Looking to bring the magic of Santa Claus to your home this year? Santa’s Magic Key sign is an easy DIY that you can make with your Cricut and a little imagination. 

Looking for a magic key idea for Santa? Grab one of my personalized Santa’s Magic Key ornaments for your tree.

To get started with this craft, you will need a Cricut and this SVG file. This will make the design for your sign. We actually are going to build this sign from scratch using wood from Hobby Lobby. 

Santa’s Magic Key Cricut Download File

How to make the sign:

You will need wood, a craft knife, paint, paintbrushes and sponge brushes, and a hot glue gun to make the sign. You can find wood at your craft store in the following measurements:

• (2) ⅜” x 1 ½” x 7 ¾” (Sides)
• (2) ⅜” x 1 ½” x 5 ½” (Sides)
• (1) ⅜” x 7 ¾” x 6” (Face)

Once the wood is cut for your sign, paint the wood with a brush.

You could also stain (for a lighter color wipe the stain off quickly or leave on longer for a darker stain). Glue wood together. Once the wood has been cut and painted, you can being to assemble the sign.

Place the face piece of the wood flat on a surface with the paint side face down. Grab the side pieces and glue to the back of the face edge to edge. Ensure the glue keeps the sides together as well. 

Glue the ribbon around the edges of the side next. Make sure that the ribbon is perfectly straight. Start at any corner and glue down firmly. Pull the ribbon tight to the next corner and glue down.

Pro tip: Glue small sections at a time so that the hot glue does not dry before pressing the ribbon firmly to sign edge. Make sure the ribbon is nice and tightly stretched outside the sign. 

How to make the design on the sign: 

Load the SVG file in the design space. Hit “make it” button. 

Santa’s Magic Key Cricut Download File

Apply the vinyl to the cutting mat, and load the mat into the machine. Once sized accordingly, adjust your machine’s setting or material dial to washi sheet with more pressure.

Load the Oracle 651 (permanent vinyl) to your Cricut machine on the cutting grip map. Hit go! 

After the cut is complete, begin to pull away the negative vinyl. Use your weeding tool, and you will “weed” around the outside of the letters and small parts inside any letter that is enclosed (for example, an e or an o). 

With the wedding complete, cut off a piece of transfer paper the size of your cut vinyl. Apply to vinyl. This process will make it so your vinyl can come off the plastic backing and onto your project’s surface. 

When working with a big design, start by pulling the plastic backing off a little at a time and use a scraper tool (an old gift card works fine too!) to get the transfer paper to lay smooth on the design.

Next, turn the entire design facing downward and begin to gently pull the vinyl’s plastic backing off and away from the transfer paper. Start at the corner and roll it away slowly as you apply pressure. When the vinyl has been successfully transferred, you will be able to see through the transfer paper with vinyl attached.

How to apply the vinyl to the sign:

Find the right side of the front of your wooden side. You need to make sure that you leave enough space on the left side of the side so that you can screw a hook into it and hang Santa’s key. Lay the transfer with vinyl lightly on top of the wood sign. Be careful to not pull it too tight! We don’t want to distort the vinyl and have air bubbles. 

Do not apply pressure until you are happy with the placement. Once you like the positioning, apply pressure and smooth it over the design using a scraper tool. Once enough pressure has been applied, you can slowly remove the transfer paper. Start at a corner and carefully roll it away and off of the wood. The vinyl will remain on your sign. 

Pro tip: Some of the letters are tiny in the design. Be extra careful when you remove it. Feel free to use your scraper tool to help it along at times. Wedge it under the transfer paper while holding down the letter and use your other hand to roll transfer paper away. A blow dryer can help too by applying heat. 

How to add the key

Screw the hook on the left side of the vinyl text. Hang Santa’s Magic Key on the hook and display!  

