Welcome back to the craft room and today’s Mini Slimline Graduation Card With Year Options post.
Graduation season is right around the corner, and it’s hard to believe how quickly time flies—especially for proud parents and grandparents. Today, I’m excited to share a quick and easy graduation card design that’s perfect for celebrating your graduate. With the help of your Cricut machine, this card cuts and assembles in just minutes. To make this project versatile beyond 2025, I’ve included additional year options through 2030. You’ll also find two different card base styles: a standard mini slimline and a pocket version that’s ideal for including cash or a gift card.
Link to the SVG Files
Let’s get started with our Class of 2025 graduation card using the included SVG download. You can grab all the files here: CL_ClassOf_Cards_Years. Once downloaded, you’ll find several files to choose from. The SVG for the 2025 card, along with the two card base options, is included in the CL_ClassOf_Card file. For additional years, look for separate files labeled CL_ClassOf_26, CL_ClassOf_27, CL_ClassOf_28, CL_ClassOf_29, and CL_ClassOf_30. Take a look below to see a preview of all the included designs.
Let’s jump into Cricut Design space as get started working on our card!
Cricut Design Space
Once you’ve uploaded the file into Design Space, there are a few quick housekeeping steps to take care of. First, ungroup the file so you can work with the individual elements. Next, decide which card base you’d like to use. For today’s tutorial, I’ll be assembling the pocket-style card base. Since that’s the one I’m using, I’ll hide the regular card base by selecting it (it’s the one on the right) and clicking the little eye icon in the Layers panel to make that layer invisible.
In the image below, you might notice what looks like an extra white panel at the top of the pocket card base. I’ve included this optional piece in case you’re using a dark-colored cardstock for your card base—it provides a lighter surface for writing a message. If you’re using a white card base, like I am, you can simply hide this layer in the Layers panel.
Adjusting the Card Base
Next, to make working on the card base a little easier, hold down the Shift key and select the “Class of” text, the year numbers, and the two additional layers. Then move them off to the side for now. Now select the “Congratulations” text, go up to the Operations panel, and change the setting from Basic Cut to Pen. This will tell your Cricut to draw the sentiment instead of cutting it.
Next, it’s time to select the pen type and color. For today’s example, I’m using the 1.0 mm Cricut Marker in black to draw the “Congratulations” sentiment.
Now it’s time to add the score lines to the card base. Hold down the Shift key and select both score line shapes. Then, go back to the Operations panel and change the setting from Basic Cut to Score. This will ensure your Cricut creates fold lines instead of cutting them.
To finish setting up the card base, we need to tell the Cricut exactly where to place the text and score lines. Select the card base, the “Congratulations” text, and both score lines—then click Attach. This step is essential; if it’s skipped, Design Space will separate each element onto different mats, and the machine won’t place them correctly on your cardstock.
Adjusting the Rest of the Card
Now let’s move on to the “Class of” text. Just like before, change the operation from Basic Cut to Pen and select the 1.0 mm black Cricut Marker. Once you’ve made that change, and with the text still selected, hold down the Shift key and click on the white mat layer behind it. Then click Attach to keep the writing in place. We’re almost ready to start cutting!
This next step is optional, but I find it really helpful—especially for visualizing the final design. I like to change the colors of my layers in Design Space to match the cardstock I plan to use. As you can see in the image below, I’ve changed the card base to white and adjusted the year colors to reflect the papers I’ll be using on my finished card.
Cutting the Design
Once you’ve finished making adjustments to your card design, don’t forget to save your project. When you’re ready to cut, click the Make button and select the type of mat you’ll be using. For this project, I’m using a 12″ x 12″ LightGrip mat. My card base is cut from 110lb Recollections cardstock in white, which only comes in 8.5″ x 11″ sheets. Design Space initially placed both the card base and the white mat layer on top of each other, so to make everything fit properly, I had to rotate and move the white mat layer to the right side of the cutting area.
Two of my layers were cut from 110lb Recollections cardstock, and the other two from 65lb Recollections cardstock. Be sure to select the correct base material for each layer in Design Space to ensure the best results. For my Explore Air2 using the 100lb Heavy Cardstock setting works best with the heavy cardstock and the 80lb card setting works well for basic cuts of 65lb card. When you’re ready to cut, Design Space will prompt you to insert the Scoring Stylus into Clamp A, followed by your Cricut Marker when it’s time to draw.
Constructing the Class of Card
The Year
Let’s start assembling the graduation card, beginning with the year element. For today’s example, I used Art Glitter Glue to adhere the layers together—it’s quick, strong, and dries clear. Another great option is to use Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV) for a smooth, professional finish. I created a sample using HTV to show how polished it can look. If you choose this method, don’t forget two key steps: select the correct material setting in Design Space, and—most importantly—Mirror your image before cutting.
For my HTV example, I used Siser EasyWeed in Yellow and applied it with my Cricut Mini Heat Press set to low. While the recommended press time is 25 seconds, I don’t think I applied heat for the full duration—just enough to get good adhesion. Once pressed, I did a warm peel, and the year was ready to use.
The Card Base
Putting this graduation card together is super simple, but I do want to make a quick note about cardstock weight. In today’s example, I used 110lb Recollections heavyweight cardstock for the card base. While the Cricut Scoring Stylus did create an impression on the front, the score lines didn’t fully come through to the back. With cardstock this thick, if the score lines aren’t deep enough, you might end up with a rough or uneven fold. In the image below, you can (hopefully) see just how faint the score lines are on the back side of the card.
To ensure a cleaner, more defined fold, I brought out my scoring board to reinforce the lines manually. As you can see in the image below, the fold looks much crisper and more professional after scoring it again.
After folding along the score lines, reinforce the crease with your Teflon bone folder for a crisp finish. To close the pocket on the card, you can use either a thin line of liquid glue or some double-sided adhesive. For this card, I opted for 1/8″ Scor-Tape, applied right along the edge of the pocket—it holds securely without adding bulk.
Once the pocket is sealed, go ahead and adhere the mat layers and the year element to the front of the card using your favorite adhesive. I used 1/4″ Scor-Tape for the mat layers to keep them flat and secure, and Art Glitter Glue for the year to allow a bit of wiggle room for perfect placement. And just like that, your Mini Slimline Graduation Card With Year Options is complete!
The Envelope and Options
Due to the width of this card, a standard cash bill won’t fully lie flat inside the pocket. For my example—and what I plan to do going forward—I simply tucked each end of the bill under before sliding it into the pocket. A gift card also fits nicely and is a great alternative. While I originally designed this card with graduation in mind, with a few small tweaks, it could easily be adapted for any celebratory occasion. This Mini Slimline card fits perfectly into a 6.5″ x 3.625″ Remittance envelope. I picked mine up at a local stationery store, but you can often find this size at Dollar Tree as well.
Thank you so much for joining me for today’s Mini Slimline Graduation Card With Year Options post. I hope this project inspires you to create something special for the graduates in your life—whether it’s with a cash gift, a gift card, or a thoughtful handwritten note. I’d love to hear if your family has any graduation traditions—do you celebrate with a party, a keepsake gift, or something totally unique? Share your thoughts in the comments below! For more graduation card ideas, check out my other graduation card tutorials on the blog. Until next time, I’ll see you back here in the craft room soon.
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