Using a simple Cricut ”life hack” and some scraps of leather, you can create a set of adorable tassel earrings that are perfect for gift giving!
The Cricut Explore Air Gold is HERE! They let me and a few of your favorite designers make cool projects exclusively for this new machine, and today I want to share a quick tutorial with you. But first…let’s talk about leather. I’ve cut leather with my Cricut before, but didn’t do it very often because any time I cut leather my mat would end up like this:
I was feeling a little sad for myself so I mentioned it to my girl Melissa at Cricut and she said “what about putting transfer tape on the back of the leather?” – WHAAAATTTTT??? YEEESSS!!!!!!! And…a new obsession was born. So for those of you who’ve avoided leather because you didn’t want to ruin your mat – join me in the awesomeness of this little life hack that will change everything. Now let’s make some earrings! You know what we WON’T make? Comments about my lack of a manicure. 😉 Someday I’ll remember that you can actually see me in these photos. Ha! {FTC Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post with affiliate links, so I may make a little money if you buy something!}
supplies needed:
· Cricut Explore® Air and Design Space software
· Cricut Explore® Deep Cut Housing and Blade
· Cricut® Strong Grip mat
· Cricut® Transfer Tape
· piece of leather – could also use pleather
· liquid glue
· two (2) gold eye pins
· two (2) gold fish hook earrings
· scissors or wire cutters
· pliers
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how to Cut Leather with the New Cricut Explore Air Gold:
Cut transfer tape slightly larger than your leather. Remove backing and apply sticky side of transfer tape to the back (rough side) of the leather. Trim to fit.
Place leather (transfer tape side down) on to a Cricut Strong Grip mat. Put deep cut blade in to the Cricut, set custom dial to leather and cut earring images from Design Space. Peel cut leather pieces from the mat – transfer tape will remain.
When you’ve removed both earring pieces peel the transfer tape/remaining leather from your still clean mat!
Use scissors or wire cutters to cut off portion of eye pin so it will not stick out of the tassel when it is completed.
Apply a small amount of liquid adhesive along the top (area that is not cut) of the leather.
Lay eye pin on one end of the leather (with the loop overhanging the flat edge of the leather) and begin to gently roll the leather around the eye pin until it forms a tassel.
Use pliers to attach eye pin loop to fish hook earring.
These earrings are so quick and easy to make – and take just tiny bits of “scrap” leather. What a fun project this would be for a girls sleepover or birthday party!
I loved the earring idea so much that I made even EASIER gold tipped triangle earrings (which are also available exclusively with the JoAnn Cricut Explore Air Gold machine) using the new Cricut Adhesive Foil! If you haven’t gotten your hands on the Adhesive Foil yet you MUST. It adds the perfect touch of glam to any project and comes in a variety of finishes/colors. LOVE it!
Join me Thursday when we’ll be all about necklaces – and I’ll tell you why wood is one of my new favorite things to cut on my Cricut Explore Air! In the meantime…for your “behind the scenes” photo of the day…Don and I were not fortunate enough to have children, so we are absolutely in HEAVEN when our nieces and nephews come to visit. We had to take some of these photos when they were here – and our youngest niece INSISTED that we include her craft project in the photo shoot. And so I give you “swan with flowers” by Alexandra – age seven.
Let’s Cut Leather with the New Cricut Explore Air Gold!
Materials
- Cricut Explore® Air and Design Space software
- Cricut Explore® Deep Cut Housing and Blade
- Cricut® Strong Grip mat
- Cricut® Transfer Tape
- piece of leather – could also use pleather
- liquid glue
- two (2) gold eye pins
- two (2) gold fish hook earrings
- scissors or wire cutters
- pliers
Instructions
- Cut transfer tape slightly larger than your leather. Remove backing and apply sticky side of transfer tape to the back (rough side) of the leather. Trim to fit.
- Place leather (transfer tape side down) on to a Cricut Strong Grip mat. Put deep cut blade in to the Cricut, set custom dial to leather and cut earring images from Design Space. Peel cut leather pieces from the mat – transfer tape will remain.
- When you’ve removed both earring pieces peel the transfer tape/remaining leather from your still clean mat!
- Use scissors or wire cutters to cut off portion of eye pin so it will not stick out of the tassel when it is completed.
- Apply a small amount of liquid adhesive along the top (area that is not cut) of the leather.
- Lay eye pin on one end of the leather (with the loop overhanging the flat edge of the leather) and begin to gently roll the leather around the eye pin until it forms a tassel.
- Use pliers to attach eye pin loop to fish hook earring.
Charis says
Is this template in Design Space?
Beth says
Hi Charis! It is…it used to be exclusive to the JoAnn Gold Explore – but I’m not sure if that is still the case. Here is the link! https://design.cricut.com/#/design/new/projects/project-detail/57564e45ee508efa43325d1a
.nikki says
What pressure setting do you use? And how many times do you have it cut? The leather I used didn’t stick tight enough to the transfer paper.
Beth says
Hi Nikki! Are you asking for the Cricut Maker? This was done using the Explore Air which has the SmartSet Dial – and I used the deep cut blade.
jess says
How did you create the word necklace?
Beth says
Hey Jess! I did a blog post on them. Here you go! https://www.thekingstonhome.com/blog/cutting-custom-materials-with-cricut-explore-diy-necklaces
Emily says
Can you use leather that’s not from Cricut?
Beth says
Hey Emily! Sorry – didn’t see this comment until now! You sure can – the leather I used for all of these projects I got from etsy! 🙂
Yvonne says
How thick of leather can you use on the Cricket?
Beth Kingston says
The maker cuts 3/32nds of an inch. I usually cut thinner leather (like for the earrings), but I’ve seen lots of projects using actual tooling leather that cut like a dream! 🙂
Becky Araoz says
Hi Beth
I had a Cricut Expression that I just sold along with cartridges bc I want to save up and get Either the Cricut Maker or the Cricut Air 2 My main use would be cutting leather, could you give me advice on which would be best?
Beth Kingston says
Hi Becky! If you are wanting to cut thicker materials I would 100% go for the Maker. It has more pressure than the Air 2 and also has a variety of blades (like the knife blade and rotary blade). With the Air 2 you are limited to the fine point and deep cut blades.
Kim says
I have Cricut Explore Air 2, a deep cutting blade, and transfer tape. Set dial to Custom, chose Genuine Leather and cut. Cut nicely, but it cut all the way through the transfer tape. Hard to remove leather from transfer tape this way. Any ideas?
Beth Kingston says
Hey Kim! I’m so sorry – for some reason I didn’t get notice of your comment! Have you tried the faux letter setting? That might cut it just enough to not cut the transfer tape?
Lisa says
Can you please share the svg for the fringe earrings? The link shared previously didn’t work. Thank you!
Beth Kingston says
Lisa I am so sorry for the delay…for some reason I am not getting comment notifications! I just tried the link and it worked for me, but I was also able to find it by just typing earrings in the search bar in Design Space (the image is a woman’s ear with a grey tassel earring). I hope that helps!
LRC says
Hi soi have a chrome and the link was unsupported (this one : https://design.cricut.com/#/design/new/projects/project-detail/57564e45ee508efa43325d1a) so is there something i can look up in design space that will give me the tassel earrings?