Are you a teacher who needs more organization and fun in the classroom? Do you need to make inexpensive gifts for coworkers, family, and friends? Maybe you just want to take your classroom decor to the next level! With the Silhouette Cameo 3 and the right accessories you can do just that!

I bought my silhouette Cameo 3 from Amazon and got free shipping, and you should too! The pink one just came out in October of 2017 and it is amazing! It comes with a cutting mat and blade in the box, so all you need is some cardstock, vinyl, and a little bit of imagination to get off and running.

Some of my favorite classroom projects with the Silhouette Cameo 3 are below

• Bulletin Boards with cut out letters. Laminate them and you can reuse them year after year! You can use Cardstock or patterned scrapbook paper along with the fonts on your computer to create stunning displays that will create a space worthy of inspiration and awesomeness that will have all of your teacher friends peeking in with awe
• Labels for everything! Using adhesive vinyl like Oracle 631 or Oracle 651 you can label everything from clipboards, to bathroom passes, reading areas, folders, supply cabinets, and on and on and on. It is easily wiped clean from little kid germs, but can be removed if needed for something else. You can even get some in chalkboard material if you want to make some chalkboard labels!
• Stickers! Using the print and cut feature you can make your own stickers for your planner, grade book, calendar, and to pass out to your kiddos whenever you want!
• Class Door Decor! Welcome your kids to class with a fun inspiring display that shows off your personality. A fun door can set the tone for a great day, and can easily be changed with the seasons with a Silhouette Cameo 3!
• White Board Labels just got way cuter with the Silhouette Cameo 3. Use vinyl to cut them out and apply with contact paper for a semi permanent way to keep track of the date, the weather, or who is the line leader this week. The possibilities are endless!
• Teacher T shirts! Use the Cameo 3 to make the cutest t shirts for all of the school dress up days! I recommend Siser Stretch, which I will post links for below!
• Personalized gifts! From Clipboards to cups, to pencil holders and bags, you can personalize almost anything with the Silhouette Cameo 3!
• Photo Props, make the first day of school and class parties extra fun with some awesome photo props created with the Cameo!

Ok, So here is a quick list with links for what you need to do all of the fun stuff listed above

1. Silhouette Cameo 3. You can buy it by itself or in a bundle! I like to buy things separately so I don’t end up with tools and accessories I never use, but here’s a great bundle for your convenience that includes vinyl for decals and sketch pens you could use to color awesome bulletin board letters!

2. Vinyl for decals, labels, and whiteboard labels. I recommend using Oracle 651 for all of these and here’s a great bundle that has lots of colors. I tend to use black a lot, so it would be wise to get a roll of that to save you some money! The bundle below comes with lots of colors so you can see them all and customize lots of different things! Never put this vinyl in the or microwave, and I recommend hand washing for cups so they last longer! 😉

3. Vinyl for Shirts I recommend Siser Stretch for ladies shirts so that the image has some give to accommodate your chest. It is also great for baby onesies or kids shirts that get stretched when pulled on and off. There’s a bundle with all the colors here, but you might just want to start with white and black until you have a shirt in mind you want to make. White and Black will get you through Dr. Seuss week 😉 You can also add some glitter vinyl which looks amazing on shirts. Never layer glitter vinyl on top of glitter vinyl, but you can put it on top of stretch no problem. 

4.Cardstock My favorite cardstock for banners and letters is Co’ordinations from JoAnn fabric. It comes in lots of colors and you can find it on sale regularly. I prefer the smooth finish over the canvas texture. It cuts beautifully, and can be laminated, or turned into a sticker with a Xyron machine easily. Make sure to check the app for a coupon!

5. Other Necessary Accessories The machine comes with a mat and cutting blade, but you also need weeding tools and transfer tape to work with vinyl. My favorite weeding tools are actually dental picks like these, and my favorite transfer tape is Contact paper for beginners. It is super inexpensive, and doesn’t leave residue when you are removing it. Make sure you buy the one with the blue grid lines. The new one they came out with has gray lines and doesn’t work as well! The paper cutter allows you to cut the edge of vinyl or cardstock straight so you can reuse the unused part easily. The scraper on the far right below helps you transfer vinyl onto the contact paper, and then onto the surface you are applying it to. I have been known to use a kitchen spatula when I couldn’t find mine, but this one works well, and is inexpensive!

6. Nice to have If you are going to make lots of shirts I highly recommend a heat press. It will save you lots of time and your shirts will last longer. If you are just starting out, maybe get one after you master cutting the other vinyl things! Xyron sticker machine. It turns anything you cut out with the silhouette into a sticker! They also have cartridges you can add to turn things into magnets, or laminate, but the sticker things is what I use the most. It makes applying letters to banners so much easier!

That should be enough to get you started! I can’t wait to see what your classrooms look like! Join us in the Cameo Class group beginning January 2017 where we work together to create a project step by step together! It’s a great place for beginners to come and learn how to use the software!

Here are some teacher designs available for download in the Silhouette Studio library just to give you a sneak peek. They are all available for purchase for 99 cents normally, and can be found on sale throughout the year! Make sure you check in every week for the free design they give you!

and here’s some cute teacher project ideas!

Happy Crafting,

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post contain affiliate links that pay me a small commission, but you pay the same price, for recommending them. That money is used to maintain this blog!

Thanks for reading. If you like this and want more crafting tips and tricks subscribe to the blog!