This year in my Etsy store, I offered customized wedding Christmas ornaments. Customers were able to send me a photo, which I used to create an illustration to insert into a clear glass ornament. While I learned that it was more work than I had anticipated, it gave me a chance to practice with a couple different kinds of printable vinyl.

This will work with any image that you can import into MTC for a print and cut, such as my little Doxie Christmas Mistletoe image here.

Materials:

1. Sheet of overhead transparency
2. Insert file from MTC gallery. Import “Christmas Ornament Insert”
3. Printable Vinyl (I like Papilo brand glossy)
4. Make The Cut software
5. Red Capped Blade
6. Clear Glass Ornament (I use Hobby Lobby 2.5 inch ornaments)
7. Ribbon
8. Glue gun
9. Faux snow (Optional)

Settings for KNK Zing

•  For transparency:

1. Force – 100
2. Speed – 10
3. Multicut – 3

• For vinyl:

1. Force – 18
2. Speed – 10
3. Multicut – 1

Steps:

1. Cut insert from sheet of transparency.
2. Import image into MTC and do pixel trace. Threshold should be set around 250. Don’t forget to check Texturize and Blackout.
3. Make sure the paper size is set correctly. Select the appropriate kind of paper in your printer software.  If using glossy vinyl, you’ll want to choose something like glossy photo paper.
4. Set the print quality at normal. Make sure you have registration marks set to print in MTC.
5. Check print preview to make sure everything looks as it should. Print.
6. Make sure you let the printed image dry thoroughly. The vinyl I used required 30 minutes to dry enough to cut.
7. Complete print and cut.
8. Carefully peel your image from backing and adhere to transparency insert.
9. If desired, add a little faux snow to the inside of the ornament.
10. Roll transparency and carefully insert into glass ornament.
11. Create bow and hot glue to top of ornament.