Unicorn Makeup Brush Roll with Cricut: DIY tutorial with iron-on vinyl cut file

This post is sponsored by Cricut.

Unicorns have to be the “it-animal” of the moment. While I was designing this project I was trying to decide if my ear-unicorn head ratio was right and I had remind myself that unicorns aren’t actually real. So I didn’t google it ;) But I guess it you believe it enough they are real! ;) This unicorn project incorporates everything sparkly and girly: Unicorns! Unicorn horn makeup brushes! Glitter that doesn’t shed! Polka dots, shimmery and heart fabrics!

This unicorn brush roll will hold all your favorite make-up brushes! It is a super great Christmas gift for any glitz or unicorn loving girl that can be customized by the fabrics you choose. You can also turn it into a marker, paintbrush or pencil roll for a younger girl.

It’s a pretty fun and quick project, too! Sewing, iron-on vinyl and piecing. I used my Cricut Maker to cut the design out and then used the EasyPress to secure the glitter vinyl to the fabric. This glitter vinyl is awesome because it hardly sheds glitter! It’s so different than traditional glitter crafts, so not-messy!

The inspiration for this whole project came from these unicorn horn make-up brushes. The handles are plastic shaped like a spiraled unicorn horn and the bristles are pretty shiny pastels. I had to have them!

It was fun to play around with fabrics that coordinate with unicorn colors. I raided my stash for a bunch of pink/sparkly fabrics but feel free to choose your own color scheme!

Materials //

1″ elastic lace
A bunch of pink fabrics, scraps to 1/3 yard
-Pastel Pink Solid + Bubblegum pink solid
-Riley Blake Yes Please Hearts Panel
-Yes Please Shimmer Plaid
-Timeless Treasures Stripe
-Riley Blake Polka Dot
Cut file, see below
Glitter Iron-on Multi
Cricut EasyPress
Cricut cutting machine*

*You can use any Cricut machine for this. I recommend either the Explore Air 2 or the Cricut Maker. Both will cut the glitter vinyl for you, the Maker can also cut the fabric. You can read about both and compare them here.

Always Be a Unicorn Cut File

Let’s make some!

Instructions//

Use 1/4″ seam allowance.

MAIN: First cut 2 pieces of fabric (1 front 1 lining) and 1 piece of interfacing 11″ by 17.25″‘.

STRIPS: Cut 14 strips of fabric 2″ by 6.5″

POCKET PIECES: Cut 1 rectangle of fabric + interfacing 17.5 by 6.5″

Use the cut file to cut out the unicorn phrase with glitter iron-on vinyl. Once it’s cut, weed it out. I like to use the hook looking tool to pull out all the pieces surrounding the phrase, including the insides of the letters.

Tips for cutting

Stretch design to about 8″ by 11″ in Design Space. Use the little arrows on the bottom right of the design.
Make sure Mirror image is ON when cutting iron-on.

Place the clear sheet with glitter vinyl on to the main fabric piece. Press with your EasyPress. The EasyPress settings for Glitter Iron-on with cotton is 340 degrees for 20 seconds. Let the vinyl fully cool before removing the clear sheet.

Sew all little strips together in the pattern of your choosing. Press seam allowances open and fuse small piece of interfacing to the back.The fabric strips will be longer than the interfacing so trim fabric strip piece to match interfacing.

Lay the fabric rectangle over the top of the fabric strip with right sides together and sew together along the top.

Turn the fabric piece over so right sides are showing. Press well.

Line up the strip with the bottom of the Main lining piece. Baste around the sizes at 1/8″.

To make each pocket separate, topstitch right over the seam between each fabric strip. Backstitch at the beginning and end of each stitching line.

Fold the elastic in half and sew it to the right side of the lining piece, right in the middle. Place the main piece (with the unicorn phrase) over the top and sew all the way around. Leave an opening along the bottom edge, about 3-4″