Print then Cut Mother's Day Card • Lydia Watts

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We’ve had two bird families build nests in the eaves of our front porch this spring. One nest has two baby birds, and the eggs in the other nest are just starting to hatch! These new moms inspired me when creating this Mother’s Day card.

This card uses print then cut Print then Cut for the birds, nest, and patterned background piece. My friend Mike from DeZines by Em just released these beautiful new floral patterns that coordinate beautifully with a variety of images. They are available for purchase at DesignBundles.

If you take out the sentiment I used and use the one I have hidden in the layers panel (made with a free writing font), this card will cut for free.

Here’s the link to this project. (Here’s my video that shows how to open shared Design Space projects.) Keep reading for more information about this project and assembly tips.

Supplies I Used

White cardstock (for print then cut)
Cardstock
Cricut Pen (Moccasin)
Double-Sided E-Z Runner Grand Adhesive Dispenser
Glue Dots (Mini)
3D Foam Squares

Setting Up the Project

If using a pattern, upload it to Design Space before starting the project.

To make the card base, insert a square from the Shapes panel. Unlock the padlock and set the width to 5.5″ and the height to 8.5″. (This will make an A2 size card.)

Next, insert a score line from the shapes panel. Rotate the line 90 degrees and stretch it to fit across the card. Select the score line and the card base, click Align>Center, and attach.

Next, insert a square, unlock the padlock, and size it to be a little smaller than the front of the card.

Add a smaller square for the next layer, and use a pattern if desired. To add a pattern, change the Fill to Print, and under Print type, select Pattern. This help article from Cricut has more information on using and editing patterns.

After selecting Pattern for the print type, choose a pattern. These will either be patterns you have uploaded or ones that are already in Design Space. (Be patient, as it may take a few seconds for the patterns to load.) I used one of the DeZines by Em patterns I uploaded.

These Print then Cut birds from the Enjoy the Seasons image set are currently free in Design Space right now. They are available as separate (layered) printable images, or as one layered images. There are also other coordinating birds that could be used. I chose the layered version and duplicated one of the birds to make a baby sister.

To make a frame for the top square, put a white square on top of a brown square, select both layers, and flatten. Using Print then Cut this way will give the look of a mat without added bulk.

Add the sentiment. I used a written Anna Griffin sentiment which is included in Cricut Access. I have also included a sentiment created with a free font with a writing style, Cricut Sans. This one is hidden in the layers panel. Don’t forget to attach the sentiment to the flattened image.

Print then Cut the Project

Print then cut makes this little project go together quickly. If you use a pattern for one of the layers, there will only be three mats to cut. Note that the pen will need to be inserted before cutting the first layer as the sentiment goes on one of the printed pieces.