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DO YOU WANT TO LEARN HOW TO CREATE LAYERED MANDALA’S?

LEARN HOW TO MAKE AN IMAGE INTO MULTIPLE LAYERS – LET’S GO 3D!

Do you want to take the image you found in Cricut design space and make it 3D? Are you intimated by what you see people making online? Let me help you get past being intimated by others. Making 3D designs is not nearly as hard as it seems. The steps listed below will walk you through the process and enable you to push past that fear. You too can EASILY make your designs 3D.

FOLLOW THE STEPS BELOW to learn to change images you find in design space into multi-layered images in a few easy steps.

STEP 1 – Select a Mandala image in design space and place on canvas . I recommend starting with an easy image first to get a feel for how it works. Try Rabbit image #M129B6FAF

STEP 2– Once inserted Duplicate image into the number of colors you want, plus one. I started with 5 layers. But ended up adding one more for a total of 7 layers. You don’t have to do this many layers. Do 3 or 4 if you like.

STEP 3 – Select all and Center them on top of each other. It should now look like one image again. You should however see all 5 layers in layers panel on the right hand side.

STEP 4 – Select the bottom layer in the layers panel and highlight it.

STEP 5 – Select Contour in the lower right hand side of the layers panel. This should open up and show you an image of the Rabbit broke down into all of his different parts. Select Hide All Contours button in the lower right hand side. then select the X in the upper right hand side. You should now be back in design space and your Rabbit will be all black. Now go up to line type and change the color from black to another color. Say pink. Your Rabbit should now be pink with a blank outline. Good Job! Keep going. I suggest saving your work at this point so you don’t loose anything you have done so far.

STEP 6 – Select the layer directly above the pink layer. This time change the color first. Let’s pick the color yellow. Then, make sure layer is still highlighted select Contour again in the lower right hand corner. Select Hide All Counters button again. You can roll your mouse over the whole image and see the sections turn from light grey to dark grey. This is what you want. Now select his nose and his tongue by clicking on those areas with your mouse button. These areas should now have a darker grey outline. Click the X in the upper right hand corner. You should now be back in design space with a yellow Rabbit with a Pink Nose and Mouth. Great Job. Save work again.

STEP 7 – Select the layer directly above the yellow layer. Change this layer to blue. Now go back into contour. This time you decide what area’s you want blue. Be sure to select the piece on both sides of the image. When done, select X again. Are the pieces you selected blue. Perfect.

STEP 8 – Keep doing this until you have made your Rabbit look pleasing to you. You can always add or subtract layers by simply selecting the top unused layer and duplicating again. Just play around. The more you do it the more it will make sense. Be patient.

STEP 9 – Once you have selected all your colors be sure to save it again. Now is time to hit the Make It button. You should have 5 layers (or however many you decided on) colors of paper in your materials list. Cut them out and layer them on top of each other.

STEP 10 – Attach your layers. You can use foam or glue or both. It is up to you as this is your Rabbit. Your the artist and this is your very own design.

SO, YOU DID IT! YOU MADE YOUR FIRST LAYERED IMAGE!!! FEELS GREAT DOESN’T IT.

I hope that by following the simple steps listed above, that you were able to create your first layered image. Trust me, that the more you play around with contour and selecting sections, the easier it will become. It may take you a few try’s before it sinks in and starts to make sense. It did with me. I followed a tutorial, just like your doing here. Now I have to confidence to tackle more complex images.

LET ME GIVE YOU A QUICK RECAP OF THE STEPS:
1. Select an image in Cricut Design Space
2. Duplicate that image into the number of layers you want design to be
3. Select all layers and center
4. Select the bottom layer and hit CONTOUR in lower right hand corner
5. Select Hide All in contour and X out of contour
6. Select layer above the one you just changed – Use layers panel on right hand side change color and then go back into contour.
7. Select hide all again. Now change other sections to make another colored layer.
8. Keep following steps for each individual layer.
9. Save work and select MAKE IT button. Follow prompts to cut out the layers. Use paper setting to match your papers thickness. I use the light cardstock setting for the Recollections brand paper.

That’s it folks. You have learned how to make your own layered image in 10 easy to follow steps in Cricut design space.

Now hop on off and have a go at another one. Be sure to post an image so that I can see your Rabbit. I would love to see your color choices and hear how it went. Here’s to…..

Joyfully Creating,
Shelly