How to Design
- Log into your Design Space.
- Select “New Project” and then, click on “Templates” in the top left corner. Choosing a template makes it easier to visualize your design to know how good or bad it will be on your T-shirt.
- Choose “Classic T-Shirt” and pick your preferred style, size, and color.
- You will see tons of beautiful designs for iron-on T-shirts. Browse through the entire images before you make your choice.
- Remember, if your preferred design isn’t available, you can upload your pictures to the Cricut Design Space. We have created a tutorial on how to upload your images to Cricut Design Space.
- After you have selected the image, resize the image to fit the T-shirt. You can do this by clicking the resize handle in the bottom part of your design and dragging the mouse to enlarge or reduce.
- When you are done, click the “Make it” button in the top right corner. You will be told to connect your Cricut machine.
- Toggle the green “Mirror” button on. Toggling it on will make sure your design is not cut backward.
- Face the shiny part of your vinyl design down on your cutting mat. Remember to move the smart set dial to the iron-on option.
- Remove all the vinyl designs you don’t want to be transferred to your project when it’s ironed. Use your welding tool to remove those little bits that will jeopardize your beautiful design. This process is called weeding.
- Transfer your design to your T-shirt when you are done weeding. You can either use an iron or an Easy Press. Preheat your Easy Press before use.
Congrats! You just learned how to make a simple T-shirt on the Cricut Design Space.
Maintaining the Cricut Machine
When using your Cricut machine, over time, it will inevitably collect paper particles, dust, and debris. Also, grease in the device will begin to stick to the carriage track.
If you want your machine to last long, then you should clean it regularly, or else it can get damaged prematurely. Here are some cleaning tips to help you out when cleaning the machine.
Before cleaning your machine, disconnect it from the power outlet. It will prevent electrocution or any other accident that can damage the device or injure you.
When cleaning your machine, don’t use any form of acetone. Acetone, like nail polish remover, will damage the plastic parts of the device permanently.
You can clean the machine using a glass cleaner instead. Spray it on a clean, soft cloth and wipe the device gently.
In the case of grease buildup on the carriage tracks, then you should use a tissue, cotton swab, or a soft, clean cloth to wipe it off gently.
There is also the case of a buildup of static electricity on your machine. It can cause dust, debris, and particles to form on the device. Besides, it can be easily cleaned with a soft, clean cloth.
Application of Grease for the Cricut Explore Models.
Disconnect the Cricut machine from the power outlet.
Push the Cut Smart carriage gently to the left.
Wipe the entire Cut Smart carriage bar with a tissue. The bar is the surface in front of the belt where the carriage slides on.
Push the Cut Smart carriage gently to the right.
Repeat the cleaning process for the other side by cleaning the bar with a clean tissue.
Then, push the Cut Smart carriage to the center of the bar.
Take a lubrication packet, open it, and squeeze out a little grease. Put the amount of grease on a clean cotton swab.
Apply a small coating of the grease on the two sides of the Cut Smart carriage around the bar so that it will form a quarter inches ring on both sides.
To make the grease become even in the carriage, push the Cut Smart carriage to both sides slowly and repeatedly.
Clean off any grease that stained the bar while you were greasing the machine. You can purchase a grease packet from Cricut. It will work better than using a third-party grease packet so that the machine will not get damaged. After using another grease product, your Cricut machine is making a grinding sound. This process is almost the same as greasing your Cricut Maker machine too.
Maintaining the Cricut Cutting Mat
You also have to clean and maintain your Cricut cutting mat because that is where the cutting takes place.
If the cutting mat isn’t clean, it can stain the machine. Also, if your cutting mat has stopped sticking, it can spoil your designs and creations.
When your mat is no longer sticky because of debris and grime, cleaning it and making it sticky again will bring it back to life.
The solutions that I will mention are not ideal for the pink cutting mats, only for the green, blue, and purple.
There are many ways to clean your cutting mat.
