Got Style Blues? We can fix that!
This beautiful Neapolitan Quilt is made with Riley Blake fabrics and the Cricut Maker! Quilting is so much more fun when all you have to do is sew it together. My passion for quilting has been restored thanks to Riley Blake and Cricut. This post …
This DIY zippered clutch is so fun to make using the Cricut Maker! This darling clutch is made by using a Simplicity Pattern. Enjoy! This post contains affiliate links. By making a purchase I will receive a small commission at no additional charge to you. …
The latest generation of the Cricut Easy Press is on the market, here’s everything you need to know even if you are a non-crafter!
This post contains affiliate links. By making a purchase I will receive a small commission at no additional charge to you. Thank you for your support!
They are here! The new generation of Cricut heat presses, Cricut Easy Press 2, is now available! I am pleased to be able to share these with you. I love my Cricut EasyPress, but I love the Easy Press 2 even more. What’s the difference? Here’s the low down, explained for even the non-crafters out there! There’s also a few new projects in this post, stay tuned for the details!
While this post is sponsored by Cricut, any opinions given are completely my own. I was compensated to write this post in someway. For a complete list of disclosure rules, please see the disclosures page.
Other than the color, these two heat presses look pretty similar. The original heat press is blue, the new heat press is red. These are both 9″ x 9″ in size. The main difference in the design here is the time and temperature settings. The original heat press heats to 320 degrees in just a few minutes. However, the Easy Press 2 heats up 25 percent faster, and can reach temperatures of 400 degrees. The Easy Press 2 rivals the commercial heat presses that can heat between 375-400 degrees. Commercial presses are large, expensive and certainly not very efficient. The Cricut Easy Press 2 makes the job so much easier while still achieving professional iron on results! I love using the medium Easy Press for making small to medium size t-shirts, tote bags, tea towels, etc.
I used the original Easy Press for my original t-shirt collections, such as my #YogaLife t-shirt collection. The original Easy Press heats up very quickly, and I found that I didn’t need to waste energy by turning it on too soon. This is great since my studio space is small and this little press heats up my entire room if it’s on too long. Another thing that I love about the Easy Press is the auto shutoff feature after a period of inactivity. This has been a real life saver for me, since I tend to get sidetracked by other things and forget to turn it off at times. Does anyone else do that?? Such a great safety feature!
My first t-shirt with heat transfer vinyl, or HTV vinyl was made using a regular iron. It was a disaster! I learned very quickly that a household iron does not work the same way a heat press does. My iron takes forever to heat up, and is so small it only covers a very small part of the HTV t-shirt design. I had to press, and press, and repress to get the vinyl to adhere. It was frustrating!
When you compare the bottom of the Easy Press or Easy Press 2 and the bottom of a household iron, you can see the difference. An iron is designed to produce streams of steam with holes and indentations. It is also pointed at the tip for fine pressing. The Easy Press is perfectly square, flat, and has more surface area to come in contact with the vinyl. Therefore the Easy Press produces a better result with less effort. Another interesting fact, a household iron only reaches a maximum of 190 degrees Fahrenheit. The Easy Press 2 heats up to 400 degrees, that’s a HUGE difference in temperature! It’s no wonder that first t-shirt peeled apart in a very short time, my iron just wasn’t hot enough to make the vinyl stick.
My latest toddler size shirt was made with the Cricut Easy Press 2. Since it is faster and hotter, I was able to whip this shirt together in record time! I was thrilled with the fast and foolproof results that really stick. You can get the FREE #TeamDarkMeat graphic design from my Cricut page here.
It is not necessary to own more than one heat press. However, I will say it makes things so much easier! The new Easy Press 2 devices include an extra large 16″ x 10″ size which is great for XLL t-shirts, tote bags, pillows, and banners. I used the large Easy Press for this XXL T-shirt. I always size my t-shirt graphics accordingly to the larger size shirts, since that is mostly what my family wears. With a smaller heat press, I would have to press this design in at least two places, but the extra large heat plate does it all in one pressing. I also used this large size for my recent Christmas Snowflake Pillow project.
Like this Thanksgiving holiday t-shirt? Download the design file here!
