This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.

When I got my Cricut Maker earlier this year, I was anticipating all the possibilities it would have in my creative business. Of course, cutting vinyl for screen printing is how I use my machine 99% of the time, but I do love exploring the other amazing things the Cricut Maker will cut. With Cricut's promise to come out with more tools and materials, I knew this machine would continue to expand the things I could create. Their recent launch of 4 new tools (perforation blade, wavy blade, engraving tip and fine debossing tip) has my creative juices flowing.  There are so many projects I want to try with these tools.

The first project I wanted to tackle is creating clothing hang tags with my logo. While I don't currently sell the t-shirts I make, I love adding these tags to shirts I give as gifts. I know most of you do sell your shirts, and adding a hang tag to your shirts is a great way to add a professional touch to a handmade item.  Plus, it's great for branding your business!  Here's a look at how I created my tags in Design Space, cut them on my Maker and added my logo (with screen printing, of course!).

THE PROCESS

One of my most favorite parts about the Cricut Maker is that it tests to be sure you are using the correct blade before it starts cutting.  It prompts you to change the blade when it's ready for the next tool.  It's so easy to follow and it doesn't let you mess up!  In this project, I cut the tags, debossed a border design and cut a perforation – all on the same mat!

Adding a Screen Printed Logo

After cutting my tags on my Maker, I made a mirror cut of my logo on Oracal 651 vinyl.  I used my favorite transfer tape to put the vinyl on my Speedball hinge frame. I mixed up some of the Speedball acrylic ink to make a color that matched my branding colors.

I used a piece of paper taped to my hinge frame to trace an outline of where the tags should be lined up.  I did this step before adding the painter's tape so I could see the outline of my tag and align it just right. After I had the template in place, I put painter's tape around the edges of my vinyl to block out the areas I didn't want ink going through.

I did just one squeegee of the ink across the screen to get the perfect print of my logo.  Since paper doesn't absorb the ink like fabric, you don't want to coat too much ink or it will bleed outside the edges of your design.

Leave your tags flat to air dry.  Once they are dry, you can add a ribbon, string or twine to hang your tags.  You do not need to heat set Speedball acrylic ink!  Once it's dry, it's ready to go. I used a safety pin to then attach the tag to the collar of my shirt.

Why Screen Print Rather Than Printing Your Logo?  The main reason I screen print my logo is so that I can use very heavy, premium paper for my tags.  This thick paper doesn't go through my office printer.  Screen printing your logo on your tags allows you to materials that your printer can't.  Another great material to use would be basswood.  The Cricut Maker has no problem cutting this and with screen printing, you can add your logo right on top.

Adding a Perforated Tear-Away Price Tag

With the Maker's perforation blade, I was able to create a tear-off section of my tag where I add the price.  Talk about professional touches!  You can create tags just like the big brands.  I simply added a score line in Design Space where I wanted the perforation line to appear. Then in the linetype drop down, select Perforation.

Supplies Used in this Tutorial

• Speedball’s Hinge Frame Kit
• Speedball Acrylic Ink (I mixed green and white)
• Squeegee
• Cricut Premium Vinyl OR Oracal 651
• Cricut Maker
• Transfer Tape (this tape is key to getting your vinyl to stick to the screen)
• Painter’s Tape
• White Cardstock
• Twine
• Safety Pins
• Sharpie

Which Cricut tool is your favorite?  I'm loving the perforation blade!  Share your favorite in the comments below.