- Using baby wipes:
To clean your mat, make use of alcohol-free and unscented wipes. You should use the plainest baby wipes that you can find so that you don’t add lotions, cornstarch, solvents or oils to your cutting mat. If not, you could affect the stickiness and adhesive of the mat. Also, after cleaning it, let it dry completely before using it.
- Lint Roller
You can also use a roll of masking tape if you don’t find a sticky lint roller. Run the roll across the mat to get rid of hairs, fibers, specks of dust, and paper particles.
This form of cleaning can be done daily or between projects so that dust doesn’t accumulate on the mat. This is a fast way to remove dirt apart from using tweezers or scrapers.
- Using warm water with soap
Furthermore, you can clean the mat with soap and warm water. You should use the plainest soap possible too so that you don’t mess with the mat. Use a clean cloth, sponge, soft brush, or a magic eraser. Also, rinse it thoroughly and don’t use it until it is scorched.
- Using an adhesive remover
In the case of heavy-duty cleaning, then you should use a reliable adhesive remover to clean it properly. When using an adhesive remover, read the directions properly before you start.
Then, spray a little amount on the mat and scatter it with a scraper or anything that can act as a makeshift scraper.
Wait for a while so that the solvent can work on the mat. Then, scratch it off your mat.
After this, wash the mat with warm water and soap in case there is leftover residue and let it dry properly.
How to Make Your Cutting Mat Sticky Again After washing or cleaning your cutting mat, you have to make them sticky again.
The most advisable way to make your mat sticky again is by adding glue to it. Get a solid glue stick like the Zig 2-Way Glue Pen and apply it on the inner part of the mat. Then, stroke the glue around the mat and ensure that there is no glue residue.
After about half an hour, the glue will turn clear. If the cutting mat turns out to be too sticky after you apply glue, you can use a piece of cloth to reduce the adhesive by pressing the material on the parts of the mat that are very sticky.
Cover the mat with a clean and clear cover after some time.
You can also use tacky glues or spray adhesives that are ideal for cutting mats.
General Maintenance
When your mat isn’t in use, cover it with a transparent cover so that dust and hairs won’t accumulate on the mat.
Handle your mats with care. If you want to ensure that the adhesive does not get damaged, avoid touching the sticky surface with your hands.
Always ensure that your mat dries entirely before using it or covering it up. Don’t use heat when drying your mat, but you can place it in front of a fan. Also, ensure that it is drying hanging up so that both sides will dry.
Maintaining the Cricut Cutting Blade
You can use your Cricut fine point blade for over a year if you maintain it properly! The same goes for the other types of cutting blades. When maintaining your Cricut cutting blade, you have to keep it sharp all the time so that it does not get worn out.
Keeping your blade sharp is essential because if it isn’t, it can damage your materials, and cause wastage. Also, if you don’t maintain your blades, you will have to replace them often.
Keeping Your Cutting Blade Sharp
Spread a portion of an aluminum foil on a cutting mat. Without removing the blade from the housing, cut out a simple design in the foil. It will sharpen the blade and remove any paper particles, or vinyl stuck on the blade. It can be used for any type of cutting blade.
In the case of heavy-duty cleaning, you should squeeze a sheet of aluminum foil into a ball. You need to remove the blade from the housing of the machine to use this method. Then, depress the plunger, take the blade and stick it into the ball of aluminum foil repeatedly. You can do this 50 times. It will make it sharper and also remove vinyl or paper particles on the blade.
Materials That Can Be Used
Paper and cardstock- this includes about 35 types of paper and cardstock.
Fabrics- it includes about 16 types of fabrics and textiles.
Iron-On- it includes about six types of iron-on materials.
Vinyl- it includes about ten types of vinyl materials.
Additional Materials- ranging from adhesive foil and adhesive wood to washi sheets and temporary tattoo paper, Cricut can cut them all. Cricut Maker Special- this particular model of Cricut can cut through materials that the others can’t like chiffon, cashmere, terry cloth, knits, jersey, velvet, tweed, and others.