How to Make Die Cuts a Different Shape to Match Your Image

Hello everyone!   

Today I'm sharing a short tutorial for those moments when you have the wrong shaped die for matting your photo, card, label, etc. Although once in a blue moon I purchase new cutting dies, I really don't want to waste my money on something I can make with dies I already have. The tutorial will show a die-cut from the Spellbinders, Card Creator - Valiant Honor pack, but you can do this with many die-cuts, even the fancy ones. I'm using a rectangular die that I want to make into a square.

Please excuse my discolored photos, I was doing this at night.   The first thing you want to do is make two die-cuts and then cut the inside corners out. This does not have to be precise. You just don't want a corner design sticking out from the middle of your final square. 

 

The next step is to get your photo or in this case I stamped an image onto a square piece of cardstock. It's not a perfect square since it was 4am, but it's close enough. LOL.    Then sit your image below your die-cut pieces. This will give you your measurement.

 
After they match up correctly I will make a mark with a pencil in the middle of the card so it doesn't show once I'm done. By making a mark you can then remove the top die-cut and place your tape or glue on your bottom piece in the the right place and position them back together easily by lining up the edge with your mark.

Don't you hate it when you get something in the wrong position and it's stuck there forever? I do!

I made the line large and dark so you can see it. All you need is a dot.

 

Once you have your pieces connected you're ready to place your image on top and then you're done! I know where the die-cuts meet up and therefore see it and now you will too, but I showed (tested it out on) people and they never noticed. So hope this helps you out.

 

Quick tip: If you want to mat a stamped image with a solid colored paper, but don't have anything that matches, make your own. 

 

Once I'm finished with this part I can add beads, gems, rows from rhinestone mesh, etc. to fancy up the edge of the image, but you can leave it as is too. :)   What I used to make the image.

  Happy Crafting!