Craft Blocks

I'm posting this mostly to show Jared's Mom and Andrea how my blocks turned out. Blogging was easier than e-mailing. For the rest of you, you might enjoy this idea for your home anyway. Over the Christmas break, Andrea let us use her vinyl cutter to make various projects. She has the Silhouette vinyl cutter which has a main advantage over the Cricut machine...you don't need different cartridges for different graphics. All the graphics and fonts on my blocks were things I hand selected (and the graphics I found with image searches online). There's my advertising plug for the Silhouette machine.

Anyway, one project was to create a countdown system for different events. I chose to do a countdown for birthdays. The other project was for seasonal blocks. Each project was done by using modge podge, scrapbook paper, marker, and vinyl on wood blocks.

Tips I learned from making these blocks:
1. Test to see if your marker runs by marking a scrap paper and putting modge podge on top (one of my markers smeared).
2. Marker does not stick to vinyl, so if you get marker on the vinyl wipe it off with a cotton ball (when I wiped with my finger the marker smeared onto the paper).
3. Consider adding the black distressed look to the blocks as a first step. I had a hard time not getting the black paint on the paper.
4. Use new modge podge (I used some new and some old stuff and the paper wrinkled when I used the old).

Thank you very much Andrea for the vinyl and the instructions!!