DIY Father’s Day T-Shirt with Cricut Joy
This blog post is kindly sponsored by Cricut. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
If you’re new to the Circuit family and want to learn how to make your very own graphic tee using the Cricut joy, you’ve come to the right place!
DIY Father’s Day T-Shirt with Cricut Joy
This is a quick and easy, step by step guide on how to create a fun t-shirt for dad this Father’s day. Even if you’ve never used a Cricut before, you can do this! I’ll share (and link) the products we found best to use. They were so easy to work with and cut down our project time by half.
The kids wanted to make dad a “surfer” t-shirt, so before we started on our graphic, we prepped our white long sleeve top by adding some tie dye.
Once the shirt was washed, dried, and ready, we had to search for the perfect graphic. The neat thing about the Cricut Joy is that you can choose from several graphics or design your own.
First thing you’ll need to do is download the Cricut Design Space app and create an account. It’s beyond simple to use! Anything and everything you need to create all kinds of fun projects is at your disposal. Fonts, graphics, and so much more.
We initially wanted to create a fun graphic, until we came across the best dad joke/ phrase ever. We had to go with this one! You’ll see why…
Step 1
Choose or create your design on the Cricut Design Space App
Once you’ve picked a design, click insert on the bottom right hand corner. Select ok and choose the size you need for your project. Select your size and click on which type of product you’ll be using. For our project, we used Smart Iron-On. Which in my opinion, is THE easiest and quickest way to create iron on graphics!
Pro tip: for iron projects like this, you MUST select the mirror option.
Step 2
Place Smart Iron-On paper (shiny side down) on the Cricut Joy tray by sliding under tabs. Load paper all the way. You should hear it engage. Once this step is complete, your Cricut is ready to start cutting.
Step 3
Start peeling off the excess paper from your iron on design and prep for your t-shirt. This process is fairly easy to do but must be done carefully so you don’t accidentally tear off parts of your design.
Pro tip: start by peeling off an edge of paper at an angle. The Cricut Joy Starter Tool Set comes in handy during this step. Especially if your design has small words or details that need to be carefully pulled.
Step 4
Time to iron on t-shirt! This is my favorite step because I’m that much closer to the finished product AND truth be told, I’m obsessed with the Cricut easypress mini. I love using the easypress mini because it’s the perfect size for the Cricut Joy projects. Also, the EasyPress, Protective Resistant Mat for Heat Press Machines is great to work on. If you don’t have a crafting space and need to work on other surfaces that you’re scared to damage- this is a great option!
To iron on graphic to your t-shirt, be sure to smooth out any wrinkles on the shirt. I like to press mine just a bit beforehand.
Press down firmly over the design a few seconds at a time and start ironing smooth. DO NOT remove/peel backing until it has completely cooled. Otherwise you will damage your design.
Pro tip: set easypress mini to the correct temperature indicated on the product information.
It’s that easy to do!! It’s so addicting. On this day alone we made three t-shirts, added decals to two tumblers and a design on some leggings, haha.
We absolutely LOVE how his t-shirt turned out! It surpassed our expectations. He was so impressed that we made it. He thought it was store bought!
This is such a great kit to make ALL kinds of projects! The Cricut Joy is so fun to use and easy to tote around with you. It’s the perfect size. Be sure to check it out!! You’re going to be making all the projects, I promise.
Happy crafting!
XOXO, terri
XOXO, terri 