Easy peasy lemon squeezy. That’s what my kids always say when they are explaining how to do something and they think it is really simple.
Today I’m going to show you how to use Cricut brand patterned iron-on, along with the Cricut EasyPress, to make some easy peasy lemon squeezy DIY custom iron transfer t-shirts!
p.s. if you are a beginner and want some extra hands-on help, join my free Facebook group (Cricut Learning Community) where we share tips, tricks, videos, and more! JOIN HERE
Making a shirt is so simple, especially with a Cricut machine. Check out my other post on my first impressions of the Cricut here where I create an easy stencil design! Other Cricut posts you might love. If you loved this review on the making your first shirt with a Cricut Machine, you might also enjoy these other posts on my Cricut machine below! Heat Press Transfer Machine 5 in 1 Combo Multifunctional Swing Away Clamshell Printing Sublimation for T-Shirt Hat Cap Mug Plate 15' x 12'-Shirt Printing (Black&Bleu, 5 in 1) 4.3 out of 5 stars 77 $242.99 $ 242.
Wife Mom Boss DIY T-Shirt
Materials Needed
- Cricut Explore Air (or any Cricut cutting machine)
- Cricut Patterned Iron-On (in a pattern of choice)
- Cricut Iron-On (in color of choice)
- T-shirt blank (I get mine from Walmart)
- Additional Cricut Accessories (cutting mat, weeding tools, etc.)
The Cricut Patterned Iron On really adds a punch to your designs so I’d highly recommend grabbing some. Cricut has loads of designs (currently 9 sampler packs) and I found it hard to pick a favorite.
For this project, I chose the Chantilly design. I liked how the creamy color and the fun chantilly swirls popped off the shirt and really made my design stand out.
You can see the exact pattern I used HERE, or find all the patterned iron on designs HERE.
The Patterned Iron On™ is going to be a game changer for crafters everywhere! Patterned Iron On is perfect to decorate t-shirts, hoodies, baby bodysuits, throw pillows, tote bags and more. Because they come in samplers with 3 different designs, they’re perfect to mix and match for one of a kind projects.
Note: You cannot layer the patterned Iron-on so keep that in mind when creating your designs.
Directions For Iron Transfer T-shirts
Check this quick video to see how to easily create custom designs using Design Space, then go forth and create your own! You can also see more Design Space tutorials in my free Crafting group on Facebook.
Once you have your design to your liking, you are ready to cut. Load your mat with your material into your Cricut Explore Air cutting machine, follow the prompts on your screen, and cut out your design.You can find my exact cut file in Design Space here.
Pro Tips:
► Place your material shiny side down on the mat when cutting Cricut iron-on.
► Be sure to reverse the image before cutting iron on material.
You’ll cut so the pattern/color is down, then when you flip it over it will be correct to place on your material.
After cutting has complete, simply weed out excess material (see how to weed in this tutorial), place on your shirt in the desired area, and press with the Cricut EasyPress.
Pro Tips:
► Preheat the area of the material in which you will be applying your cut image for 5-10 seconds.
► Set your EasyPress heat for 340F for 50 seconds on the front of the garment, 15 seconds on the back of the garment. Use firm pressure.
► COLD PEEL your backing (let cool).
If using an iron, follow the same tips as above but using the cotton setting for 50 seconds on the front and 15 seconds on the back. Cold peel.
Don’t have an EasyPress yet?! Grab yours HERE — it’s a game changer!
I typically like to lay my design out and eyeball where I want things to go before I start adding any heat. I’ll tape it on and lift up the shirt and see how it looks next to me. This way I get an idea of how it is going to look before I’m committed.
Pro Circuit T Shirts
Once I’ve got everything in the right location I grab my EasyPress and EasyPress mat and get the shirt warm. If you think you’ll forget where you want your design to go, you can use a fabric pencil to mark where everything should be.
Then press as directed above, let it cool, and peel off the backing.
Isn’t it pretty?!
It’s as easy as that to get your own custom Iron Transfer T-Shirts made right at home!
More Cricut Tutorials
To see how to use all the features in Design Space, like editing text, adjusting images, hiding layers, etc., head over to my Cricut Tutorials section.
*Learn how to cut, weed, and transfer vinyl in my personalized beverage coaster tutorial.
*Learn how to use Design Space features like ungrouping, welding, and cutting vinyl in my Vinyl Letter Wedding Tile tutorial.
*Learn how to ungroup and slice in my Teacher Appreciation Gift tutorial.
*See another project working with Cricut Foil in my DIY Stocking Holder tutorial.
*And if you are simply a beginner and need an easier project to start with, try my very simple Cricut Tutorialsto get some practice under your belt, then come back and tackle this one!
Love these Iron Transfer T-Shirts? Check out what else you can do!
