Create Adorable Felt Eyes with Circuit Explore Air 2

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Materials Needed
3. Designing the Eyes in Design Space
4. Cutting the Felt Eyes
5. Cutting the Vinyl Eyes
6. Prepping the Cut Eyes
7. Applying the Vinyl Eyes to the Felt Eyes
8. Tips for Selling Felt Eyes
9. Conclusion

How to Make Felt Eyes for Crafts

Crafting enthusiasts often love adding unique and personalized touches to their projects. If you're interested in making felt eyes, you've come to the right place. In this article, we'll guide you through the step-by-step process of creating different kinds of felt eyes. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced crafter, this tutorial will show you how to make cute and creative felt eyes that can be used for various crafts. So, let's gather our materials and get started!

1. Introduction

Felt eyes add a whimsical charm to different crafts such as plush toys, amigurumi, and doll making. By learning how to make your own felt eyes, you can customize the size, shape, and color combinations to perfectly match your project. In this tutorial, we'll be focusing on creating two types of felt eyes: simple kawaii eyes and half-moon eyes.

2. Materials Needed

Before we dive into the process, let's gather the materials required for making felt eyes:

• Thickened felt from a craft store
• Heat and bond adhesive
• Various colors of vinyl
• Weeding tool for your cutting machine
• Optional: tape, scissors, and a heating press

Make sure you have all these materials on hand before moving forward.

3. Designing the Eyes in Design Space

To create the designs for our felt eyes, we'll be using Cricut Design Space. If you have a Cricut Explore Air 2 or a similar cutting machine, you're all set. Follow these steps to design your eyes:

1. Open Design Space and select the shape tool.
2. Choose the oval shape as the base for your eyes.
3. For kawaii eyes, add a black circle within the oval. This will be the pupil.
4. Duplicate the eye shape and create a smaller version for variation.
5. For half-moon eyes, add an oval shape and curve it to resemble a half-moon.
6. Duplicate the half-moon shape and make it slightly smaller.

Now, you have the designs ready for your felt eyes. You can adjust the sizes and shapes according to your preference.

4. Cutting the Felt Eyes

Once you have the designs in Design Space, it's time to cut the felt eyes. Follow these steps:

1. Ensure your Cricut machine is turned on.
2. Set the machine to the "custom" setting.
3. Choose the "felt" option and adjust the pressure to "more."
4. Place the felt on the cutting mat with the shiny side down.
5. Attach the mat to the machine.
6. Start the cutting process.

Make sure to tape the edges of the felt to prevent any movement during cutting. Repeat this process for all the felt eye designs.

5. Cutting the Vinyl Eyes

Apart from felt, we'll also be using vinyl to add more details to the eyes. Follow these steps to cut the vinyl eyes:

1. Select the blue-colored design in Design Space.
2. Choose the "iron-on" setting since we'll be applying it with heat.
3. Place the vinyl on the cutting mat with the shiny side facing down.
4. Attach the mat to the machine.
5. Start the cutting process.

Repeat these steps for all the vinyl eye designs. Make sure to adjust the settings accordingly.

6. Prepping the Cut Eyes

Now that we have the felt eyes and vinyl eyes cut, it's time to prepare them for assembly. Follow these steps:

1. Use a weeding tool to remove the excess vinyl from the designs.
2. For the felt eyes, weed out the parts that won't be used.
3. Cut the vinyl designs into individual pieces.

Ensure that you're careful while weeding and cutting to maintain the shape and quality of the eyes.

7. Applying the Vinyl Eyes to the Felt Eyes

Now comes the fun part – combining the vinyl eyes with the felt eyes. Follow these steps:

1. Place the cut vinyl designs on top of the felt eyes.
2. Use a heating press to apply heat and bond the vinyl to the felt.
3. Be cautious not to iron directly on the vinyl to avoid any melting issues.

Repeat these steps for all the felt eyes, ensuring that the vinyl eyes are securely attached.

8. Tips for Selling Felt Eyes

If you plan to sell your felt eyes, here are a few tips to ensure the best results:

• Aim for perfection in your cuts and assembly.
• Provide a variety of eye designs and color combinations.
• Package the felt eyes neatly to showcase their quality.
• Market your felt eyes to crafting communities and online platforms.

By following these tips, you can enhance your chances of selling your felt eyes successfully.

9. Conclusion

Congratulations! You've learned how to make felt eyes for your crafts. This versatile skill allows you to add character and personality to your creations. Experiment with different shapes, sizes, and colors to make your projects truly unique. Have fun exploring the endless possibilities with felt eyes!