Cricut Christmas Ornament Tutorial: DIY Personalized Vinyl Disk Ornaments

Making Christmas Ornaments with Cricut

A simple and thoughtful Cricut vinyl project for making personalized Christmas ornaments for friends, coworkers, family, or your own tree.

Last year I made personalized Christmas ornaments with my Cricut Maker 3 and gave them to coworkers and friends.

They turned out so pretty, and they were such a hit that I knew I wanted to make more. I love projects like this because they feel personal without being too complicated. A name, a date, a little vinyl design, and suddenly a plain ornament feels like a keepsake.

I used clear or frosted round disk ornaments and added vinyl designs to the outside. You can keep them simple with names, or make them more festive with snowflakes, little trees, paw prints, quotes, or dates.

This is also a nice Cricut project if you are still learning. It gives you practice with vinyl, weeding, transfer tape, and applying designs, but it does not have to be perfect to be sweet.

Supplies for Cricut Vinyl Ornaments

Here is what I used to make my personalized vinyl ornaments.

• A Cricut cutting machine, such as the Cricut Maker 3 or another model
• Clear plastic, glass, or frosted round disk ornaments
• Permanent adhesive vinyl
• Transfer tape
• Weeding tools
• Scraper tool or an old credit card
• Ribbon or twine for hanging
• Rubbing alcohol for cleaning the ornament surface
• Optional faux snow, glitter, or mini decorations for inside the ornaments

I would keep your first few ornaments simple. A name or small design is easier to weed and apply than tiny detailed lettering.

How to Make Personalized Cricut Ornaments

This is the basic process I use for making vinyl Christmas ornaments.

1. Clean the ornament. Wipe the outside of each ornament with rubbing alcohol and let it dry completely. This helps the vinyl stick better.
2. Create your design. In Cricut Design Space, design your name, quote, date, or small holiday graphic.
3. Size the design. Measure the flat part of your ornament so the design fits without wrapping too far around the edges.
4. Cut the vinyl. Place permanent vinyl on your cutting mat and cut the design with your Cricut.
5. Weed the vinyl. Remove the extra vinyl around the design and inside letters.
6. Add transfer tape. Place transfer tape over the weeded design and rub it down with a scraper.
7. Apply the vinyl. Peel the backing away and carefully place the design on the ornament.
8. Smooth it down. Use your fingers or scraper to press the vinyl onto the ornament and remove any bubbles.
9. Peel slowly. Slowly remove the transfer tape at an angle.
10. Finish the ornament. Add ribbon or twine to the top. Add faux snow, glitter, or tiny decorations inside if you want.

If the vinyl lifts with the transfer tape, press it back down and rub over that spot again before peeling more slowly.

Personalization Ideas

These ornaments are easy to customize, which is what makes them such nice handmade gifts.

Names:
First names, family names, or teacher names

Dates:
The year, a wedding date, or baby’s first Christmas

Pets:
Pet names, paw prints, or little bone shapes

Holiday phrases:
Joy, Noel, Merry Christmas, or Let It Snow

More ideas to try

• Our First Christmas
• Baby’s First Christmas
• Family name ornaments
• Coworker gifts with names and the year
• Small snowflakes or Christmas trees
• Simple monograms

Tips for Better Vinyl Ornaments

• Measure first: It is easier to size the design before cutting than to realize it is too big later.
• Keep designs simple: Simple designs are easier to weed, transfer, and apply smoothly.
• Use high-contrast colors: White, black, gold, or silver vinyl can show up nicely on clear ornaments.
• Go slowly with transfer tape: Curved or glossy surfaces can be a little tricky.
• Try reverse weeding: This can help if your letters are tiny or delicate.
• Let the vinyl sit: I like to let finished ornaments sit for a day before wrapping or gifting.

What I Learned Making These

The biggest thing I learned is that handmade gifts do not have to be complicated to feel thoughtful.

These ornaments were simple to make, but people really liked seeing their names on something made just for them. I think that is why Cricut projects can be so fun. You can take a plain item and turn it into something personal.

I also learned that small vinyl projects require patience. Tiny letters can be fussy, and transfer tape does not always cooperate the first time. But once you get into a rhythm, these ornaments are really enjoyable to make.

Gift Ideas for Cricut Ornaments

These ornaments make sweet little gifts for all kinds of people.

• Coworker gifts
• Teacher gifts
• Neighbor gifts
• Stocking stuffers
• Gift tags tied onto wrapped presents
• Family ornament sets
• Small remembrance ornaments
• Pet lover gifts

A simple ribbon and small gift box can make these feel extra special without adding much cost or effort.

Simple Wrap-Up

Cricut vinyl ornaments are such a sweet holiday project. They are personal, pretty, and useful as gifts, tree decorations, or package toppers.

I had so much fun making these for coworkers and friends last year, and I plan to make even more. It is the kind of project that feels festive without being overwhelming, which is exactly what I like during the busy holiday season.

If you enjoyed this project, you might also like my Cricut Maker 3 beginner review, my Cricut pantry labels, or more of my Cricut posts and craft posts.

If you try this project, I would love to hear what kind of ornaments you make.

Sensibly and simply yours,
Kat

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