Silhouette Hack: Easiest Way to Add Vinyl to Tumblers, Mugs, Glasses & Bottles

As if it's not difficult enough to get vinyl or labels straight when adding to wine glasses, bottles and buckets and the like! If you're like me, you end up struggling even more while said object slips around in your lap as you try to grip it with your knees.  Don't even laugh you know you've been there.  But now I might just have the Silhouette hack of all hacks for you - meet the Crafters Cradle!

This simply constructed tool is about to become your best friend.  I was introduced to it when I spoke at the All Things Silhouette Conference in Atlanta in November by Julie Hunt, who runs the JCC Blanks Facebook page and exclusively sells the Crafters Cradle for $16.99 each plus S/H.

She handed it to me and I'm pretty sure the first thing that ran through my mind was: what can three pieces of wood topped with a piece of felt really do for me?

The genius of it, though, is that it holds the mug, wine glass, bucket, tumbler steady and level while you apply the vinyl or label.

Just place the Crafters Cradle on a solid surface and lay the bottle, wine glass, mug or tumbler on top. If you're working on a wine glass, be sure the base is being held up by one end of the cradle. Then simply apply the vinyl.

I tested the Crafters Cradle out while applying some custom wine bottle labels to wine. 

By using the cradle I was able to get the sticker label, I print and cut with Silhouette, perfectly lined up to cover the original label on the wine bottle.

With one hand I slowly turned the bottle while using the other hand to make sure the label went on straight and without any bubbles. Try doing that in your lap.

The wine bottle, of course, is not cylindrical. However if you have a tumbler or mug that's tapered you'll need to compensate for the curve in Silhouette Studio, before you cut your design and apply. Then once you do, you can use the Crafters Cradle to hold the object steady while you apply the design.

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