Perfect Pattern Fills in Silhouette Studio (no registration marks needed!)
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I love a good Print & Cut as much as the next girl. In fact, the majority of projects I made when I got my first Silhouette machine were Print & Cut designs. I also love working with Pattern Fills!
But do you know what I don’t love? Seeing a small white margin around the printed area when the Print & Cut is just a teensy bit off. So today I’m going to share with you a little secret that will make your printed projects look much better and be easier to create!
What you’ll need:
- Lori Whitlock 100 Sticky Note Holder design (Silhouette Design Store ID 43735)
- Printable pattern(s) of your choice. I used:
- Bright Watercolor Flower Pattern (Design ID 171172)
- Hedgerow Watercolor Pattern (Design ID 285526)
- Neon Cupcakes Pattern (Design ID 21992)
- Colorful Pop (Design ID 22075)
- White cardstock
- Kraft cardstock
- Solid color cardstock (to coordinate with pattern)
- Metal brads
- Adhesive such as Scotch ATG gun, Tombow tape runner, or double-sided scrapbook tape
- Scotch double-sided tape
- Sticky note pads (3 in x 3 in)
- Printer
- Silhouette Studio
- Silhouette Cameo or Portrait
Getting Started
In Silhouette Studio, set up a design page with the same dimensions as your white cardstock. (I’m using 8.5 in x 11 in cardstock.) Check the box for Show Print Border. Open the Lori Whitlock 100 Sticky Note Holder design.
Ungroup the design. Move all elements except the cover piece (the square with a hole in the center) off the mat. (Tip: Make sure to regroup the score lines with the rectangular base before moving it into the grey holding area.)
Using the Draw a Rectangle tool, draw a square that is slightly larger than the cover piece. Place the square and the cover piece in different areas of the mat.
Note: In this project, the piece I’m cutting from the pattern is square-shaped, but you could use the same technique for the flowers, leaves, or any other part of the design. Likewise, if it works better for your purposes to draw a circle rather than a square, that’s fine! The process will work the same.
Select the square you drew in the previous step, click on the Library tab and locate the pattern you want to use. Click ONCE on the pattern thumbnail. The square should now be filled with the pattern.
Center the cover piece over the patterned square.
Duplicate the pattern and the cover piece as many times as desired to fill the page. To change the fill pattern, simply select the square, go to your Library and locate the new pattern, then click once on the pattern thumbnail. Voila!
For more tips on working with patterns, including panning and scaling, see Using Pattern Fills in Silhouette Studio.
Print the page on white cardstock and cut on your Silhouette machine. Cut the base from kraft cardstock and the remaining elements from coordinating solid color cardstock.
Putting it All Together
Using a pencil or similar object, slightly curl the edges of the leaf and flower petals. Stack the pieces in this order:
- Small flower
- Large flower
- Leaf
- Cover piece
Secure with a metal brad.
Fold the base along the score lines to create a U-shape. Apply adhesive to the inside fold of the base.
Place several strips of Scotch double-sided tape on the bottom of the sticky note pad. Adhere the sticky note pad to the
Center the stack of decorative elements on the top of the base and secure with the adhesive of your choice.
I had so much fun making these that I decided to create a few more using a school theme and share them with all my teacher friends! The patterns I used were:
- School Pencils Paper (Design ID 188758)
- School’s In Pattern (Design ID 213967)
- Draw Cut Glue Pattern (Design ID 31618)
- School Supplies Paper (Design ID 188755)
Wasn’t that an easy way to use pattern fills? If you found this tutorial helpful, be sure to share it by pinning the image below to Pinterest!
Until next time,
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Lycia is a lifelong crafter whose goal is to help others find value, confidence, and joy in whatever they create. She geeks out on using technology to supercharge craft projects with Silhouette Studio, Design Space, Glowforge, sublimation, etc.! Lycia teaches these skills and more through online tutorials and videos as well as in-person classes at both the local and national levels.