10 Genius Ways to Use Clip Art with your Silhouette

Using clip art with your Silhouette CAMEO is one of the coolest ways to utilize your machine.  From party decor to planner stickers and everything in between, it can allow you to make super intricate projects that combine the power of printing with the precision cuts of your machine.

This post is sponsored by our friends at The Hungry Jpeg. We have been using clip art from them for years ourselves because of their outstanding value of their bundles and simple license to use on personal or commercial projects!

If you haven’t yet used your Silhouette for it’s Print & Cut feature, I am going to tell you right now that you are absolutely missing out!  Put simply, the print and cut feature allows you to take a piece of clip art and then add it to your Silhouette project by putting it on your design, printing it with your home printer, and then cutting out a designated shape or perfectly around the art.  It is a little hard to describe in with words how awesome this is and how it can really turn out some super impressive projects, so I am going to show you below with some examples of my favorite ways to use images in your creations.

First though, I want to take a moment to answer a question we get all of the time!  Where do I even find clip art to add to my projects?

There are many places you can look, but our go-to and absolute favorite for years is The Hungry Jpeg.  The reason why we love them is two fold.  First, they offer the best value around.  You can search their site for specific things which works, but what we love to do is just purchase their monthly bundle and stock up on literally hundreds (if not thousands) of seasonally relevant professional level images. Usually the bundles break down to just pennies an image if that. You can see their current bundles for info and pricing here.  The second reason we love them, and this one is a biggie, is that they have a super simple license for all of their bundles so that you can use what you bought for both personal or commercial purposes.  Make sure to read their license for the complete details, but in layman’s terms, this means that not only do you own the designs, but you can also use them if your friend, neighbor, or anyone else wants to buy something from you which is a great peace of mind.  Lastly, sites with free downloads are a well known cause of computer viruses so paying a few dollars to own these outright could save you a lot of money and headaches!

But now, on with the projects!  Here are my top 10 favorite ways to use clip art with my Silhouette.  Take a look then get designing your own custom projects!

1. Planner Stickers– If you are a planner person, then you probably have a mild obsession with stickers that fit right into it.  Use clip art to create GORGEOUS custom stickers for however you like to organize, decorate, and label your planner.  See an example of watercolor planner stickers here using a ton of clip art I got from The Hungry Jpeg and another planner sticker here.
   
   
2. Cupcake Toppers– Cupcakes are awesome and the only thing that makes them even better is when you make them a custom topper!  Whether it is a themed birthday party, baby shower, or just a pot luck for the 4th of July.  Adding a topper is so simple with a little clip art and your Silhouette.  You can read a full tutorial on how I made these Halloween cupcake toppers using Hungry Jpeg clip art here!
3. Labels– Whether it is your pantry or your homemade jam, the Silhouette plus a little clip art can make you some stunning custom labels!  Just find the shape you love for your labels, then add in a clip art and/or digital paper for a back ground like we did on the cupcake toppers, and then add text for the ultimate organization accessory!  Many people also use a combination of clip art and text to create custom labels for their handmade goods that they sell.  A perfect way to add a professional touch for your business!  Lastly, you can even use them for a seasonal touch for fun ideas like these halloween tic tac labels made with clip art and Silhouette Sticker paper.
4. More Party Decor– If you are hosting a party then you probably need to make more than just cupcake toppers to match your theme.  You can use clip art collections from The Hungry Jpeg to create coordinating party decor like straw tags, napkin rings, banners, water bottle labels, food table signs, etc.  The sky is absolutely the limit when it comes to parties! You can see an example of a suite of party decor items created with clip art below.
5. Gift Tags–  This can be as simple as adding seasonal clip art to a tag for Christmas, or as custom as these adorable DIY valentines using clip art from Silhouette School.  With a few images and a little text, you have the perfect print and cut project!

   

6. Temporary Tattoos– These are just as fun for kids as they are for adults!  Make some for your young kids to match their favorite hobbies like The Thinking Closet did here, or make them for you and your girlfriends when you go to a concert for your night on the town, of just make something to freak out your mom, ha!!  Adding clip art to this special tattoo paper from Silhouette makes creating custom temporary tattoos so simple! Check out these two examples below : Kids Tattoos from The Thinking Closet and Crafter’s Tattoos from Persia Lou.

   

7. Envelope sealers/Address labels– This is such a fun way to personalize happy mail to friends and just plain old every day mail too.  You can either create a rectangle cut in the Design Studio, then use clip art and text to make a cute design in it, or bring in your clip art and use the trace tool to cut perfectly around it.  On both you would then use the print and cut feature to print the labels on sticker paper then cut them with your Silhouette. Here are two adorable examples of how clip art was used to create labels!
8. Detailed shirts– You can do a lot with basic heat transfer material but sometimes that perfect custom project needs just a little more detail!  You might need a beautiful flower, or a farm animal for a kids shirt, or even a cupcake.  All of these can be achieved super easily with printable heat transfer plus some clip art!  As above just add your clip art into a shape, or trace to get a perfect border for the cut. Then add text or other elements as desired.  Use the print and cut feature to print, then put it in your Silhouette to cut the design.  Follow the instructions on the printable heat transfer to adhere it to your shirt and “Voila!”  A very detailed custom shirt!
9. Scratch off Coupons– This might be one of the most fun projects of everything listed here!  You can actually use clip art to make some pretty awesome scratch off cards!  Whether it is the kids chore cards as shown here, a coupon book for your love, or a fun game for a bridal or baby shower, these just up the fun level of anything about 1000%.
   
10. Bunting Banners– I thought about lumping these banners in with the party decor but I use banners for so much more than just a birthday party!  You can use them to decorate seasonally, announce big news, or celebrate any occasion.  To make gorgeous custom banners, choose the shape you want your banner to be and either design it, or buy it from the Silhouette Store.  Then add clip art to the inside of the banner pieces along with text to create the perfect piece.  Use the print and cut feature as detailed above using cardstock as your medium and then just string it up for the perfect little extra for everyday or a special day!

Could you ever imagine there were so many ways to use clip art with your CAMEO?  Really it opens up a whole new level of professional looking goods that you can create.  We would love to hear in the comments if you have other ways you use clip art with your CAMEO.  Also, don’t forget to check out the latest clip art in the bundles at The Hungry Jpeg!