Shawn Mosch

Split Monogram

In my last blog post I showed you how to design a split monogram in Cricut Design Space. If you need to go back and review that post you can click HERE. Now we are going to look at how to apply that split monogram to a project. I actually have three variations on the split monogram project to show you.

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Split Monogram Floating Frame Supplies

You can click on the products below to be taken to the Amazon links for them for easy shopping.

Floating Frame
Cricut cutting machine
Cricut cutting mat
Weeding tool
Transfer Tape
Spray bottle for wet method application
Permanent or Removable Vinyl – I actually used removable since that is what I had on hand, and the vinyl will be sandwiched between the two layers of the floating frame. I have links below for buying your vinyl.

I get my vinyl from Heat Transfer Warehouse. The carry the best brands and you can purchase large rolls instead of getting small sheets, which ends up saving you money.

floating frame split monogram home decor

I used a floating frame that I picked up at Michael’s, but I would actually NOT recommend it. When I got it home I found out that it was made with clear acrylic panes and not glass panes. This could be why it was on sale for such a low price.

The problem with using frames with acrylic is that it is really hard to get those stickers off the acrylic without damaging it. If you use a frame with real glass panes you can use items like Goo Be Gone or nail polish remover to remove the stickers, but when used on acrylic these products will damage the surface and can leave them looking foggy. For that reason, I would invest in good frames with glass, like the ones I found on Amazon HERE.

Floating Frames

When you first open up your floating frame, you will noticed that there are two clear panels. You will be sandwiching your project between these, so that the wall behind the design will show through. The design will seem to float inside the frame. Start off by cleaning these so you do not have any finger prints on them.

Once I cut my split monogram with my Cricut, I have to weed the image. Weeding is the process of removing the excess vinyl. This would be all of the vinyl you do not want on the finished project. For this project I started in the lower right corner and peeled back the excess vinyl slowly at an angle.

I find that when I pull back on an angle I have fewer pieces that lift up off the backing. If you do have pieces that want to lift off the backing, just grab your weeding tool and help them to lay back down onto the backing sheet. Make sure to remove the center of letters, like the o for this project.

Using Transfer Tape

The next step is to get the entire split monogram image off of the backing sheet and keep everything in place so you can position the design on one piece of the floating frame. To do this we are going to use transfer tape. If you do not have any transfer tape you can also use clear contact paper.

NOTE: Do not get the Cricut brand strong grip transfer tape. That is way too strong and is only recommended for glitter vinyl which requires a stronger grip due to the texture.

Peel the transfer tape or contact paper off of the backing sheet and there will be one side that is sticky. Place the sticky side down on top of your split monogram. Smooth it down over the design and make sure there are no bubbles. Some people use a scraper tool or an old credit card to smooth the transfer tape down.

Flip it over

Flip the entire split monogram design over and start to peel off the backing sheet from the vinyl. You will see that the front side of the vinyl is now staying stuck to the sticky side of the transfer tape. As you can see in the photo below, there was a little bit of one of the letters that did not want to release from the backing sheet, so I just helped it along with my weeding too.

Keep going until you have the entire backing sheet off. Be careful because now you have a lot of sticky surface exposed from both the split monogram design and the transfer tape.

Wet Method Application

Now we are going to position the split monogram design on one of two clear pieces from the floating frame. I used a spray bottle and put a drop of ordinary dish soap in the bottle and then filled the bottle up with water. Then I did a light misting of this mixture over the clear floating frame piece and the back/sticky side of the split monogram design.

I found that by using the wet method to apply my design, if I did not place it in exactly the right spot I was more easily able to lift the design back up and place it a second time. There is nothing worse than spending a lot of time weeding and preparing a design, only to lay it down off centered or crooked on your floating frame piece.

Now I just smooth the split monogram design down. I used a towel to push out and wipe up the water. Allow the design to dry and the split monogram to set up on the frame piece. Then you can start to peel back the transfer tape like I show in the photo below.

Now all that is left is to place the second clear piece from the floating frame over the top of the split monogram, and lock them in to the floating frame from the back side.

Split Monogram Variations

You can make a split monogram for a home decor piece, or it could also be a great gift for some newlyweds. You can even use a split monogram as a way to advertise your business or as a memorial gift. Let me show you a few variations of this same process that I created.

For this first variation on the split monogram project I used a pre-made design of the letter G and then placed the words Foster Care inside the split. This will make a beautiful display piece for a business. You could even add the year the business was established to the bottom of this floating frame.

This specific G can be found in Cricut Design Space. It is image number #M275E1E09. There are also sites that offer free SVG files like this. I have a list of several places you can download FREE SVG files HERE.

You can also create split monogram designs as a memorial project. For this I used a split image from a SVG bundle that I purchased on Etsy, which you can find by clicking HERE. Then I added the In Memory Of text, along with the name and dates for the person who this project memorializes.

The picture on the left shows how I did this project on a floating frame. The picture on the right is a variations on the same design, only this time I used HTV, or heat transfer vinyl, and pressed it onto a canvas. If you are looking for some great deals on vinyl, including Siser heat transfer vinyl like I used for this project, I highly recommend Heat Transfer Warehouse. They have great prices and fast shipping!

split monogram memorial project on canvas

Since this canvas would not fit into my heat press, I actually did this project with my home iron. I placed a book under the canvas so that I had a nice firm surface to press on. You could also use a piece of wood. I also had the canvas sitting on the floor so I could really lean into the iron and get a lot of pressure in my press.

Another way to use a split monogram image is to personalize items. I decided to use a can kozzie from Heat Transfer Warehouse and a SVG I found on Design Bundles for this project.