I saved this one for last, the mini size Easy Press 2 is 6″ x 7″. It’s the perfect size for making baby onesies, baby bibs and makeup bags. This Easy Press 2 has all the great features of the other Easy Press 2, just in a compact size. The small size makes it incredibly lightweight, portable and easy to store! This little baby onesie came together in a jiffy using this mini press! Get the Thanksgiving Dinner Onesie design download here!
Each size Easy Press has a coordinating size mat. I like organizing the mats by size so I can easily grab the one that I need for my project. The different sizes are so handy, I use them all the time! Cricut also has a handy guide for selecting which temperature setting to use for your type of vinyl, you can find that guide here.
I hope that answers all of your questions regarding Cricut Easy Press projects. Let’s get crafty! Don’t forget to share your shirts on social media with my hashtag #chambraybluesshirt for a chance to be featured on my Instagram page! Thanks to Cricut for sponsoring this post!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.
Looking for even more Cricut project inspiration? Here are a few of my favorite projects:
Riley Blake Neapolitan Quilt with Cricut
Easy Zippered Clutch with Cricut
15 FAQs About the Cricut Maker
Flock of Flamingo T-Shirts with Cricut
Simple Bow Tie with Simplicity and Cricut
Don’t forget to Pin this post for later!
Creating DIY Christmas Decor is so much easier when you use your Cricut Maker! Today, I am sharing two projects that will add to the Holiday spirit in your home this Christmas season. This post contains affiliate links. By making a purchase I will receive …
T-shirts are part of our everyday wardrobe, here’s how you can make your own #YogaLife t-shirts using your Cricut Maker! This post contains affiliate links. By making a purchase I will receive a small commission at no additional charge to you. Thank you for your …
Do you still have unanswered questions about the Cricut Maker? Here’s everything you need to know as well as an easy beginner project!
This post contains affiliate links. By making a purchase I will receive a small commission at no additional charge to you. Thank you for your support!
Although this post is sponsored by Cricut, any opinions given are completely my own. I was compensated in some way for writing this post. For a complete list of disclosure rules, see the disclosures page.
1. Will I use the Cricut Maker enough to justify the expense? Absolutely! I have used the Cricut weekly since the beginning. I had no idea how much easier the Cricut Maker would make my sewing and craft projects. You will be amazed at how much time and effort will be saved!
2. What materials can I cut with the Cricut Maker? In the last few months alone I have cut cotton quilting fabric, denim, leather, vinyl, exterior vinyl, window clings, craft paper and felt. However, that’s not all the Maker can do! The Cricut Maker cuts virtually any fabric. I have plans to use it to cut chipboard, cardboard, craft paper, plastic for stencils, faux suede and more!
3. Is the software easy to use? Yes, it’s very easy to use. Cricut has a really good help section on their website. Any time I’ve been stuck it’s been easy to find the answers that I need.
4. What kind of DIY projects can I make? So far, I have made t-shirts, window clings, wooden sign decals, leather appliques, denim hat and purse, bow tie, even a quilt. There are hundreds of ready-to-make projects waiting for you on the Cricut website. Once you press “Make It” the machine does the rest!
5. What types of fabric can I cut? Cotton quilting fabric, muslin, satin, crepe, wool, fleece, denim, knit jersey, felt. I am sure there are many others, however, these are the ones I have tried so far.
6. Can I use my old cartridges? Cricut Explore and Maker machines were designed to work with Design Space, rather than as stand-alone machines and cartridges. Simply link your old cartridges to your account through Cricut Design Space using your Explore machine or the Cricut Cartridge Adapter to use them. I am thankful for their adaptive tool system and expandable suite of tools.
7. Can I upload my own images? Yes, they are easy to upload into Design Space in either JPG, SVG, or PNG format.
8. Can I keep my images private? Yes, Cricut has an option to keep your files private if you wish.
9. What makes the Cricut Maker different from other machines? The Maker is the “Cadillac” of the Cricut machines. It is designed to work with multiple materials at high speed as well as having Bluetooth capabilities. If you are only planning to use your Cricut to cut one type of material, you may consider a different model. For example, the Cricut Explore works perfectly fine for basic paper crafting.
10. What add-ons do I need to use the machine and how expensive will it be? The razor sharp knife blades, mats, weeding tools, sewing tools, vinyl and craft papers are all sold separately. It is cheaper to get the standard Maker package which includes a selection of these items so that you don’t have to purchase them individually. I would also recommend trying the Access membership which gives you access to a sewing pattern library which is full of digital sewing pattern to choose from.
