Make a beautiful banner with Cricut and a FREE SVG file.

 

Are you looking for an easy but pretty decoration for an upcoming party? Grab your Cricut and keep on reading.

I will show you how to make a banner for a birthday party, baby shower, wedding, graduation, or simple wall decor for your rooms.

I created a set of FREE SVG banners for this tutorial, but I’ll also want to show you how to use the shapes and fonts available in Cricut Design Space. So you can create your own unique decor anytime.

Let’s jump into it, and let’s create a beautiful banner today. 

 

What I used to make my banner with Cricut

Please note that this article contains affiliate links.  Please see my full disclosure and privacy policy for more info.

 

I used my Cricut Maker, but your Explore or Joy will work perfectly with this banner project. We are going to cut only cardstock today.

 

How to make a banner with Cricut step by step

I’ll show you 3 different ways to make your banners.

• Using a Free SVG already designed for you. You’ll need to make minimal adjustments only before cutting the banners.
• Using shapes in Cricut Design Space to make seasonal banners. Easter is coming up so let’s design a banner with an egg shape.
• Making a Birthday banner with Cricut fonts. Let’s learn how to add and slice fonts to your banners.

 

Let’s start with the easiest one.

Download my Free banners SVG and save it in a folder where you think it is easy to find later.

 

1. Upload Files and prepare for cutting

After saving your file on your computer, open up Cricut Design Space.

• Click on New Project.
• Click on Upload an image. 
• Click on Browse and look for the FREE boho banner SVG file you downloaded from my library.  You can also use any SVG file you previously saved on your computer for this project.
• Click on Save.

Your SVG file is uploaded in the Design Space, and you are ready to resize it and make some adjustments if needed.

This new image will appear under “Recently uploaded images.”

• Click on the uploaded banners image and click on insert images. You’ll find it in the lower right corner. (This will bring you to a new window with the mat and your design).

 

Now that you are in the Canvas area, let’s customized the banners. 

 

2. Choose your style from the 2 banner shapes

The Free banner template came with a flag and a triangle set, and 3 different designs.

The feather for the beginning of the banner, followed by the letters (that we will make together in the following steps), then finishing your banner with the hearts.

But Houston, we have a problem! They are grouped, and we can’t add any letters to them.

 

3. Ungroup the banner templates

Layered SVG files come grouped by default.

• Click on Ungroup on the right top of the screen. Now you have all parts separate. Let’s say you want to use the flag shapes today.
• Delete the triangles. You can select them by left click, hold and drag, creating a box around them.
• Then press Delete on your computer.

Now you got 6 flag shapes—3 full white for the background and 3 top layers. We will add the letters of your choice on the yellow banner in the circle.

 

4. Duplicate the banner

I chose the word SHINE, which is 5 letters, so I need to make 4 more copies of my original banner.

• Click on the banner and drag it down to the bottom of the Canvas. So you can see them better and have a clean Canvas space to work on.
• Click on the shape again.
• Click on Duplicate located on the right top of the Canvas. Top of the layers section.
• Make as many copies as needed for your chosen word.

Did you notice that there is a white banner under the yellow one? We will use it later as our background. Don’t delete it.

 

5. Add text to the banners

We are ready to add text and customize our banners.

• Click on Text. You’ll find the text icon on the left side of the Canvas, as shown in the picture above.
• Type your chosen word in the box. The cursor will be in the box by default. Once you start typing, it might be on top of your design, but don’t worry, we will move it later.
• Choose your favorite font by clicking on the font box. It is located on the top left of the Canvas.

 

Extra tip: If you make smaller banners, which most likely is the case try to choose fonts with the body. Not too thin and not too script. This way, you will make sure that your Cricut will cut it perfectly.

I chose the Zoo Day font. It’s funky and the perfect match for a boho banner.

I know I know you might not see this option in your Design Space. It’s because not all fonts are free.

