Learn how to put your drawing onto a shirt using Cricut Infusible Ink to make the most adorable dinosaur shirt! The perfect way to turn a child’s drawing into something they can wear!
It’s been a few months now since Cricut’s new Infusible Ink hit the market and I’m having so much fun experimenting with it. I’ve used Infusible Ink Transfer Sheets to make a onesie and an awesome craft tote. I’ve also used the Infusible Ink markers to make coasters. It wasn’t until recently that I attempted to use Infusible Ink markers to put a drawing onto a shirt.
I’ll be honest… I thought that it was too good to be true. “Really? I can draw a picture on a plain old piece of laser copy paper, apply heat and it will be instantly permanently infused into a t-shirt becoming one with the material? Seamless, washable, and no risk of my design peeling, cracking or wrinkling ever?”
Ummmm. You guys. It’s true. I feel like there is some crazy wizardry going on! I fully believed that the Infusible Ink Transfer Sheets were going to work… because it’s a roll of something that I bought at the store that I’m infusing into a shirt (and for some reason that seems more believable to me) but to draw on a piece of regular paper and have it have the exact same results?!?! MIND BLOWN.
Knowing that this really works has opened up the door to SO MANY crafting possibilities for me. As soon as we made this dinosaur shirt my son said “Mommy can you draw a picture of MineCraft Characters that I can color in and put on a shirt?” Ummmm Yeah! You bet I can!
My nephew’s birthday party was this past weekend and when I asked my sister what he wanted for his birthday she said “Anything dinosaur related.” I bought him a dinosaur toy but wanted to add a handmade touch, so a dinosaur shirt for him to wear while playing with his dinosaur toys seemed like a must.
I don’t have the best dinosaur drawing skills so I turned to Cricut Access for a dinosaur image that my Cricut could draw for me and that I could color in.
Want to make one too? Read on for the easy step by step tutorial for how to put a drawing onto a shirt using Cricut Infusible Ink as well as the cut file for this project!
Put A Drawing Onto A Shirt Using Cricut Infusible Ink
Materials:
–Cricut Maker or Cricut Explore
–Laser copy paper (see note below)
-Cricut Infusible Ink T-Shirt Blanks (see note below)
–Cricut EasyPress 2 (see note below)
-Scissors
A Note About Laser Copy Paper: Laser copy paper you ask? But I just have regular copy paper! Friends, I was in the same boat. I spent a bit of time digging around and this is what I found out. Regular copy paper is not recommended because of the high temperature that this project is heated at. Laser copy paper can withstand the heat. I’ve heard rumours of people who have tried regular copy paper but apparently the colors in your finished project don’t come out as intense. Laser copy paper can be on the pricier side, but I found this great deal for 500 sheets or Laser Copy Paper for $7.99 on Amazon (that’s 1.6 cents a sheet!!!) and if you have Amazon Prime it will get to you as quick as a bunny. I’d hate for you to ruin your awesome projects, and 500 sheets will make you a TON of infusible Ink Projects! Make sure you grab a roll of Butcher Paper while you are at it!
A Note About Cricut EasyPress 2: Please do not attempt to do this with an iron. You will not be happy with the results. The Cricut EasyPress 2 has an even heat plate that let’s you set an exact temperature (up to 400F) that will leave you with perfect results every time. Not only is it great for iron-on materials, it’s also the perfect companion for Infusible Ink. I also love how portable it is so I can bring it with me when crafting with friends!
A Note About Cricut Infusible Ink T-Shirt Blanks: You may be wondering if you have to use the Cricut Infusible Ink T-Shirt Blanks. I’ll be doing a follow up post soon trying to make a shirt out of a other shirt blanks, but I’ll tell you what I know so far. For best results (aka washable, bright colors that will last wash after wash) you want to use the Cricut Infusible Ink T-Shirt Blanks. They have a special blend of all the right things to make the Infusible Ink absorb permanently and they’ve gone through all the product testing to guarantee they work. I’ve seen a few other bloggers use other t-shirts and what I’ve been told is that it works, but it has more of a washed out vintage look. If you have some old shirts you want to test it on, try it out. But I definitely wouldn’t recommend it for a gift.
Ok now with all that out of the way… ready for the directions?
Directions:
Step 1: Log into Cricut Design Space and open my T-Rex Cut File. Click “Make It” in the upper right hand corner
Click on the cutting mat on the left hand side of the screen and click the mirror slider so that your image is mirrored. Then click continue.
Lay your laser copy paper on your cutting mat, and follow the prompts on the screen to connect to your Cricut, load each color of Infusible Ink Marker into your machine and let your Cricut get drawing!
Step 2: Color in your T-Rex Coloring Sheet using Infusible Ink Makers.
Note: The color of the marker will change once heated, brightening in color.
Step 3: Preheat your Cricut EasyPress 2 to 385F. Lay your shirt on top of your Cricut EasyPress Mat and insert a piece of card stock inside of your shirt, acting as a backer for where you will be placing your design. Use your lint roller to remove any lint or dust from your shirt (DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP). Then press your shirt for 15 seconds to remove any moisture that may be in the fibers using your Cricut EasyPress. (This is another important step that you don’t want to miss.)
Step 4: Trim down your design and place it with colored side down onto your shirt. Tape it in place using your heat safe tape. Make sure that the card stock that is inside your shirt is behind all areas of your design. (You don’t want the color bleeding through to the back of your shirt!)
Step 5: Lay a piece of butcher paper on top of your design and then press for 40 seconds using your Cricut EasyPress 2. Do not move the EasyPress around while pressing. Leave as still as possible.
When 40 seconds is up, carefully remove the EasyPress paying attention to not move the stack. Leave until cool. I know it’s so tempting but DON’T PEEK! You don’t want to smudge your colors!
Carefully remove your butcher paper and design and voila! You have put your very own coloring/ drawing onto a shirt! Cricut guarantees it to last wash after wash!
Tell me… Do you have a Cricut cutting machine? What are some of the reasons that you love your Cricut?
Like this post? We’d love for you to pin it for later!
Make sure you check out our other Cricut Infusible Ink projects!
How To Use Cricut Infusible Ink Pens To Make Coasters
How To Make A DIY Cricut Infusible Ink Crafting Tote Bag
Adorable DIY Baby Onesie Made Using Cricut Infusible Ink
Looking for even more Cricut Ideas? We have them all in one handy place for your convenience! Find our Cricut Section Here.
Johanne Connell says
When I look at the photo of the dinosaur I wonder if you dyed the dinosaur by hand or if it’s the pencils that are put in the space that fill the inside of the dinosaur
Crystal says
Hi Johanne,
Great question. If I’m understanding what you are asking correctly– I had my Cricut draw out the dinosaur “coloring sheet” for me onto a piece of laser copy paper using a black infusible ink pen. Then I colored in the “coloring sheet” using infusible ink pens. Finally I laid the coloring sheet color side down onto the shirt and used my EasyPress 2 to infuse the ink into the shirt. I hope that makes sense and answers your question. Thank you so much for visiting!
Best Wishes,
Crystal
Heather D Brown says
When I try to open your file it states that cannot open as is “private”?
How do I get your file for T-Rex?
Crystal says
Hi Heather,
I’m so sorry, it appears that Cricut has removed this image file from their database, so unfortunately it is no longer available. You can however try the same steps using a different image!
Best Wishes,
Crystal
Lynda says
Hi Crystal, I was interested in making the T-Rex for my grandson but I cannot seem to find the cut file. I checked on Cricut Design Space and found your files but I did not see the T-Rex file there and I was wondering if it is still available.
Thanks
Lynda