• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Sweet Red Poppy logo
  • Cricut
    • Free SVG Files
    • Paper Flowers
    • Mandala
    • Iron-On
    • Vinyl
    • Maker
    • Explore Air 2
    • Joy
  • Sewing
    • Baby
    • Kids
    • Accessories
    • Christmas
    • Blankets
    • Womens
    • Learn to Sew Tips & Tricks
    • Face Masks
  • DIY Crafting
    • Paint
    • Paper
    • Food
    • Kids
  • Holiday Crafts
    • Valentine’s Day
    • Easter
    • 4th of July
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
  • Books
    • Cricut Printed Book
    • Cricut E-Book
    • Cricut Joy Printed Book
    • Cricut Joy E-Book
    • Paper Flower E-Book
    • Sewing Printed Book
    • Sewing E-Book
    • Face Mask E-Book
    • Mandala E-Book Bundle
    • Mandala E-Book - Inkscape
    • Mandala E-Book - Adobe Illustrator
    • Mandala Printed Book - Inkscape
    • Mandala Printed Book - Adobe Illustrator
    • Baby Pattern E-Book
  • Courses
    • Cricut Course
    • Sewing Course
    • Serger Course
    • Quilting Course
    • SVG Design Course
    • Course Login: Teachable
  • Shop
    • E-Books
    • Printed Books
    • Sewing Patterns
    • SVG Files
    • Baby Patterns
    • Subscribe to Emails
    • Course Login: Teachable
    • Contact
  • Search

Layered Apple Mandala

Written by Kimberly Coffin · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

Create a Layered Card Stock Thank You Apple Mandala With This Free SVG Cut File and Step-by-Step Tutorial

This free Layered Apple Mandala cut file makes the perfect DIY teacher gift.

It's hard to figure out what to give as a teacher's gift throughout the year. Often times you have to think of a teacher's gift for back to school, a holiday gift, and an end-of-the-year gift.

There are a lot of amazing ideas out there, some store-bought, some handmade. I wanted to contribute a DIY teacher gift with this layered apple mandala design.

Apple Mandala by popular US craft blog, The Sweetest Thing: image of a woman holding a layered apple mandala.

My kids love helping out with gifts, especially when I’m using my Cricut. They all love to help me load the mat into the machine and press go. Plus, they always have so much fun choosing the colors they want! 

This is a fun project for us to do together a great way for us to say “Thank You” to their teachers.

Looking for more school mandalas? Check out my DIY Alphabet Mandala HERE.

Apple Mandala by popular US craft blog, The Sweetest Thing: image of a layered A mandala.

Layered Apple Mandala

How to Layer Mandalas

Before we begin, let’s talk about a couple of different ways to attach and layers your mandala together. 

Foam Adhesive

My favorite way is using foam adhesive. Foam adhesive secures your layers together while creating a three-dimensional effect. If you’re looking for a stand-out look, I’d recommend using foam adhesive. 

Craft Glue

Another way to attach your layers together is by using craft glue. I use craft glue when working with thing layers or when creating a mandala I want to be flat. 

Learn How to Make Your Own Layered Apple Mandala in this Step-by-Step Tutorial.

Apple Mandala by popular US craft blog, The Sweetest Thing: image of a Cricut Explore, fine-point blade, standard grip mat, Cardstock, scraper toe, and foam adhesive dots and craft glue.

For this project, you need: 

  • Free Layered Apple Mandala Cut Files (link below)
  • Cricut Explore, Cricut Joy, or Cricut Maker
  • Fine-Point Blade
  • StandardGrip Mat
  • Cardstock
  • Scraper Tool
  • Foam Adhesive Dots or Craft Glue

Click Here to Download the FREE Cut Files!

Apple Mandala by popular US craft blog, The Sweetest Thing: image of a layered apple mandala cut file.

Step 1 - Upload SVG File to Design Space

Open Cricut Design Space and click the + to create a new project.

In the Design Panel on the left, select "Upload."

Click “Upload Image.”

Apple Mandala by popular US craft blog, The Sweetest Thing: image of Design space.

Click “Browse.”

Apple Mandala by popular US craft blog, The Sweetest Thing: image of Design space.

Navigate to the file on your device and click "Open."

Apple Mandala by popular US craft blog, The Sweetest Thing: image of Design space.

Here you can change the name and add tags. Click "Upload."

Apple Mandala by popular US craft blog, The Sweetest Thing: image of Design space.

Once you have the file uploaded, select it and click "Insert Images" to bring it onto your canvas.

Apple Mandala by popular US craft blog, The Sweetest Thing: image of Design space.

Step 2 - Resize Design (optional)

You'll see all of the layers in the Layers Panel on the right side of your screen.

Apple Mandala by popular US craft blog, The Sweetest Thing: image of Design space.

Keep the layers grouped and enter the size you want the mandala to be. Remember, the maximum size you can go in Cricut Design Space is 11.5 inches.

Now you're ready to cut the design! Click “Make It” in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.

Apple Mandala by popular US craft blog, The Sweetest Thing: image of Design space.

This brings you to the preview screen. 

Apple Mandala by popular US craft blog, The Sweetest Thing: image of Design space.

Click “Continue.”

Apple Mandala by popular US craft blog, The Sweetest Thing: image of Design space.

Now it’s time to connect to your machine and select your material.  For all of my layered designs, I use the Cardstock (for intricate cuts) setting.

Apple Mandala by popular US craft blog, The Sweetest Thing: image of Design space.

This setting along with a clean, sticky mat ensures a nice, clean-cut.

