To create this project, I started with a basic google search for football clip art. Since I was planning on double side printing, which means mirroring the back image, I looked for something very iconic, and very streamlined.
In Adobe Illustrator
I traced that image in Illustrator and then modified it slightly for my use, and then exported the file as a PNG, since the basic version of Silhouette Studio does not support EPS files.
While still in Illustrator, I used the Path Offset tool (Object > Path > Path Offset) to set up a cutting path that was .125″ outside the original football shape. I added my stringing circles, being careful to consider the laws of gravity when deciding on my placement.
If you place your stringing circles to high or too low on an item it will flop over when hanging.
I used the Pathfinder Palette’s Combine tool to weld the outside circles to the football shape. And then I exported that file (minus the football PNG artwork) as a DXF file.
Set up Silhouette Studio to Print and Cut
In Silhouette Studio, I brought in the PNG file and the DXF file and centered them to each other. I grouped everything and copied and pasted a couple of copies onto my page so I could cut more than one at a time.
To actually enable the Print and Cut feature, you need to go to the Registration Mark window and turn the registration marks on.
Once they are on, you need to make sure that none of the cut marks are outside the red line, and none of the printing is in the gray hash marked areas.
At this point, you want to make sure to save your file.
Print the file using the print icon in the upper left corner.
I printed several sheets on 80# white smooth card stock. And then for my trick – I put the sheets in my printer and printed on them again (you may have to test to see if they go in face up or face down depending on your printer), but this time I used the “mirror” function in my printer software so I got a backwards image. These need to line up very, very closely to your front printing to work.
The sheet on the left is the front printing (the square registration box is always in the upper left of the page. The sheet on the right is my mirror printed version. This is the back of my printed sheets.
Place the printed sheet on the mat, being very sure to have the front facing up. You know it’s the front because in a Print & Cut, the square box registration mark is always in the upper left corner.
In Silhouette Studio go to the cut window and make sure all the cutlines have turned red and then set up the cut settings and send to Silhouette to cut.
Final Assembly
Once the sheet is cut, carefully weed the excess material. I’ve mentioned this elsewhere, but I always save the little dots that come out of the stringing holes and any other good looking weed bits for use in other projects.
I used silver thread to make loops to tie each football to the other. A standard garland would have one big string that ran through the loops, but in a vertical streamer, gravity makes that impossible. I used thin thread so it wouldn’t be visible, but fair warning – that turned out to be hard to see while knotting them as well.
I added an extra thread loop at the top to attach to my hanging hooks (not an affiliate link – I just love those things). I also trimmed off the last loop on the bottom of each chain so they’d look finished.
