VB Tutorial: Digital Die Cuts

Hello Villababes!

I've talked before about how to download and design with the digitals that are included with every VB kit preorder. They are such a fun addition to the kits that can help you coordinate all of your planner needs to the monthly VB theme! The possibilities are endless: dashboards, dividers, covers, cards... the list goes on and on.

Today I want to talk about ways you can use the digital art as die cuts. Sometimes you just want a small piece to add here or there to bring in a little extra deco. I personally love die cuts. They may not be super functional, but they sure are CUTE!

Once you receive your email with a link to download the digitals, you can start designing. I like to use the Canva website, as it is pretty user-friendly and the free version has lots to work with. For this project though, I loaded the digital images into the free Silhouette software. The great thing about this software is that you don't need the actual cutting machine to use it. It can be used all on it's own for designing and laying out projects.

I laid out the different digital images so that I could fit all the ones I wanted onto an 8.5x11" sheet. You can resize these to be as small or large as you want. Once you're happy with the layout, it's time to print. I used a pack of white, smooth cardstock - 78 lb. It may take a few test prints to see which paper you prefer to use.

The next step is to cut everything out! If you have a Silhouette or Cricut, those will make this step go a little quicker. If you don't have access to a cutting machine, or if you find fussy-cutting therapeutic, then scissors work great too! A pair of tiny scissors really helps with those small trims in the design.

One question I see quite a bit in the planner community is: "How do I use die cuts?" Fortunately, there's no one right answer. Use them however you want! Pin them to a cork board, slip them into a planner pocket, glue them onto a journaling card, tape them to a dashboard, use them as photo props for an A+ Insta flat lay, lay them on your weekly spreads to hide personal information when sharing a photo...

Basically stick them wherever you want to see a little extra piece of deco. Here are a few places I found for mine:

Another fun way to use digital clip art is to make bookmarks! My favorite kind are Stagger Stacked Bookmarks. Click that link to check out an old tutorial I made for those. The process works for any digitals but is a little easier when images are PNG format (transparent background) like most of the VB digitals. Here are some of the ones I made using digital art from the Autumn Lane VB kit:

I made two Stagger Stacked Bookmarks and one regular. If you're using Silhouette, the rectangle drawing tool can be used to make the desired size, then simply drag your digital pattern of choice into the rectangle to fill it. I also layered on a digital clip art to be used as a page marker at the top. In Canva, the frame tool can be used for this same result.

You can punch the bookmarks to be used in a planner. I used a Happy Planner punch for this one.

And of course they can be used as regular bookmarks, too!

These are just a few ideas to hopefully get those creative juices flowing. I also have a few additional digital designing tutorials on my YouTube channel if you're interested in checking those out. If you have projects featuring the digital content from VB kits, be sure to share them in the VB facebook group! All the social media channels are linked below.

Thanks for reading!