Cricut DIY - Disney Themed Home for the Holidays Shirt using HTV/Iron-On

Howdy! I'm back after a long break playing with my new Cricut machine and designing lots of fun things. You don't need a cutting machine to create this design but they do make cutting out designs so much easier. I made a shirt with this design but you don't have to follow these steps exactly. Feel free to further customize. My instructions are for a small adult shirt. Feel free to adjust for other sizes.

   

Materials:

• Shirt or other material/fabric - (I used this shirt: Amazon Essentials Men's 2-Pack Regular-Fit Short-Sleeve Crewneck T-Shirt)
• Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV) or Iron-On material - Black - (I used this one: Black Heat Transfer Vinyl Rolls)
• Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV) or Iron-On material - Red Checked - (I used this one: Christmas Buffalo Plaid Heat Transfer Vinyl 13 Sheets)

Tools:

• Cutting machine or cutting tools
• Heat Press or Iron
• Ironing board/pad or thick towel
- (I used this one: Cricut Easy 12"x12" Protective Resistant Mat)

Font:
Waltograph - Dafont - Waltograph

Images:

Directions: First, we will create the "HOME" text. I am using the Cricut Designer application. If you don't have that, feel free to use Microsoft Word or whatever application you choose. Once the application opens, choose new project.

Click the "Text" button on the very left of the screen. I chose the font named "Century" and set it to font-size of 135.83 (which makes the letter 3.528" high). You can adjust the size as desired. Type the letter "h".

Hit the enter key and type "me". The letter "o" in the word "HOME" will be replaced by the castle image.

Optional step: The default font settings create an annoying space between the letters. So to get the rows closer together, I right-clicked on the text box and selected "UnGroup". Then I moved the bottom text up a little bit. Select both text boxes and right-click. Select "Group" to regroup the letters back together.

Now we'll add the Castle image. Right-click the Castle image above and save to your computer. In the Cricut application, click the "Upload" button on the very left of the page.

Click "Upload Image" button.

 

You can drag the saved Castle image to this page or you can click the "Browse" button to search your computer for the file.

Once you open the image, it shows up on the Upload Image page. Click the image to insert it on the project page. (Yes - lots of steps!)

Shrink the image to 3.339" wide by 4.456" high then move it next to the "h" as shown in the image here. You can adjust the sizing as needed. Since I planned the castle to be red-checked, I set the color to red to keep it separate from the "home" letters.

 

Repeat the upload process and select the Mickey Mouse head. Once the image is loaded onto the project page, shrink the image to 1.507" wide by 1.28" high. Click the rotate button and move it slightly to an angle. I wanted Mickey to be the same material/color as the Castle, so I set both to the same color. You can choose different materials/colors as desired. This step is optional; you can leave off the mickey head or you can customize it as desired.

Now we'll add the "For the Holidays". Click the Text button on the left side of the screen. Select "Waltograph" font. This font must be downloaded and installed (you can google "installing fonts" to learn how to do this). Set the font-size to 83.71 (or adjust as needed). Type in "For The Holidays". Center the text box under the "me" letters.

Turn on your Cricut cutting machine. For me, the letters/words cut first, so load the material for that first (I used black everyday iron-on HTV). Be sure to load it correctly (shiny side down). In the Cricut designer, click "Make It" button. Click the Mirror button so the cut will be made reversed (and then when you iron on to the shirt, it's correct). Click "Continue". Select the Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV) material that you're using for the letters (I selected Everyday Iron-On). Click the Cricut button the machine to start.

Once the cut is completed, unload the black material and load the red-checked material. Be sure to load it correctly (shiny side down). In the Cricut Designer application, select the next cut (the Castle and Mickey). Click the Mirror button. Select the Heat Transfer Vinyl material that you're using for the images (I selected Everyday Iron-On). Click the Cricut button the machine to start.

Turn on the iron you will be using to start heating it up. For a guide to know how hot and how long to iron: Cricut Heat Guide

Fold the shirt in half and press the iron to create a nice center crease. We will place the images around the crease. Lay the shirt open on the ironing boad/pad or towel.

Remove the material from the cutting machine. Cut as close to the images/letters as possible.

Lay the "H" to the left of the crease, about 2-3 inches down from the collar. Place the castle on the right of the crease. See image for placement. I usually place a piece of parchment paper on top to avoid any damage with the iron. Press the iron over the HTV for the suggested time. Flip the shirt over and press iron for a few seconds.

Let the HTV cool slightly. Start to peel off the plastic. If the HTV doesn't easily peel off, press the iron down again for a few seconds. Be careful not to over-iron or the material starts to stretch.

Peel off the plastic and enjoy your new shirt!

Disclaimer: - The Mickey Mouse and Castle images are for personal use only and not for commercial/retail/resale use