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I know pattern vinyl can be challenging to craft with, so I created a list of glitter pairings to go with all of the Winter Patterned Vinyl that I recently collaborated with 143VINYL to bring you. These are perfect to use for Christmas Ornaments, and other holiday crafts! Don’t forget to use my code ALEX5 anytime you shop at 143VINYL to save 5%.

In the first part of this post I’ll give you all the suggested glitter pairings with the patterned vinyl, but read until the end to get my top 5 tips on how to pair pattern vinyl with glitter, shirts, or pretty much anything!

Pair Hug in a Mug pattern vinyl with Tropical Punch Starcraft Glitter. I originally recommended Stringray Starcraft glitter, but I think it needs more contrast to show off the pattern. So I think Mug in a Mug with a dark red glitter will be the perfect pair!

Pair Winter Trucks and Trees pattern vinyl with Lava Starcraft Glitter. Lava Starcraft Glitter is a bright and beautiful holographic red that works well for any holiday or winter time craft project.

Penguin Palooza pattern vinyl looks amazing paired with Crystal Waters Starcraft Glitter. It’s a bright holographic blue glitter that really contrasts with the white background of this print.

Poinsettia Perfect White pattern vinyl pairs beautifully with Ruby Sandals Starcraft Glitter. Ruby Sandals is a chunky mix glitter, and the variety of sizes in the glitter gives this pattern serious holiday vibes.

Poinsettia Perfect Navy pattern vinyl pops against Aloe Vera Starcraft Glitter. Aloe Vera is a medium green, and though it’s not your traditional Christmas green, I think the two of them are a match made in crafter heaven!

The Christmas Spirit pattern vinyl looks stunning against Call Me Captain Starcraft Glitter. Christmas Spirit is a darker holiday patterned vinyl, so a white glitter with silver undertones looks stunning behind it.

Cozy Vibes pattern vinyl is another dark winter print that looks great when paired with Sunbathe Starcraft Glitter. It carries the warm tones through the whole project, and they look like they were meant to be.

Christmas Doodles pattern vinyl stands out against Tropical Punch Starcraft Glitter perfectly! There are small pops of red throughout the pattern, so a traditional Christmas red glitter is the perfect contrast it needs.

Pair Merry and Light pattern vinyl against Oyster Starcraft Glitter for a pastel holiday look. Merry and Light’s blush background could be paired with a darker glitter for contrast, but I love the look of the blush against soft opal tones of Oyster Starcraft Glitter

Pattern vinyl adds so much to craft projects, but working with them requires some careful planning so you can ensure that there will be enough contrast to see the pattern and allow it to pop. Here are my tips for pairing pattern vinyl with glitter, paint colors, blanks, and more.

Tip #1 is Contrast, contrast, contrast. Pattern vinyl needs contrast between itself and the background of any project use it on. One way to create the right amount of contrast is to pull a minor color from the pattern and use it as the background color. You can see this concept demonstrated in the Chrismtas Doodles pattern, which is mainly navy and white with a small amount of red paired with dark red Tropical Punch Starcraft Glitter.

Another way to achieve contrast between vinyl and the background is to choose a totally opposite color that is not anywhere in the pattern. I used this method when pairing Christmas Spirit Pattern Vinyl with Call Me Captain white Starcraft Glitter.

Tip #2 is to add an offset around pattern vinyl text and designs. Use a contrasting color for the offset around the pattern to ensure that text is always able to be read easily. Once you add the offset, you can use any color of shirt or blank color you’d like since you already added contrast with the offset.

Tip #3 is to double check your color choices before you begin your project. Even after working with pattern vinyl for years, I don’t always make the best color choices to show off the pattern well. When I take the time to stop and look at the colors together before I begin, that makes for a much more successful project.

Tip #4 is to choose your designs to show off the pattern. When working with pattern vinyl, using thicker fonts and designs with plenty of surface area to ensure that you’ll be able to see the pattern. If the font or design isn’t thick enough, you’ll barely be able to tell what the pattern is. So choose wisely! If you’re not sure what kind of text and designs to use, watch this tutorial to see how to choose projects and designs to show off patterns well.

Tip #5 is to choose where to cut from the vinyl sheet. With regular vinyl, I just cut a piece off the corner that’s slightly larger than my design and use that piece on the mat. With pattern vinyl, it’s best to examine where on the sheet is going to show off the pattern best. Either of the Poinsettia Perfect patterns are great examples of this. I like to cut an area of sheet that I know will allow at last one poinsettia to be visible in the cut. Keep in mind that when cutting vinyl on your Cricut, the cut will be 0.25″ inch in from the edges of the mat. If it’s harder to place your vinyl to cut in the corner, remember to edit your mat and move the design to a place that’s easier for you to line up with your vinyl.

If you want to see the patterns in action, click here to watch the Youtube live replay where I created these ornaments.