Chic for Cheap: DIY Escort Cards and Favors!
Updated: Aug 2, 2020
Here at Brandi Tatianõ Life Events, we know that beautiful things don’t have to cost a fortune. We believe that you can have a gorgeous wedding with an understated budget, and because of this belief, we’ve released a new episode in our Chic for Chic DIY series.
This week’s challenge: personalized escort cards that can be used for place settings, seating chart displays, and can even be used as favors! Let's bring the glam while also saving your budget — let’s get crafting!
I have included a list of materials and prices below; anything without a price listed is something that I already owned.
Materials Needed:
Blank Coasters (3 for $30)
Love, Nicole Adhesive Vinyl in Metallic Rose Gold
Start by measuring your coasters so you know how much surface area you have available to you. My square coasters measured 4” x 4” and my round coasters measured a 4” diameter.
I knew that I wanted a combination of Script and Serif fonts so I browsed DaFont.com until I found two fonts that I liked. DaFont.com allows you to download fonts for both personal and professional use. Each font denotes how its creator intended it to be used so be sure to read the notes.
Once you have downloaded your fonts, go to your downloads folder and locate your files. Your downloaded font should appear in a zipped folder. Right-click on the folder and select “Extract All.” Once you’ve clicked Extract All, select where you would like the downloaded fonts to be stored after extraction. Access the location where you set the downloaded fonts to be stored and open the file. Select install and your font will be installed into your computer.
Now that you have your fonts downloaded and installed, begin setting up your design layout in the Cricut Design Space. Access the Cricut Design Space and create a new project. For the first names, I chose a font named Olive and set the size to 40. For the last names, I chose a font named Georgia. I set the first initial to a size 63 and the remaining letters to a size 40.
Once you are happy with the layout of the design and the size of the fonts, press control and the letter A (Ctrl + A) at the same time to select all elements of your project. Once all elements have been selected, make sure your fonts line-type is set to cut, then select attach to ensure that your project cuts exactly as it is displayed on your screen and save your project.
Now that your design is saved, it’s time to prep your materials. I used the Love, Nicole Adhesive Vinyl in Metallic Rose Gold but you can use any vinyl of your choice. Cut your vinyl into your desired length and secure it to your Standard Grip Cricut Mat. Be sure to apply the vinyl smoothly and to ensure it aligns with the mat’s guidelines.
With your mat prepped, revisit the Cricut Design Space and select Make It. This will signal your Cricut that it is time to start your project.
Turn your Cricut’s dial to vinyl and then press the flashing double arrow to load the mat into the Cricut. Once the mat has been loaded, press the flashing C button to begin the cut.
Once your cut has been completed, press the flashing double arrow to unload the mat from your Cricut. To remove the vinyl from your mat without curling its edges, flip the mat over and roll it back from the vinyl’s edge. Hold the vinyl down with one hand while rolling the mat back until your vinyl is released.
Once you have separated your vinyl from your mat, press down to ensure that your now cut vinyl is still firmly attached to the vinyl’s backing. Lift one edge of your vinyl and peel it off of its paper backing. And while doing it, be careful to keep your cut text attached to the paper backing.
Once you have peeled off the remaining vinyl scraps, you should be left with your cut text attached to the paper backing. Weed the negative spaces where vinyl remains.
Cut a piece of the Cricut Transfer Tape to an appropriate size and then peel the backing off of the tape. Place your transfer tape on top of your design and use your scraper to press down on the tape to ensure the cut text is adhering to the transfer tape.
Once you have your cut text stuck to the transfer tape, carefully release your tape from the vinyl’s paper backing and position it over the top of your coaster. Play with its layout and be sure that it is centered before moving on.
Now that you are happy with the position of your text on the coaster, use your scraper to press down on the tape to transfer the cut text into the coaster. Be careful to ensure that your cut text is being fully transferred to the coaster and that no portion of your cut text still adheres to the transfer tape.
Once you have successfully transferred your cut text into the coaster, use your scraper to ensure that your cut text is fully attached to the coaster. Repeat this process until all of your coasters are complete.
If you would like to view a video of the tutorial you can check out our YouTube here. Be sure to let us know how your escort cards turned out in the comments and tag us in your pictures on Instagram @BrandiTatiano_LifeEvents! Happy crafting!