The good news is to access cool fonts; you can sign up for Cricut Access. It worth it if you use your Cricut often because all the fonts and various projects are included in your membership and free to use.

If you decide not to sign up, you can still use your favorite fonts, but you’ll need to pay for it before cutting the project.

 

6. Place and resize the letters in the banner

Once you write, the whole word is grouped, and you cannot position them one by one to each banner.

So here are the steps:

• Click on the word and click on Ungroup icon, located on the layers section’s top right. Most of the time, you have to ungroup the letters twice.
• Move 1 letter in 1 banner.

 

• Resize the letters to fit perfectly into the circles.

 

7. Weld each letter and banner together

We are almost ready to send our project to cut.

I like to make sure that my letters are aligned with the banner before I weld them.

• Select the banner and the letter by click and drag a box around them.
• Click on Align on the top center of your screen.
• Click on Center Horizontally.
• Repeat with each banner.

I align only horizontally in this project. You can play around and see what the other options are, but get ready that your letter will move out of the circle.

Once you are happy with each banner’s look, let’s connect the letters to them, so Cricut will understand they belong together.

Welding is super simple. 

• Select the banner and the letter by click and drag a box around them.
• Click on Weld on the bottom right of the Canvas.
• Repeat with each banner.

 

8. Duplicate white banner

You got all your top banners together!

Your Free banner SVG template includes 3 white copy. Depends on how many letters your chosen word has, make copies of the white ones.

Example: My word is SHINE. Plus, I will use the feather and the heart banners too. In total, I will need 7 white copies.

Remember how to duplicate? You did it on the 4th step of this tutorial.

• Click on the white banner.
• Click on Duplicate located on the right top of the Canvas. Top of the layers section.
• Make as many copies as needed for your chosen word.
• Organize banners by clicking and dragging them to place.

 

9. Choose the colors

Choosing colors doesn’t have to be exactly the same as the color of the cardstock.

• Click or Select a banner.
• Click on the color box on the top. It’s located next to “CUT” on top of your canvas.
• Change the color.
• Repeat with the other banners.

You don’t want to skip this step, though. You are giving the “signal” to Design Space that the same color banners have to be cut together on the same cardstock.

 

10. Cutting instructions for cardstock banners

Yeeey! We got this far. You are ready to cut the pretty banners.

• Click on make it on the top right corner of the canvas.

The original size of the banners in my SVG file is 3.7″ by 4.7″. They are not too big, but not too small either. BUT remember, your mat is 12 X 12, and you probably chose few different colors also.

So once you click on Make it, you’ll see how many mats you will need to finish the project.

I used only 1 mat. Cons of using 1 mat that after each cut you need to weed the project. Then clean the mat to prepare it for the next cut. The scraper will be your best friend for scraping off the unwanted cardstock from the mat.

If you want to save time and clean later, grab a pack of standard mats here. 

On the next screen, Cricut will give you the option to select material and blade before sending your project to cut.

• Click on Browse all materials and choose cardstock. I used medium weight cardstock for the top layers and white glitter cardstock for the bottom ones. 
• Make sure that the fine point blade is installed in your Cricut.

You can add materials to your Favorites, so you find them easier the next time.

 

11. Prepare mat and cardstock for cutting

• Place the cardstock on the mat. 
• Use the roller to smooth out any bubbles between the material and the mat.
• Load your mat into the Cricut. The arrow on your machine will blink. That’s when you tap on it.
• Press the make it button.
• Cricut Design Space will tell you when it finished the project.

 

Extra tip: I left the glitter on the top; however, some crafters prefer to place the glitter cardstock face down. If you decide to do this, you’ll need to turn on the MIRROR option before cutting. 

 

12. Peeling and weeding your banners

To avoid your cards curling up or break:

• Turn your project upside down. Now the mat is on the top.
• Slowly peel the mat away from the cardstock at a 45 angle.

 

Now your banners are about to come to life.

