2 Ways to Make Your Own Custom T-Shirts

Have you got leftover infusible ink or heat transfer vinyl from your Cricut creations? Did you know you can use these scraps to create super easy t-shirts? Infusible ink designs will last as long as the shirt and will not fade or peel off like some other materials or you can use heat transfer vinyl to transform your basic t-shirts into something unique and customized. If you are ready to create something amazing, then here are 2 Ways to Make your own T-Shirt Designs.

This post includes affiliate links. Some products were received to facilitate this post.

2 Ways to Make Your Own Custom T-Shirts

Materials

Cricut Joy
Cricut infusible ink t-shirts
Regular T-shirts
Heat transfer vinyl
Infusible ink
Heat safe tape
Easy Press (or iron)

You can create t-shirts two basic ways. You can order special sublimation shirts that will accept infusible ink and will transfer the design into the very fabric of the shirt. These shirt designs will last almost forever because they become part of the shirt.

Or you can use standard t-shirts with heat transfer vinyl which will put a design onto the shirt. I have had mixed results with this type of design transfer. Sometimes the vinyl will last through many washings but other times it may start to peel off eventually.

Step 1 – Design & Measure

Designing a t-shirt is super easy with Cricut Design Space. I love using my phone for easy projects like this. Just open the app on your phone and search for your image. I chose my favorite phrase “choose joy” and sized it to about 8 inches wide.

Step 2 – Cut

You can cut your design with whatever Cricut machine you prefer. For something like this, the Cricut Joy is my favorite tool. Simply cut your infusible ink, attach it to the sticky mat, and begin the cutting process. (Don’t forget to mirror your image for infusible ink!)

Step 3 – Weed & Press

Weed out the excess infusible ink and attach it to your shirt. You can use a Cricut Easy Press that is designed especially for infusible ink or heat transfer vinyl projects or you can use your traditional iron. Either way, I recommend putting a piece of paper between your shirt and your heat source so you don’t take a chance on any stray color from other projects transferring to your shirt.