11. Do you have to use only Cricut vinyl? No, it is not required. However, other types of vinyl are of lower quality. I have seen people post pictures of projects made from cheap vinyl. They have trouble getting it to adhere, it doesn’t wash well and many times it doesn’t even come off the plastic backing. If you take the time to make a handmade item, the quality of the vinyl you choose is important. I would not use non-Cricut products for that reason.
12. Do you have to purchase an EasyPress? No, you can use an iron. However, I realized very quickly that a regular iron doesn’t work quite as well for a number of reasons, especially if you are making multiple HTV projects. A household iron will only heat up to 199 degrees F. The EasyPress heats up to 320 degrees F. The hotter temperature helps the vinyl adhere both better and faster.
In addition, the bottom of the iron is designed for steam, it has holes on it and is not a flat surface. The bottom of the EasyPress is completely flat with no holes. Much better for applying even pressure to the surface of your project while transferring an image. The EasyPress is also square, not pointed like an iron. The square EasyPress design covers a larger surface area for pressing graphics than the iron which is designed for ironing small curves and points. For commercial applications, I recommend starting with an EasyPress, then upgrading to a commercial quality t-shirt heat press at a later time as your business grows.
13. Can I upload my own sewing patterns? Yes! Patterns can be uploaded to Design Space just like photos and cut on the Cricut Maker. I will show you how to do this in an upcoming tutorial.
14. Can I use my Maker with my mobile device? Yes, you can use a laptop, iPad or cell phone. I love using my Ipad with my Maker as it’s very user-friendly.
15. Is the Access membership included? There are hundreds of design files that are free in Cricut Design Space. However, if you want access to THOUSANDS of files you will need to purchase a membership. Cricut Access membership is only $7.99 a month. As much as I love to design, it is far easier and faster to have someone else do the design work.
I wish I had known how much a machine like the Cricut Maker would change my crafting life! The Cricut is so much fun to use and I have used it for so many things. Besides my obsession with making t-shirts for my family, it’s also great for both quilting and sewing projects. The ability to cut pattern pieces with at least 2x faster cutting on this machine is such a time saver. Cutting fabric is so easy and the machine makes such wonderful clean cuts!
I found these adorable jeans at the thrift store today. I would have overlooked them before as they had rips and holes in the front. As much as other people love the tattered look, it’s just not for me. But, I knew I could patch them in a jiffy using my Cricut.
These patches are made using pre-designed shapes in Design Space. Before I owned a Cricut, I had no idea how there would be thousands of pre-made designs for me to choose from while making projects. It is such a timesaver to simply log in and just search for what I need rather than design it myself. Did I mention that Cricut has its own fabric line with Riley Blake Fabrics? I love the coordinated fabrics as it saves me time in the fabric store.
Cricut can also cut different materials. Plastic, cardboard, paper, fabric, fleece, as well as so many others. Today I experimented cutting with heat bond. This product is ironed on to the back of the fabric, then cut into patches that are ironed on to the jeans. It’s a quick and easy way to fix your favorite jeans.
• A pair of jeans in need of repair
•Cricut Designer fabric sampler by Riley Blake, Blue Carolina
•fusible heat bond
•Cricut fabric mat and rotary cutting blade
•embroidery floss for decorative stitching on edges (optional)
1. Iron the heat bond to the back of the fabric while using the cotton setting of the iron. (You could also use an EasyPress). Do not remove the paper backing.
2. Smooth the backed fabric onto the fabric mat. Use a roller for the best adhesion to the mat.
3. Download the patches design from Cricut Design Space here.
4. Cut the patches on the Cricut Maker as directed.
5. Peel off the paper backing from the heat bond on the back of the patches. Iron the patches onto your jeans using your iron on the cotton setting.
6. You can also add decorative stitching with embroidery thread around the patches if desired.
Thanks to Cricut for sponsoring this post!
Are you still looking for more Cricut inspiration? Here are a few other posts you will also love:
Riley Blake Throw Quilt with Cricut
3 Step Easy T-Shirt Pattern Hack
DIY Zippered Clutch with Cricut
Cricut EasyPress Explained for the Non-Crafter
Don’t forget to Pin this post for later!
Although this is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut, the opinions and text are my own.
