teeny, tiny hearts to each one.
absolutely fabulous friend. Fabulous!
Speechless as always, well done Amber!
Really fabulous.
Awesome tutorial!!! Lately I have been on a monogram kick as well!! Question for you, for a beginner crafter which electric die cutting machine should I invest in (shiloette or cricut and which model?) thanks in advance
Nikkia, I have both a Cricut and a Silhouette. I used a Cricut for years and loved it, but found the expense of buying a cartridge for a new design was expensive. I purchased the Silhouette last June and have used it everyday! The major difference is that you can purchase designs for just 99 cents for the Silhouette and you must purchase an entire cartridge for the Cricut. You can also purchase a monthly subscription for just $19 and receive $150/month in design purchases. There are so many designers and adorable files to cut on the Silhouette. Cricut is just now getting into the digital market, but in my opinion, it will take them a while to catch up. Best craft purchase yet!
Thanks so much for this very helpful information!!!
Hi Nikkia & Pam! Thanks, Pam for your insight! I don’t own a Silhouette so I can’t say much about the comparison, so I’m glad you were able to! With the new Explore, you won’t need cartridges anymore which is nice, but like Pam mentioned you will need to either purchase images from the Cricut image library for $0.99 each or you’ll need to get a subscription to the image library, which I believe is $9.99 a month. If you are a beginner looking for an electronic die cutting machine, I might actually suggest the Explore. There are several projects already designed and ready for you to make and all you have to do is click “Make it Now” – to me, that seems like an appealing option for beginners. That said, I’m not sure if Silhouette has a similar feature which might make it equally appealing to a beginner. Hope this helps!
Thanks so much Amber!! Ive been looking at the explore and it looks yummy!! I will investigate more /watch a few more reviews on youtube!!! lol thanks again
WOW!!! really love it!
Love, Love, Love the Chevron notebook! Did you make this or is it available for purchase?
Amber you continue to outdo yourself. I’m sooo doing a makeup pouch for my BFF’s birthday! Thanks for the how-to!
One other comment, do you have to worry about glitter fallout over time?
nope! This stuff is amazing! After the glitter glue has tried, you can give it a rub down to release anything that didn’t stick – and then you’re good to go. I made a tote back a while back with this glue and the glitter is still in place and no flaking.
Awesome!! Thanks for responding.
LOVE this Amber! Super cute–you have my creative wheel turning!
This is SO awesome Amber! Do you do anything other than the glue to make the glitter stick? I find glued glitter tends to flake off over time and I’d love a solution!
Which is EXACTLY why I’m so obsessed with this glue! Once the glitter and glue have dried, give it a vigorous rub to release any extra flakes and after that…no more flaking. It’s amazing stuff.
I love your blog so much! You are so talented. I hope one day that my blog could be as good as yours! God bless.
it looks adorable, love the glitter
Amber, I love all of the glitter that has been on the blog lately! Also, those pencils are just too fabulous:) Thanks for the idea.
I love this monogrammed bag! Sewing a zipper totally intimidates me though. And I am so happy you shared the glitter glue tip. I’m looking for it next time I head to the craft store.
Cassi! I was the same way about zippers but I conquered my fear! All I know how to do is sew in a straight line – sort of. Give it a try!!! You can do it!
Simply gorgeous, Amber! And I LOVE the little touch you put on the pencils!!
SO classy!! LOVE how smooth and “sturdy” the glitter looks – must try this. Thank you 🙂
FABULOUS! Just like you!
This is a knock out project, girl! Brilliant!
You are SO very clever, Amber. This pencil bag is just stunning and such a fun gift. TFS!
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Your blog is fabulous! Everything on here is gorgeous. You don’t sell any of the things you make do you? I LOVE this bag but as I don’t know how to sew or have any of the materials it doesn’t look like I can DIY.
This bag is adorable and so is your blog. I was just wondering if you sell this bag, considering I don’t have the skill to make this?
How would I go about making a monogram if I do not have Adobe Illustrator? Thanks!
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