Whether you’re considering a Creative Fabrica subscription, or looking for new ways to utilize the subscription you’re already paying for, this post is sure to inspire!
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a small commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you.
I love Creative Fabrica
I’ve been a member for a few years. I joined it for the fonts and the graphics, most of which I used for my pin business. (Haven’t checked out MoodMill pins yet? You should! Click here!)
Entirely by accident, however, I realized that Creative Fabrica has a lot more than just fonts and images. A staggering amount more.
It all came about as a result of my recent addiction to polymer clay crafting. There aren’t many options for buying clay cutters where I am, and ordering them online was costly. I just couldn’t afford to spend $10-$15 for a tiny clay cutter (plus shipping!) that I might only use a few times. If you’re a hobby hopper like me, you know what I mean. I wrote a blog post about it—The Art of Responsible Hobby Hopping. Check it out here!
Creative Solutions
My local library has several different crafting machines that can be used by anyone with a library card. I’ve used their pin makers on a variety of occasions, as well as some of their graphic design software and photography equipment. What I’d never used was their 3D printer. But in my search for clay cutters, I found many sellers were selling clay cutter 3D print files and I thought… why not?
Off to Google I went to try and find some free clay cutter files. And in my search, I found that Creative Fabrica has tons of STL Clay Cutter files. Of course, they’re not technically free because I pay for an annual membership, but my annual membership fee is less than $60. I’d already downloaded enough fonts and images that downloading STL files from Creative Fabrica was practically free. And it was a great way to test out the library’s 3D printer.
I downloaded some files and they were perfect. This got me thinking—what else does Creative Fabrica have that I might not have even though to search for?
I’m so glad I asked the question because it led me down a terrible fun path.
Maybe this isn’t news to you but creatives, Creative Fabrica has SO MANY PROJECTS FOR YOU TO TRY. The caps are because I’m so excited. Can you tell?
If you haven’t signed up for Creative Fabrica yet, what are you waiting for?
And now, without further ado, the list!
01. In The Hoop (ITH) Embroidery Machine Keychain
While I get most of my In The Hoop (ITH) embroidery designs from Etsy, I’ve found several on Creative Fabrica that I love. There are a lot to choose from, and it’s not just keychains! There are some ITH plushies as well, and other projects for you to try. The project pictured is an adorable penguin keychain, which I haven’t tried yet… but I’m sure as soon as my penguin-loving mom reads this post, it’ll get bumped to the top of my to-make list.
To make these ITH projects, you’ll need an embroidery machine. This is the one I have, and I recommend it if you’re looking for something easy to use that won’t break the bank.
02. 3D Printed Clay Cutters
I was so excited to find STL (3D Printing) files on Creative Fabrica. I have bought a ton from Etsy, and so finding a new source of files I could download for FREE (well, free ish – I pay for the annual membership of course) was crazy exciting. There are so many options.
You will, of course, need a 3D printer to use these files. I don’t have a 3D printer, so I can’t really recommend a particular one that you should get. The local public library where I live has a 3D printer available for public use; I only have to pay for the materials they use to print my files. Clay cutters are tiny, so I pay between $0.20 and $0.70 per cutter printed. Well worth it in my mind!
If your public library doesn’t have a maker space, you can look around and see if any local sellers will print STL files for you.
03. Layered Paper Shadowbox Art
I stumbled upon shadowbox art completely by accident. I was looking for SVG files and came across this. And oh my goodness isn’t it gorgeous? Creative Fabrica has a staggering number of shadowbox projects, and I encourage you to go take a look at them.
While you can cut these pieces by hand, I highly recommend using a Cricut or some other type of paper cutter for this. These files have tiny pieces.
04. Laser Cut “Book Nook”
If you’re on TikTok you may have seen all the gorgeous “book nooks” that content creators are showing off. What you may not have known is that you can use a laser cutter (or a Cricut that can cut through wood!) to make a book nook of your very own! Creative Fabrica has a few really cute book nook projects for you to try.
05. Japanese Knot Bag Sewing Pattern
If you’re looking to try a new sewing pattern, there are an abundance of them on Creative Fabrica. I’d been on Creative Fabrica for nearly a year before I thought to search for sewing patterns and I’m glad that I eventually did!
There are so many lovely projects for varying skill levels. Not sure where to start? Give this bag a try!
06. Halloween Clown Doll Knitting Pattern
This one is delightfully creepy (I’m a big fan of the cute but creepy genre of plush) and makes me wish that I knew how to knit.
Of course, if cute but creepy isn’t your style, there are tons of other knitting patterns available for you to try on Creative Fabrica. Clothes, toys, household products… you name it, they have it!
07. Kids Coloring and/or Activity Book
Did you know you can make your very own coloring and activity books? This example is for a kids activity book, but there are also tons of downloadable activity book and coloring book pages for adults! Print, assemble, and bind! If you don’t have a way to bind them at home, you can take them to anywhere that does professional printing (like Staples) and they can bind them for you.
You can also use these pages to create coloring and activity books to sell on Amazon KDP.
08. Sticker Sheets
Did you know you can make sticker sheets from Creative Fabrica files? Who doesn’t love some adorable stickers? There are tons of pre-formatted sticker sheets like the one pictured, but you can also download various PNGs and SVGs and compile them into your own sheet.
Print your files on sticker paper, laminate (optional) to make them more durable, and then use a Cricut or other cutting machine to cut them. (Not sure how to do this? Check out this tutorial!)
09. Macrame Plant Holders
Did you know that Creative Fabrica has classes? And you can “enroll” in them for free as part of your Creative Fabrica membership.
This macrame plant holder project is just one example of the many classes hosted on Creative Fabrica. The instructor is thorough, and it includes step-by-step videos showing you exactly how to make your very own macrame plant holder.
10. Custom Product Packaging
If you’re a maker who sells your art, did you know that you can find cut files for product packaging on Creative Fabrica as well? This particular file is for a lip gloss box, but there are all sorts of other boxes, bags, and packaging as well.
It can be hard to find the perfect packaging for your products and your brand, but Creative Fabrica is a great place to check if you don’t know where to start.
What Creative Fabrica projects will you tackle?
Honestly, this is only the tip of the iceberg. Creative Fabrica has so much more than just fonts and graphics. (Although there are tons of those too!)
Here are a few other things you can find:
- Procreate Brushes
- Color Palettes
- Adobe Lightroom Presets
- Instagram Templates
- Product Mockups
- Crochet Patterns
- Business Thank You Card Templates
- And so many more!
If you try any of the projects on this list, I want to see them! Tag #theserialcreative and #creativefabricaDIYs on Instagram.
Also, I’d love it if you followed me on social media. I’ll follow you back! Check me out at the links below.
