With Christmas fast approaching, I couldn’t help but notice one festive trend popping up everywhere—buffalo plaid Christmas crafts. Inspired by the bold red and black pattern that dominates Pinterest, I decided to make these DIY Framed Christmas Signs using recycled photo frames and leftover fabric from an old shirt. Paired with vinyl decals cut using my Cricut, these simple signs add a charming rustic vibe to any holiday display. Even better? They’re easy to customise and reuse for different seasons!

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How to Make Buffalo Plaid Christmas Signs with Cricut

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Materials Needed

• Old photo frames
• Red and black buffalo plaid fabric
• All-purpose adhesive
• Cricut or Silhouette machine (I used Cricut Explore Air 2)
• Permanent adhesive vinyl (Oracle 651 or Metamark M7)
• Cricut transfer tape (used or low-tack preferred)
• Felt scraper or credit card
• Weeding tool or craft knife
• Hairdryer
• Rubbing alcohol and paper towels
• Optional: printed image (e.g., red truck), faux flower embellishments
• Optional: small wooden blocks or triangles for legs

Clean and Prep the Frame

Start by removing the back from your photo frame. Cut your buffalo plaid fabric to size and glue it directly to the backing board using an all-purpose adhesive.

Clean the glass thoroughly using rubbing alcohol and a paper towel. This removes fingerprints and helps the vinyl stick.

Design and Cut the Vinyl

Open Cricut Design Space and create a new text design. Customise the font and spacing to suit your project.

Use Oracle 651 or Metamark M7 vinyl for best results. Stick the vinyl to your cutting mat and smooth it with a felt scraper. Cut the design with your Cricut machine.

Once cut, weed the design by removing the excess vinyl around the text using a weeding tool or craft knife.

Apply the Vinyl to Glass

Place used or low-tack Cricut transfer tape over your vinyl and rub it firmly with a scraper so it sticks.
Tip: If your tape is too sticky, it may pull the vinyl back off the glass. Reusing old transfer tape makes it less tacky and easier to work with.

Warm the glass with a hairdryer for a few seconds. Carefully position your design, press it down firmly, then peel back the transfer tape.

Reassemble and Add Finishing Touches

Put the frame back together and decide if you want to stand it upright.

I glued leftover wooden triangles from my barn quilt headboard project onto the frame base as feet. This makes the sign freestanding—perfect for shelves and table displays.

I printed a red Christmas truck image onto photo paper and placed it behind the glass. A small faux flower in the corner completed the look.

Repurpose the Frame After Christmas

Once the holidays are over, simply change the text and background fabric to suit other occasions like Easter, Halloween, or autumn. These framed signs are reusable all year round.

More Cricut-Inspired DIY Projects

Flashing Christmas Shadow Boxes

Or check out this unique Game of Thrones lamp made from an upcycled Jack Daniels bottle

Looking for more great craft and DIY projects, check out my go-to websites for inspiration Favecrafts and DIY Idea Centre.

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