Creating Vehicle Graphics With Cricut Machine

Many car enthusiasts like to find ways to personalize their vehicle.  That might mean installing a set of aftermarket wheels and tires to improve handling (or to give your car an aggressive look).  Another way to customize your car is with performance exhaust and tunes. My favorite personalization method is vinyl graphics, which has been detailed in these articles below:

Related articles: Camaro Graphics And Trim Ideas; Cheap And Easy Subaru Graphics; Personalize Your MINI With Graphics

For years I have been using vinyl wrap to make stripes and shapes to add some flair to my rides.  When it comes to emblems and logos, I have resorted to different creators on Etsy for help. That is great when looking for standard items, but lately I have been looking for more unique designs not found on Etsy. 

Enter the Cricut vinyl cutting machine.

Vinyl Cutting Machines

Cricut is one of several smart cutting machines on the market that allow you to design and cut graphics out of vinyl, card stock and other paper products.  Some of the typical projects include greeting cards, invitations, iron-on graphics for shirts and vinyl lettering for mugs, signs and labels.  

I bought the Cricut Explore Air 2 during one of the recent Amazon Prime Days sales.  I know several people who use the Cricut for their crafts, and learned that it is ideal for cutting vinyl.  It was easy to set up and the free software is intuitive to use.

The software that comes with the Cricut has preloaded shapes and fonts.  You can buy additional ones, or create your own in another program.  Leaning on my former corporate work skills, I turned to PowerPoint for my designs.  I know it is not the ideal application, but so far it is working for me.

Creating Custom Graphics

My latest test subject is a white Camaro.  I previously found some 1970s “Type LT” badges, which I restored and applied to the grill and rear quarter panels.  It looked cool, but I wanted a larger and updated look.

I was able to find the “CAMARO” script online, then designed a short and wide “LT” image using Powerpoint.  Combining the two, I made the CAMARO LT graphic below and let the machine do the cutting.  Once finished, I applied it to the car.

Final Thoughts & Questions

This was my first project with the Cricut, and I am happy with the result.  I’m exploring more intricate designs next, which I’ll share once I figure it out!  Don’t expect me to make any Christmas cards with my Cricut, but maybe a graphic for my steering wheel or console will be next.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. 

Want to learn more about me? Go to Meet The Vehicle Nanny.