Yield: 1 sign

Santa's Magic Key Sign

Print

Make this cute sign for Santa's magic key!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Difficulty Easy

Estimated Cost $10

Materials

For the sign:

• Wood (I used craft wood found at hobby lobby)
• *(2) ⅜” x 1 ½” x 7 ¾” (Sides)
• *(2) ⅜” x 1 ½” x 5 ½” (Sides)
• *(1) ⅜” x 7 ¾” x 6” (Face)
• Wood Craft Knife or Utility Knife (table saw or hand saw if desired)
• Paint
• 2oz craft smart white acrylic paint (can also use stain if desired)
• Paint brushes and sponge brushes
• Hot Glue Gun

For the vinyl design:

• Cricut or other cutting machine with access to design program (We used design space)
• Blue or Green Grip Mat
• Weeding Tool
• Scraper Tool
• Oracle 651 Vinyl (color of your choice)
• Transfer Tape
• Small Screw Hook
• Decorative Key or Santa's Magic Key Christmas ornament from my shop
• Ribbon (We used Christmas Ribbon (1.5 in x 30 ft)

Instructions

Assemble the Sign First

1. Paint Wood. If you bought wood that is not cut to size, you can do that now. Craft wood can be cut easily with a wood knife or a utility knife, but you can use a saw if needed.
2. Once the wood is cut, paint the wood first with a brush. You can stain it (wipe off quickly for a light color or let it sit for a little bit for a darker color).
3. Glue wood together. When the wood is cut and painted, you can assemble the sign.
4. First, place the face piece of wood flat on a surface paint down.
5. Next, grab the side pieces and glue to the back of the face edge to edge.
6. While gluing sides down, ensure to glue the sides together as well.
7. The paint side will be face down while you glue the sides on.
8. Glue the ribbon around the sides of the sign.
9. To start, put the ribbon around the outside of the sign and ensure you have a clean straight end to the ribbon.
10. Start the ribbon at any corner and glue firmly.
11. Next, pull the ribbon tight to the next corner and glue one each edge the entire length of the ribbon while pressing firmly.
12. To be safe, glue little sections at a time so hot glue does not dry before pressing ribbon firmly to sign edge.
13. Ensure the ribbon is nice and tightly stretched around outside of the sign.

Design and Add the Vinyl

1. See the Design Space screenshots for assistance in setting up.
2. Load SVG file in Design Space.
3. Hit the make it button.
4. Apply vinyl to the cutting mat.
5. Load mat into the machine.
6. Once sized accordingly, adjust your machine's setting or material dial to washi sheet with more pressure. Load the oracle 651 (this is permanent vinyl) to your machine on the cutting grip mat and hit “go”.
7. After the cut is complete, begin to pull the negative vinyl off and away from the letters using your weeding tool (looks like a dentist pick). This process is called weeding and you will weed around the outside of the letters and small parts inside any letter that is enclosed (ex. a, e, o).
8. Now that the weeding is complete, cut off a piece of transfer paper the size of your cut vinyl and apply it to the vinyl. This will be done to help get your vinyl off the vinyl plastic backing and onto your project's surface.
9. Since working with a big design, you have to be extra careful to get the transfer paper to lay smooth on the design.
10. Start off by pulling the plastic backing off a little at a time and using my scraper tool (or old gift card) down the vinyl.
11. Next, turn the entire design facing downwards and begin gently pulling the vinyl plastic backing off and away from the transfer paper. Start at a corner and roll it away slowly while applying pressure is best.
12. When the vinyl has been successfully transferred, you will be able to see through the transfer paper with vinyl attached.

Apply Vinyl

1. Find the right side of the front of your wood sign. 
2. Be sure to leave enough space on the left side to screw hook into the sign and have the ability to hang Santa's key.
3. Lay the transfer with vinyl lightly on top of the wood sign. Do not pull too tight when laying it down. This can distort the vinyl and leave you with air bubbles later on.
4. Do not apply pressure or smooth down the design until you are 100% happy with the location. If happy with the location, you can begin to apply pressure and smooth over the design using your scraper tool.
5. Once enough pressure had been applied, slowly remove the transfer paper by starting at a corner and very carefully and slowly rolling it away and off the wood. The vinyl will remain on your project.
6. Some letters on this design are small. Be careful when removing and apply and use your scraper tool to help it along at times by wedging it under the transfer paper while holding down the letter and using your other hand to roll the transfer paper away.
7. Screw hook on the left side of vinyl text.
8. Hang Santa’s Magic Key on the hook.
9. Celebrate!

Did you make this project?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

  

This easy Christmas craft is fun to make for a gift or as a special home decor idea. The magic of Santa can be seen with this special key.

 

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