These are just a few ideas to help get you started, but there is so much more to be made. You can see a full list of fun Cricut Tutorials right in Design Space or start designing your own project. The possibilities are endless!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.
It’s really not as hard to customize your own t-shirts as you might think! I’m going to show you step by step how to make iron on designs for tshirts with Cricut Design Space! You can personalize your clothes in one easy project!
My last couple projects with Cricuthave been all about the tshirts! For so long, this process intimidated me and I kept putting it off. Once I made my first personalized shirt, though, I was hooked!
The process is so simple and one shirt comes together in under 10 minutes! I promise you, you will be eyeing up all your family’s clothing soon to see what you can customize.
Up until now, I’ve only used Cricut’s Iron-on Lite. It works great and we haven’t had any issues with peeling after washing.
But for this project, I wanted to personalize some of my daughter’s work-out clothes. Since all her shirts are the Dry Fit style, this was the perfect opportunity to give the new SportFlex Iron On™ a try!
When You Should Use Cricut SportFlex Iron On
- If your clothing is made of nylon or polyester, this is the iron on you want to use! It’s perfect for activewear (think Dry Fit shirts).
- This is also a great option for maternity shirts. Maternity shirts are made so they have some give and stretch to them and the SportFlex will stretch right along with the shirt without tearing or cracking.
- You can also customize baby onesies, tote bags, hoodies, throw pillows, leggings and more!
Benefits of Cricut SportFlex Iron On
- It’s a very lightweight iron on. When you’re working out and sweating at the gym, the last thing you want is a heavy shirt weighing you down. The SportFlex is extremely lightweight so it won’t bunch up or add unnecessary bulk.
- It’s flexible and stretches well! When you’re in your downward dog or grunting through another squat, your Sport Flex design will stretch right along with you! You can pull and yank on that shirt, and the Sport Flex moves right along with it! It’s magical!
- It comes in a number of colors so you can really have fun customizing your clothes! You can even layer your colors, although it’s recommended that you don’t do more than 2 layers on top of each other.
Supplies to Make Iron-on Shirts
- Cricut Explore Air 2 or Cricut Maker
- EasyPress or Iron
How to Make Iron On Designs for Tshirts with Cricut
Circuit Shirt Maker
Open up Design Space and click on create new project. To make a shirt similar to the ones I made, just click on “Text” in the left sidebar and type the text you want. As you’re planning your design, the SportFlex comes in one sheet that is 11.8” x 24”.
You can use the menu bar above your mat to edit the size, font and more. If you need an overview of how to use your Cricut, be sure to check out my Cricut for Beginners post.
After you have your text the way you want it, click on “Make It” in the upper right corner. The most important thing to remember when working with iron on, is that you want to mirror your image before you send it to the Cricut to cut. Just click on the Mirror button on the left sidebar until it turns green and your text flips backwards.
Load your SportFlex Iron On onto your mat with the shiny surface down. Then you can follow the prompts to send it to your Cricut to begin cutting.
After it’s finished cutting, you need to weed all the extra iron on that you don’t want in your final design. Flip it over onto your shirt so that your letters are facing the correct way. Center it on the shirt and then follow the directions on your easy press to adhere it to the shirt.
I will warn you that the distressed font I used in the example above does take quite a long time to cut. There are so many little holes and spots it needs to cut out, so this is by far the most time-consuming of the fonts I used. You can see in this picture with me weeding it, just how detailed it is.
I also happen to think it gives one of the coolest results, though! Just make sure you get all the little pieces off before you iron it onto your shirt! Or I adjusted the file so it’s an easier font for you to work with. Trust me, you’ll be happy!
To get the VICI VENI cut file, click HERE!
I used the silver SportFlex Iron On for this shirt. The logo that the shirt came with was already silver so it blended it perfectly and looks like the shirt was made this way! I love how the silver turned out. Not too flashy, but not so dull that it looks gray.
For the second shirt, I wanted to try a different color. This is almost a pearlescent green. It looks white in the photos, but in person it has the neatest tint to it.
Does anybody recognize this quote?? Dwight from The Office said it and it made me laugh out loud! Since we’re huge Office fans in our house, it was perfect for my daughter. She just needs to channel a little Dwight during her next track competition!
To get the Burn Is Where I Live cut file, click HERE.
My last shirt is one I hope my daughter internalizes as she goes through these tough teen years. It’s short and sweet, but straight to the point!
To get the Strong cut file, click HERE.
But don’t just stop with shirts like I did! You can customize yoga pants, your yoga mat, bathing suits, headbands and so much more! And you can be confident that your clothes will hold up to multiple washings, because the SportFlex comes with the Cricut StrongBond™ Guarantee. You’ll have long lasting results that you’ll love!
Be sure to pin this post, so you can come back to these FREE cut files!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.