I remember the first project I ever made with my first Silhouette machine. I started with a Silhouette Portrait that was great at cutting vinyl for simple projects and made a t-shirt with my son’s name on it. It was SO cool. I couldn’t believe that I had this little machine that could turn mundane surfaces into customized treasures! Since then I’ve added a couple CAMEOs, a Mint, a Curio, and an Alta Plus to my Silhouette arsenal, but the simple projects are still some of the most special and fun to make. I love to whip up a little monogrammed gift for a neighbor or add a saying to a plain apron to make it festive.
If you are a Silhouette beginner wondering where to start with this magic machine let us help you get motivated to start making! We’ve rounded up 10 of our favorite Silhouette CAMEO projects for beginners that will help you build confidence in your skills while creating some reeeeally cute stuff. You are gonna have a BLAST and we cannot wait to see what you make.
10 Silhouette CAMEO Projects for Beginners
1. “Let’s Stay Home” Doormat
Having a fun graphic doormat is a delight every time you come home and it couldn’t be easier to accomplish! We like this project because it shows you how to cut and make a stencil using your CAMEO that you can then use to paint messages on any surface.
2. Love Sweet Love Honey Jar Favors
These honey jars are the sweetest idea! This tutorial will walk you through cutting out this darling design that you can add to honey jars, creating the perfect favor for a wedding or bridal shower or for a cute gift for Valentine’s day!
3. Iron-On Graphic Pillow with Tassels
Using the CAMEO to update your home decor might be one of its most addicting uses! This graphic pillow takes minutes to make and adds such a darling statement to any room!
4. Tattoo Monogram Mugs
Silhouette Tattoo paper might be one of the most underrated products in the Silhouette store and we are here to change that! This tutorial will teach you how to make custom tattoos with your CAMEO that can then be applied to a number of surfaces from skin to mugs and so much more!
5. Iron-On Love You Sweatshirt
I still can’t handle how fun it is to use Silhouette vinyl to update the boring pieces in your closet. It is SO easy and the possibilities are endless. This simple sweatshirt takes no time at all and could not be cuter.
6. Hello Cactus Planters
Hello, fun planters! These colorful cuties use a set of fun designs from the Silhouette Design Store that make this project pop!
7. Oh Hello Tote Bag
Once you have a CAMEO in your possession any blank tote bag feels like a crime! I mean, LOOK at how cute a tote bag can be once you get a little HTV on that sucker?! Plus, tote bags are a great place to start as a beginner since they are a super affordable surface to try out your ideas!
8. Lace-Cut Bookmarks
Vinyl is definitely the darling of the craft room when you own a Silhouette, but we can’t forget about paper! These pretty bookmarks are so intricately cut by the CAMEO that they mimic lace when they are put together!
9. Faux Embroidered Dress
When it comes to vinyl, you’ve got to try the flocked variety. It has a velvety finish that adds detail to projects that is so good you would never believe it was DIY if you hadn’t made it yourself! These flowers were cut out of flocked vinyl, ironed on to this solid dress, and BAM! One of my favorite dresses in my closet was made!
10. Dishwasher-Safe Love Mugs
These love mugs are one of our most popular posts and could be made in minutes! These fun hand-lettered designs are in the Silhouette design store and once you slap them on a plain set of mugs you’re gonna feel the love! Plus, we’ve got tips for making them last in the dishwasher!
That’s it! Now all that is left to do is to get making! Which of these Silhouette CAMEO projects for beginners are you going to try first? We’d love to hear!
And if you don’t have a CAMEO yet and are ready to get one of your own, you can buy it here!
Happy making!
xo, Liz & Sam