Weeding is the process where you remove all “negative” pieces you don’t need for the banner.

You can remove the pieces by bending the mat and/or use your scraper.

My tip: I started with bending the mat. It removed the big pieces I didn’t need, but my banners were still sticking on the mat. I grabbed a scraper and slowly pushed it under the card. This slow sliding movement lifted the card without any tear.

 

13. Prepare mat and cut the next set

If you have only 1 mat, scrape off all leftover pieces, place a new cardstock on the mat, load, and cut. Repeat until Cricut finish with all of them.

 

14. Glue banners and decorate

• Pair one background with one colored banner and glue them together.
• Make sure the holes for the twine align together.
• Glue the arrow and the letter to the center of the circle.

 

So there are 2 ways to use my Free SVG banner file. You can use the negative (circles) with the white background like the above picture shows.

Or glue the arrow and the letters in the banner with a circle.

If you choose to use, both versions go ahead and cut more white banners with your Cricut.

 

Use the twine or a pretty ribbon and connect the pieces and decorate your party or room right away!

 

Make a seasonal banner using Cricut shapes.

 

I hope you got enough practice with the SVG file and ready to play with shapes.

Easter is almost here, and I think making a banner with egg shapes is the perfect craft project for today.

We will use the same tools and materials as in the previous tutorial. The only thing you need to do is open up Cricut Design Space and click on New Project. 

 

1. Choose the circle shape and edit

Let’s make our first Egg shape.

• Click on shapes. You find the icon on the left of the canvas. It will bring up a little window.
• Click on the circle. This will insert your first shape on the canvas.
• Select the circle to see a box around it.
• Unlock the circle shape by clicking on the locker. It is located on the box’ left bottom corner.
• To create an egg shape, click and drag on the 4 arrows icon on the bottom right.

 

2. Customize, add text, and duplicate shapes

Let’s use what you learned in the first banner tutorial.

Add text:

• Click on Text. You’ll find the text icon on the left side of the Canvas.
• Type your chosen word in the box. The cursor will be in the box by default. Once you start typing, it might be on top of your design, but don’t worry, we will move it later.
• Choose your favorite font by clicking on the font box. It is located on the top left of the Canvas.

I chose the “boys will be boys” font. It is colorful and fits my Easter banner perfectly. I might change the colors later, but for now, choose one font that you like.

Duplicate the eggs:

• Click on the egg.
• Click on Duplicate located on the right top of the Canvas. Top of the layers section.
• Make as many copies as needed for your chosen word.
• Organize banners by clicking and dragging them to place.

I wrote EASTER, and I made 6 copies. I made 2 more and saved them on the bottom of my canvas. They might come in handy later. 😉

 

3. Ungroup, resize, and edit letters.

• Click on the word and click on Ungroup icon, located on the layers section’s top right. Most of the time, you have to ungroup the letters twice.
• Move 1 letter in 1 egg.
• Resize the letters if you think they need to be bigger or smaller.

 

4. Change colors and organize your banner

Once each letter has its egg, you can change colors. I decided to cut each egg from different colors, and all my letters will be cut from the white glittery cardstock. 

 

5. Make a “cracked egg” with shapes

This step is totally up to you. I thought my Easter banner would look super cute if I add a cracked egg to the beginning and the end.

Now that you learned how to Weld, you can easily create this fun-looking shape by adding diamonds to the 2 egg copies you saved before.

• Click on Shape and choose the diamond.
• Most likely, you’ll need to resize it to make it smaller.
• Click and drag the diamond into the egg.
• Make 3-4 copies by clicking on Duplicate, and arrange them to create a cracked shape.
• Select all diamonds. Click on one and SHIFT+click on each diamond.
• Once all selected, click on Weld.

Now you have all diamonds welded. Move it on top of the egg and select both by click and drag a box around them.

