I mentioned in my last post that due to the pandemic and staying home more, I’ve been trying new recipes more frequently in my free time as a way to have some fun on the weekends. I’ve also been crafting a whole lot more with my Cricut’s as well!
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – fall is one of my favourite times of the year! I also love anything that is holiday themed, (regardless of the holiday). A while ago I picked up an assortment of blank cup-sleeves to customize using my Cricut, including some for holiday-specific designs.
The blank orange sleeve was screaming fall at me, so I had to put a cute little pumpkin on it!
This DIY was so quick, it took me about 5 minutes from start to finish. For this DIY, you’ll need:
Customized thermal cup sleeve:
- A Cricut Machine (Cricut Joy / Cricut Maker)
- Iron-on material, in the colour of your choice
- Cricut essential tools
- Standard-grip cutting mat
- EasyPress Mini, EasyPress 2 or an iron
- Blank cup sleeves (I got mine off of Etsy)
Step 1: Creating your design
This would be the same process as any other Cricut craft. Create your design using Cricut Design Space. For this one I just searched “pumpkin” on Cricut Design Space until I found one that I liked. If you are graphic design savvy, you can also upload your own designs in any of the following formats: .jpg, .gif, .png, and .bmp.
Step 2: Cutting your design + weeding
Once your design is created, measure the area of your cup sleeve that you’d like your design to fill and resize your design, for reference, I made mine 3×3. Once you have your design resized, click “Make It!” and connect your Cricut machine.
On the next screen, select “Iron On” from the list of materials – make sure that you select mirror on! Place the material onto the standard-grip cutting mat with the shiny side down and load your machine. Click on the Cricut button once it begins to flash to start your cut.
Once it’s done, weed your design – this is the process of removing the negative space from your cut. If this is your first project, here is a helpful video by Cricut that demonstrates the weeding process.
Step 3: The heat transfer process
First things first, make sure your base material is wrinkle and dust free! Iron your base material and use a lint roller to collect any dust/hairs. This will help ensure you have a smooth and even transfer.
Next, heat up your EasyPress or iron, be sure to use Cricut’s Heat Guide to determine the time and temperature for the transfer. Place your design face-down on the fabric and then place your EasyPress (or iron) on top of the design. I used my EasyPress for 40 seconds at 385°F with light pressure.
I really love how the cup sleeve turned out – it’s so cute and festive. The DIY was also so easy and fast. I can’t wait to make even more cute cup sleeves for a variety of holidays.
While this post is not sponsored, it does contain affiliate links and I used materials that I was gifted. All opinions are 100% mine.
