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How to Iron on Cricut in 2 Easy Steps

How to Iron on Cricut in 2 Easy Steps

One of the easiest ways to make a custom t-shirt craft project is to iron on the design. Here’s how to iron on Cricut, avoid mistakes like bubbles and wrinkles and get the best results.

But first, here are some of the tools and supplies that you’ll need.

Tools and Optional Supplies

Tools: 

Optional Supplies: 

  • press cloth
  • Plastic carrier sheet
iron on vinyl rolls, ice cream cut file design and Cricut cutting machine

I get commissions for purchases made through some of the links in this post. There is no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.

Getting Started with Your Cut File

Before you iron anything, you’ll need to choose or design your iron-on design. This is also known as a cut file. The cut file will usually start off as a digital file. 

You can get vinyl designs in a few different ways. 

1. If you have a Cricut Access subscription then you can choose from the hundreds of images there.

2. Another option is to buy a design from an online marketplace like Creative Market, Etsy, or Design Bundles.

3. Feeling really creative? Then you can draw your own intricate designs. Use drawing programs like Inkscape or Adobe Illustrator to draw them and then upload them to Cricut Design Space. The Design Space software works on a PC or a mobile device. So you can even use a drawing app on your phone and upload the entire design to Design space then to your Cricut machine.

Set Up Your Materials

Wash any fabric, like a t-shirt, before you use it for your iron-on project. This will help avoid getting wrinkled vinyl after you wash it. 

If the fabric is going to shrink, it’s better that it happens before you apply the design. 

Once your fabric is ready, go ahead and test a small area of it to make sure that it will hold up well with the iron-on. Refer to the Cricut heat guide to see what heat setting works best on the fabric you’ve picked.

Next, you’ll want to set up your project area. Have your heat press or iron and heat pad on a safe and stable surface. How to Iron on Cricut Designs

You can use either a household iron or a heat press machine to iron on Cricuts. A home iron will work, but an autopress will make the job much easier. An autopress can get much hotter than a regular iron and heats up quickly, so you won’t have to wait as long to start ironing.

Cut your Design

Once you have your cut file design picked out, upload it to Cricut Design Space. From here, you’ll see that like colors will be grouped together onto the same layer. Basically, different colors will be on different layers.

You can ungroup the svg layers as you like or add text to the image.

If everything’s the way that you want it, you can go ahead and load the iron on sheet to the cutting mat (shiny liner side down) and then start cutting the design.

Take the finished design from the cutting mat. Use your weeding tool to remove the excess vinyl that you don’t need. It’s a good idea to save the scraps for another project

Pro Tip: Mirror the mats before doing any cutting in Design Space

Apply an Iron on Cricut Design

You’re ready to apply the iron on design to your new project in two steps.

  1. Put the finished design on your t-shirt (or other base material). This time, the shiny side should be facing up.
  2. Next step, place the t-shirt with the design on the autopress, close it and press for the amount of time indicated in the heat guide.

Facts and Common Questions 

Can you just iron-on Cricut vinyl?

Yes, you can just iron-on Cricut vinyl. It’s made for that. You don’t need to transfer the vinyl to another sheet before ironing it on. 

Can I make money with this? 

You sure can. Lots of people make and sell iron-on projects. You can make money in your spare time or turn your hobby into a full-time business. 

Where can I sell it? 

You can sell Cricut projects online or in person. My favorite is selling digital cut files on Etsy. Other online places to sell your crafts are

  • Amazon
  • your social media (Instagram, Tiktok, Pinterest or Facebook)
  • your own online boutique through Shopify.

Want to save this for later? Pin it to your favorite DIY board on Pinterest! 

No time to read the post now? Save it to Pinterest so that you can come back to it later.

More creative craft ideas! 

If you love making fun projects like this one, try these easy beginner Cricut craft ideas or learn how to sublimate on glitter iron-on!