My Son recently got married and I wanted to make them a keepsake in memory of their special day. I recently discovered the spiral betty and I thought it would be perfect on a cushion.

If you have never heard of Spiral betty, it is free online software that allows you to turn any photo into a spiral design.  While it looks straight forward it was not something I got right the first time or even the second time.  So I am doing this post to show what errors I made so you can learn from my mistakes. For this project, you will need a vinyl cutting machine like a Cricut or Silhouette cameo just to name two.

How to make a spiral betty

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Create your Spiral Betty

To create your spiral betty you will need a photo in a digital format like jpeg and save it to your desktop. I tried a few different pictures and found close up headshots work better. Once you have your picture you can open up the spiral betty website. Click on the upload button and select your image from the desktop. The slider below the image allows you to increase and decrease the number of spirals. On my first attempt, I added the highest amount of rings because the picture was clearer.

The downside was it was very difficult to weed the fine lines because the vinyl kept snapping.  Having the slider about 3/4 works great for Iron-on vinyl. You can also play around with the other tabs to see how it affects your image look.

Next, select the black and white image from the bottom, the second one in from the left. You can now download the image to your computer.

Add your image to the Cricut design space

I have a Cricut so this image is the Cricut design space software, the silhouette cameo is very similar. Next, open up your design space and select a new project.  Add the image that you saved on your desktop.  Select the erase tool and click on the top corner where the white space is.

This will remove all the white background and create your SVG file. You will be left with just the black spiral image. Then click next.

Your next screen will look like this image below. Select the cut image and press next.

Your image will now appear with all the other images you have downloaded to design space. Select the image and click on the insert image button, this will open the image on the project screen.

My image did open up very big, but it can be resized using the resize tab at the top. My cushion was 45cm x 45cm so I made my image  30cm x 30cm, to leave space for the text at the top. Then click the make it button.

Cut your Iron-on (HTV) vinyl

Load your iron-on vinyl (HTV) on to the cutting mat with the shiny side facing down. My mats are not very sticky anymore so I use washy tape to make sure it does not move.

You need to select the mirror tab or your image will be reversed.  This is not a big issue unless you have text, which will cut in mirror image.

Next, move the dial on your Cricut to the iron-on setting and push the double arrow button to load the mat. You are now ready to cut by pushing the “C” button on your machine.

Weed your vinyl

To weed your spiral betty don’t be tempted to start with the first spiral. The one you see in the image below.  I did that on my first attempt and my image turned out wrong.  Weed from the corners furthest away from the spiral and work towards that corner. The spiral betty is a dream to weed because it is one continuous piece.

I found it very satisfying to weed this project.

Creating the text

The text is very straight forward to do.  You select a text box and type the text you want to add.  You can play around with the fonts until you find one you like.  This font is Samantha upright which is a purchased font.  You follow the same method as above for cutting.  You do need to select the mirror tab here.

Transfer your Spiral Betty

If you are lucky enough to have a heat press you can use that. I use my regular iron I have at home. Set the temperature to a high heat setting with no steam. I ironed the cushion cover first and then positioned the spiral betty in the centre. Make sure you leave space for the text.

You do need a barrier between the iron and the vinyl, I use an old pillowcase. To transfer the vinyl I push the iron down hard on each area for 10 seconds at a time, making sure to cover all the areas. I go over each area 3 times for 10 seconds and that always seems to be enough.  You can check if it is working by lifting the carrier plastic to see if the vinyl stays on the cushion cover.

Try not to iron by pushing it around like you iron your clothes.  I have found that this technique smudges the vinyl on the fabric.

Peel off the plastic and repeat the process for the text.

Add the tassels

The tassels I added to the two corners I bought from Amazon and sewed them onto the corners.

Spiral betty tips

To make a spiral betty using your regular vinyl it is a good idea to weed on the transfer paper.  I had two fail attempts because the spirals were so thin together.  If you had the slightest piece of debris on the cutting mat it did not cut all the way through.  So when you started to weed it pulled the next spiral up as well, ruining the image. Another issue I had was trying to transfer the image onto a placemat. It is a good idea to use an old piece of transfer tape. I used a new piece and it was too sticky and would not transfer.  I did try and push them back down but the spirals were all stretched because they were so thin.

This was done on the 3/4 spiral but I would add fewer spirals on my next one.  I would also recommend a very smooth non-porous surface.  I had to seal this placemat with some spray polyurethane to get it to stick properly. Even though I had all these issues, I still loved this project and will definitely be making more.

If you are in the market to buy a Cricut I would recommend buying the Cricut maker. This is the latest model and has so many new features the explorer does not have.

More Cricut ideas

I made this memorial plaque for my Daughter in law after her beloved dog passed away.  This would make a great gift for a grieving friend or family member.

Your Cricut is also great for making stencils to add some character to your furniture.

If you are looking for any of the items used in this project, please consider using our links. By clicking on the links we will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.  Which helps us come up with new and exciting ideas to share with you. Please feel free to share or leave a comment we would love to hear your thoughts.