Ceiling Fan with Vinyl Accents

After months of incessant whining, it seems only fair I should post something craft-related for a change.  Unfortunately, I had to go way back in time to find something that I had actually completed.  We'll just call it a "vintage" creation.

A few years ago the ceiling fan in my granddaughter's bedroom stopped functioning.  (Yes, it took me that long to post this.)  Anyway, we took her shopping for a new one, but as usual, the price-gouging for child-themed products was alive and well.  I wasn't going to participate.

We found a basic white fan that was within our budget.  Not one to enjoy seeing a child's dreams crushed, I convinced my granddaughter that we could dress it up with my Cricut and vinyl.  I would let her choose the designs, and I promised it would be cuter than any of those we had seen in the store.  (Until they reach the teenage years, children are pretty easy to please.)

From the Cricut cartridge Create a Critter she chose five animals.  I measured the blades of the fan to determine what size to cut each critter and its accessory.  I then cut all the layers from vinyl and used clear Contact paper (instead of transfer tape) to layer the pieces and apply the finished designs to the fan.

I swear it didn't take me as long to complete the project as it did to post it to my blog.  A lot of life has happened since I took this picture.  The fan blades are caked with dust.  Light bulbs have been replaced.  My granddaughter graduated from elementary school.  But the vinyl is still going strong.

Update 8/30/2015:  My granddaughter recently removed the vinyl and it took the finish off the fan blades.  I was able to slap a couple coats of paint over the blades and make it almost as good as new, but I wanted to warn anyone who might stumble across this post.

Disney Photo Flip Book

I was offered a free photo flip book and thought, "What the heck...fewer photos to scrap!"   The finished product with its plain clear cover was crying out for some embellishment.  My huge vinyl stash was also crying out for attention.  I was feeling lazy.  It was either this or housecleaning.

 

I sat at my computer (that's always easy) and designed a frame using Cricut Craft Room Basics (again, no need to leave my chair) and Mickey Font. 

 

From CCR Basics I chose a rectangle and circle (can't believe there's no basic oval in CCR Basics!) then resized and reshaped them to fit my cover.  The now-oval shape was placed in the center of the rectangle to create the cutout, the Mickey Font letters and date were lined up along the bottom of the opening, then everything was welded together.  After cutting the vinyl using the kiss-cut method, I used clear contact paper to transfer the overlay onto the photo book cover.   Could it have been made fancier?  Sure, but not by me.

 

As God is my witness, I'll use my vinyl stash one 4x6 piece at a time.