Ensure your Fine-Point Blade is loaded into your machine. 

Step 3 - Cut Out Design

Peel the clear liner away from your mat. 

Apple Mandala by popular US craft blog, The Sweetest Thing: image of a woman peeling a clear liner away from their cutting mat.

Following Design Space’s prompts, place your first color of cardstock on your mat. 

Apple Mandala by popular US craft blog, The Sweetest Thing: image of a woman placing white cardstock on a cutting mat.

Press the load button to load the mat into your machine. Press the go button to begin the cut. 

Apple Mandala by popular US craft blog, The Sweetest Thing: image of a woman using a Cricut Explore.

Once your first cut is complete, unload the mat. 

Following the prompts in Design Space, place the second color of cardstock on your mat. 

Apple Mandala by popular US craft blog, The Sweetest Thing: image of red cardstock in a Cricut Explore.

Continue to load, cut, and unload the rest of the cuts until you have all of the elements cut out. 

Pro Tip - Carefully peel your mat away from the cardstock to avoid tearing or rolling your cardstock. 

Apple Mandala by popular US craft blog, The Sweetest Thing: image of a woman moving a Cricut cutting board off of their apple mandala.

Step 4 - Assemble Layered Mandala

After you cut the design, use the foam adhesive and/or craft glue to put it together. For this file, I’m going to use both foam adhesive and craft glue. 

I used craft glue to attach the letters to their backing as well as the apple mandala. Then, I used foam adhesive to attach the letters to the apple mandala. 

Cricut Design Space doesn’t cut out the layers in order so it can get confusing to piece together. Head back to Design Space to see the layers as a reference for how to put them together.

The image below shows you from bottom to top how the layers should be placed.

Apple Mandala by popular US craft blog, The Sweetest Thing: image of layered apple mandala design.

Begin gluing each letter to the letter backing. Line it up and press it in place. 

Apple Mandala by popular US craft blog, The Sweetest Thing: image of a woman assembling a layered apple mandala.

Glue to apple mandala together from bottom to top. Be careful not to use too much glue as it will bleed through your project, creating an unprofessional look. 

Apple Mandala by popular US craft blog, The Sweetest Thing: image of a woman assembling a layered apple mandala.

Finally, attach your “Thank You” letters to your apple mandala using craft foam. 

Apple Mandala by popular US craft blog, The Sweetest Thing: image of a woman assembling a layered apple mandala.

Now you have this adorable layered apple mandala. I love being able to say “Thank You” with a homemade gift! 

Apple Mandala by popular US craft blog, The Sweetest Thing: image of a woman holding a layered apple mandala.

Looking for more mandalas? Check out my other mandalas HERE.

Apple Mandala by popular US craft blog, The Sweetest Thing: collage image of layered mandalas.
Apple Mandala by popular US craft blog, The Sweetest Thing: image of a woman holding a layered apple mandala.

Don't want to forget about this project? Save it to Pinterest here!

Do you have any questions about this layered apple mandal? What are some of your favorite teacher appreciation gifts? Let me know in a comment below!

« 4th of July Free SVG Cut Files
DIY Layered Alphabet Mandala »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Yasmin says

    May 03, 2023 at 4:15 pm

    Thank you so much for all your wonderful projects and excellent process steps. abundant blessings to you

    Reply
  2. Theresa says

    August 03, 2024 at 7:23 pm

    Helio. My name is Theresa. I bought the Cricut machine over 2 years ago and is still in the box. I am so intimidated to use it. Please help me. I’m struggling for sure. Thank you so much in advance. 🙂

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Ready, Set, Sew! An online sewing course for beginners by top US sewing blogger, Sweet Red Poppy.

Hello, I’m Kimberly, the creator of Sweet Red Poppy!

I’m a wife, mother to 3, seamstress, and lover of all things crafty! Sweet Red Poppy is my creative outlet where I find and create inspiration. It’s a place where I can share my never-ending sewing projects and my love of learning!

Read more about me →

The Latest

  • DIY Father's Day Magnetic Photo Frame
  • Aeon Mira5 S Sweet Red Poppy
    Aeon Mira5 S Redline Laser: Everything You Need to Know Before You Buy
  • How to Make a Large Crepe Paper Peony
  • The New Cricut Maker 4- What's the Difference Between Cricut Maker 4 vs Maker 3?
  • How to Make Easy DIY Glitter Ornaments
  • Walmart Nutcracker Tutorial
Ready, Set, Sew! An online sewing course for beginners by top US sewing blogger, Sweet Red Poppy.

Hello, I’m Kimberly, the creator of Sweet Red Poppy!

I’m a wife, mother to 3, seamstress, and lover of all things crafty! Sweet Red Poppy is my creative outlet where I find and create inspiration. It’s a place where I can share my never-ending sewing projects and my love of learning!

Read more about me →

The Latest

  • DIY Father's Day Magnetic Photo Frame
  • Aeon Mira5 S Sweet Red Poppy
    Aeon Mira5 S Redline Laser: Everything You Need to Know Before You Buy
  • How to Make a Large Crepe Paper Peony
  • The New Cricut Maker 4- What's the Difference Between Cricut Maker 4 vs Maker 3?
  • How to Make Easy DIY Glitter Ornaments
  • Walmart Nutcracker Tutorial

Footer

↑ back to top

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure

Newsletter

  • Get My Cricut Book HERE
  • Sign Up! For Emails and Updates

About

  • Contact
  • About
  • Home

Copyright © 2024 Sweet Red Poppy