Learn how to make your own Vinyl Car Window Decal Sticker with the Cricut Explore. An easy DIY craft tutorial idea that makes a great gift!
Have you seen those fun vinyl stickers or decals that people put on the back window of their cars? They are so fun and a great way to share with the world what you love. Whether it is your family in stick figures, your favorite football team mascot or an exclamation of your true love. In this case, that exclamation is bass fishing!
My husband loves to go fishing for largemouth bass. He had been telling me that he wanted a cool fish decal for the back window of his truck for a while. Since Father’s day is coming, that gave me the perfect excuse to make it!
For Father’s Day, I actually gave him two gifts. This Bass Vinyl Car Window Decal Sticker and the Lucky Tackle Box subscription!
For more information visit Lucky Tackle Box – A Gift Idea for Dad or to get a code for $5 off your own subscription click here!
How to Make a Vinyl Car Window Decal Sticker with Cricut Explore
Supplies Used: Some links may be too similar items when exact items couldn’t be found online.
If a big mouth bass isn’t your thing, you can turn any cut image into a window decal using the Premium Outdoor Glossy Vinyl. You can pick an image from Cricut Design Space if you’d like, but I’m going to show how to upload an image and create your own cut file.
To find that perfect image you can do a simple google search. There are loads to choose from but I have found the simpler the image the better it transfers to a cut file.
When you find your image, right-click to save the image to your computer.
Go into Cricut Design Space and click on New Project. Click the bottom left sidebar button that says Upload.
Click on Upload Image and drag or drop the image onto the next page.
You will be asked to select your image type. For this bass fish, I am going with simple since there aren’t multiple layers of different colors.
Now you select which areas of the image are not a part of the final cut. In this case, I click on everything white. It then turns into a blue and white checkerboard. Make sure to click on every area that is white. In the below image I still need to click on the fins and tongue.
Select the image as a cut image. This also gives you a preview of what the cut image will look like. There is a back button you can click if you need to do some more adjusting to the image before you move forward.
After you approve you are taken back to the original upload screen but this time you can see your newest cut file among the images. Click on the image to highlight and then select Insert Image.
This adds the image to your design area where you can adjust the size or even the direction of the image. Then you are ready to cut!
After the image is cut, carefully weed or remove the excess vinyl.
Apply a layer of Transfer Tape on top of the cut vinyl. The Transfer tape will help you place the vinyl without letting any of the pieces stretch or move out of place.
Clean the window where you want to put the decal really well. Then go over the area once again with rubbing alcohol to remove an excess grease or fingerprint smudges.
Carefully peel back the paper backing of the vinyl going slowly to make all parts of the image release from the sheet.
To apply the vinyl, start at one end or corner and lay the vinyl down in a rolling motion. This will help assure even placement.
Go over the Transfer Tape with the Scraper Tool and push out any bubbles from underneath the vinyl.
Peel back the Transfer Tape and you are done!
Is this not the perfect gift for any fisherperson? A Vinyl Car Window Decal Sticker and the Lucky Tackle Box Subscription. Yup, I did good!
Click here to purchase the Lucky Tackle Box and get $5 off!
Click here to purchase the Cricut Explore Air 2!
What image would you put on your back window? Share and leave a comment below!
SAVE HOW TO MAKE A VINYL CAR WINDOW DECAL STICKER TO YOUR FAVORITE DIY PINTEREST BOARD!
And let’s be friends on Pinterest so you can see all the DIY projects I’m pinning!
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What a great idea! How have I not thought of doing this yet?
ha ha! Thanks, Mary!
I just bought my wife a Cricut Explore Air 2 and I’m trying to use the Design Space however I’m not getting the same pages your are. The step where you select “simple” that page does not come up neither does the step where you select the area. It comes up directly into the design space. Now with that being said I’m not using a googled image I’m using an image I converted to .svg, maybe that changes things a bit? Basically it’s the logo for our business. Any help or insight would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Don, Cricut Design Space has recently updated within the last month. so that is why the programs look different. Sorry for the confusion. I’m sorry but I’m not understanding what you are trying to do. Are you wanting to cut the logo out with vinyl, create a stencil or a printable? The steps for all of the actions are different.
Don,
The reason yours isn’t making you do those steps is because it is a vector file already. You can do whatever you need or want to the layers without needing to alter it.
Hello Katie, What kind of Vinyl do you used for the car decal?
I used Cricut Premium Outdoor Glossy Vinyl. Here is my affiliate link: http://shrsl.com/?hzni It works great and so far has had no peeling or bubbling!
Katie, Thank you very much .