 

Slice and arrange shapes

• Click on Slice on the bottom right of the Canvas. (Next to Weld) The slice feature is a little weird. You will end up with pieces you don’t need.
• Click on each piece and drag them apart. 
• You will probably see 3-4 shapes. Keep the cracked egg.
• Delete the others.
• Arrange and align the full egg, and the cracked one.
• Change colors if you want.

 

6. Final touch-up and cutting the Easter banner.

You did it! You created a cool festive banner with shapes.

Before cutting, make sure they are the size you want and click on Make It. (My banners are around 4″ X 5″.)

Once all pieces are cut, weed and glue or tape them on twine. I think this banner looks amazing! 😉

 

How to make a unique birthday banner using Cricut fonts

The cool thing about Cricut Design Space is that there are fonts with 2 layers and different shapes.

Since I have Cricut Acces I can use them as part of the membership. It worth to be a member if you use Cricut often.

BUT, don’t worry; you still can use these fonts and purchase them before you cut your birthday banner.

 

1. Which fonts to use for the Happy Birthday banner

So here are some examples I think could be cool for banners:

• Country Life- banner
• Mini Monograms
• Mini Monograms- shape
• Scalloped Circle Monogram
• Shield Monogram
• Cricut Alphabet -Circle
• Dinosaur Tracks
• Apples Blck

I chose the Shield Monogram for this banner project.

 

2. Choose and write Cricut font

Follow the same step we did with the other banners:

• Click on Text on the left side of the Canvas.
• Type “Happy Birthday” in the box.
• Choose one of the fonts from the list above.

The Shield Monogram font I chose has a hidden layer, which we want. 😉

Look on the right side of that Canvas. You’ll see there is a yellow layer. To be able to edit it, click on the eye right next to it. Just like I show you in the above picture.

 

3. Ungroup and change colors.

So both of the layers are Grouped by default. But if you try to print it as is, you’ll receive an error message saying, “this project is not supported by your current machine selection.”

No worries, we will work around it.

• Select both layers by left click, hold and drag, creating a bow around them.
• Click on Ungroup on the right top screen.

Changing colors of individual letters, you have to Ungroup the layer again and click on each letter to change its color. This step is optional. I wanted to use 3 different colors for my top layer, so I decided to go with it.

• Click on the color box on the top. It’s located next to “CUT” on top of your canvas.
• Change the color.
• Repeat with the other banners.

 

4. Resize and send it to cut

These fonts come super small, and you might want to double-check if you are OK with the size.

I decided that I want bigger banners.

• Select all layers.
• Click on the little cross arrow on the left bottom of the box around the banners.

Once you are happy with the design, click on Make it.

You know the drill. Cut, weed, glue, and assemble your beautiful Happy Birthday banner.

This time I used tape to secure each piece to the twine.

 

How to use Cricut banners

Did you know that there are projects for you to use in Cricut Design?

These projects are ready to be cut. However, you can change colors, resize and make minor adjustments before cutting.

• Click on Projects on the left side of the screen.
• Write “banners” in the box next to the top of the canvas.
• Browse the projects.

Once you click on the one you want to make, you can read the supply list and the instructions on how to complete the craft.

 

How to make a banner with Cricut experience

Well, I loved making so many different banners!

I love that you can use all the colors of the rainbow since cardstock is available in different colors and materials. You can mix and match glitter, marble, or patterned cardstock too.

You can design different shapes, use various fonts, and finish your banners with a natural twine or silk ribbon.

Your imagination will allow you to create a unique decoration for any occasion, party, and home.

If you already own a Cricut making a banner will be one of your favorite crafts. Plus, the supplies are inexpensive for this project.

I hope you got inspired, and off you go crafting!

 

Ready for other Cricut craft projects?

Check out my other fun posts:

• Make vinyl labels for the pantry
• Make a T-shirt with iron-on vinyl.
• Choose the perfect decal size for making a shirt.

 

Lastly, don’t forget to PIN it so you can come back for the inspiration and full tutorial.