So I have a confession to make. I have a mild obsession with vinyl. Specifically iron on or heat transfer vinyl (HTV). I just love it and all the incredible possibilities it offers!

Luckily, Expressions Vinyl has fantastic prices (and quality!) that makes it a bit easier to stock up on lots of beautiful colors!

Today, I’m going to teach you how to create an adorable, super simple Easter shirt. Even the cutest little ones are somehow even cuter when wearing an adorable sweet outfit!

So let’s get started!

For your convenience, this post may contain affiliate links. You can read my full disclosure statement here.

Materials Needed:

Heat Transfer Vinyl in Pink (or Blue), Black and Silver or Glitter. (Siser Easyweed is my favorite! It is CPSIA approved aka safe to use on baby clothing and it adheres at lower temperatures, which makes it more user friendly when using a home iron).

Onesie or Shirt in Desired Size

Heat Source: Iron, Heat Press, or the Cricut EasyPress

Parchment Paper or Teflon Sheet

Cricut Machine & Mat

 

1. To get started, upload your design to the Cricut Design Space.

 

2. Adjust the size of the design until you reach desired size. As a basic point of reference, start with the following sizes and adjust, as needed.

Onesie – 3″x 3″

Toddler Shirt – 5″ x 5″

Youth Shirt – 7″ x 7″

Download your free Love Made Me cut file below – it includes both pink and blue versions!

 

3. Prepare to cut your design.

Adjust settings to cut iron-on vinyl. If you have a Cricut Explore, set the dial to cut iron-on material. For a Cricut Maker, select the material type on your computer or iPad.

After setting your Cricut machine up to cut HTV, there are 2 important details to remember when cutting a heat transfer vinyl design.

First, turn the mirror on. This is super important to remember or your design will be backwards.

Second, place HTV on the mat SHINY SIDE DOWN.

If you have experience cutting regular vinyl, this will be strange for you. But it might single-handedly be the most important detail to remember. If the vinyl is placed incorrectly, it won’t cut through the carrier sheet, which means you’ll have to recut your design. No fun.

Once you have those things set, load your mat into your machine and cut out your design.

 

3. Once your design is cut, it’s time to weed the excess away.

There are all sorts of special tools for weeding (here’s the most common), I’m sure they work great.

I sew a lot and have a ton of sewing pins EVERYWHERE. When I first started working with vinyl, I used a sewing pin to help weed the design. It worked wonderfully! I weed a lot of vinyl, so I have since switched to the Cricut tools and love those as well.

Use whatever makes you most comfortable, but don’t think you have to run out and get every tool/gadget they make to create a project with your cricut. There are a handful of basic must-haves (machine of course, mat, blade), but there are plenty of inexpensive workarounds for many of the traditional cricut tools.

So, to weed your design, you simply want to carefully peel away the excess vinyl. Use a weeding tool of your choice to remove the small pieces.

 

4. It’s time to press your design!

You can either use the Cricut EasyPress or AutoPress, a heat press or an iron for this step. Each has it’s own perks. The iron is the most common (and likely something you already have at home), but temperature across the plate of an iron can be quite inconsistent and requires you press down with A LOT of force. That being said, this can absolutely be done at home with an iron, it just requires a bit more patience and muscle.

The Cricut EasyPress is a great in-between option. It is handheld like an iron, but holds temperature much more consistently and functions more like a heat press. If you anticipate pressing items on a semi-consistent basis, I would strongly recommend upgrading to the Cricut EasyPress for ease of use, comfort and durability for your completed projects.

If you plan to press a lot of projects on a consistent basis, I recommend going with a heat press or a Cricut AutoPress.  In my experience, the heat press offers more even heat and pressure. This allows the design to adhere cleaner and last longer. Plus, a heat press allows you to press larger projects with ease.

As an iron is the most readily available of the pressing options, here is the basic walkthrough when using an iron to apply your iron-on vinyl:

You want to work on a hard surface. An ironing board alone will not provide enough support. Use a table with a towel/protective covering or even a scrap piece of wood (that’s what I’m using for this post).

To get started, set your iron to the cotton setting. Make sure your iron is empty of water. You want it to be completely dry with steam turned off. This is extremely important!

Iron your shirt completely first. This helps smooth wrinkles and gives a nice warm base for the HTV to adhere to.

Center your vinyl design – the easiest way to do this is to fold your shirt in half lengthwise and iron the crease.

Fold your vinyl design in half and line up the folds.

Cover your project with a Teflon sheet or parchment paper. I’ve used both and they both work wonderfully. (Another item you don’t have to worry about purchasing, unless you plan to do A LOT of HTV work.)

I’m using a Teflon sheet for this project, but again, parchment works great as well!

Working on your hard surface, press FIRMLY down with your iron in one spot for 10-15 seconds. Pick up your iron and move to the next spot for 10-15 seconds, pressing firmly each time until the entire design has been pressed.

 Remove the carrier sheet. If you are using Siser Easyweed, it can be removed hot or cold, so I remove it right away. If you are using a different brand vinyl, be sure to double check the specific instructions.

Repress any sections that aren’t adhered properly. (Be sure to cover with parchment paper/teflon each time before pressing).

You’ll know your vinyl is adhered properly when it almost melts into the shirt and looks something like this…

That’s it! Step back and admire your work!

Even the cutest little ones will look even cuter in their own custom onesie! Pair it with a cute headband or a pair of moccasins for an adorable baby gift!

 

Download your free Love Made Me cut file below – it includes both pink and blue versions!