How to Make a Christmas Shirt with Iron-On Vinyl

What you need

• Iron-on vinyl (also called heat transfer vinyl or HTV) in one or two colors
• A cutting machine such as a Cricut or Silhouette, with a standard or light grip mat
• A weeding tool, either a hook or a pick
• A heat source: a heat press or a Cricut EasyPress, though a household iron will do
• A blank shirt. Cotton and cotton-polyester blends are the easiest to work with. Pre-wash it without fabric softener if the vinyl’s instructions recommend it.
• A pressing cloth, Teflon sheet or parchment paper, plus a ruler or tape measure

Pick a design that presses well

Bold shapes with few tiny pieces are easiest to weed. They also last longest in the wash.

For a first shirt, go with a Solid style design: one color, one piece. Color style designs are split into layers for two- or three-color shirts, and two or three layers is where you should stop, or the print gets stiff. Before you cut, check the smallest size in each design’s File details box. Shirt designs are usually well above it, but tiny sleeve or pocket designs may not be.

The Christmas shirt SVG page gathers the sayings and motifs that work best on shirts, with sizes for adults, children and babies. Making a sweater for a party? See our ugly Christmas sweater ideas.

In the editor you can set the colors to match your vinyl and add an Offset border as a backing layer for a two-color look. Leave mirroring for the cutting step, explained below.

Choose the size

Measure across the shirt where the design will sit and leave a comfortable margin on each side. Our editor’s size is the design’s longest side. So for a tall design such as a tree, the height is the number that matters.

Mirror the design

This is the step most people forget. Iron-on vinyl is cut from the back, with its shiny carrier sheet face down on the mat, so the design has to be mirrored.

In Cricut Design Space, go to the Make It screen and turn on Mirror for each iron-on mat. In Silhouette Studio, select the design and flip it horizontally, or use the mirror option when you send it.

With any other cutting software, you can click Mirror in our editor before you download. Only do that if your software won’t mirror the design itself, because mirroring twice puts you right back to a backward shirt.

Cut: shiny side down

1. Place the vinyl on the mat shiny side down (the carrier sheet against the mat), with the dull, adhesive side up.
2. Choose the iron-on material setting for your machine and vinyl type. Everyday, glitter and flocked vinyl each have their own.
3. For a new roll, cut a small test shape first. If the cut doesn’t go through the vinyl, increase the pressure; if it cuts through the carrier sheet, reduce it.

Weed

Peel away all the vinyl you don’t want, leaving the design on the clear carrier sheet. Work in good light and start from a corner. The hook is for lifting small inside pieces, such as the holes in a snowflake. If a piece won’t let go, warm the vinyl slightly (a few seconds under the press or a hair dryer) and it should release more easily.

Press

1. Preheat, then prepress the blank shirt for about 5 seconds to remove moisture and wrinkles.
2. Fold the shirt in half lengthwise and press lightly to mark the center line. For an adult shirt, the top of the design usually sits about 3 inches below the collar. Lay the design down with the carrier sheet shiny side up, so it now reads the right way.
3. Press with the right settings. Temperature and time depend on the vinyl and the fabric as well as your press, and so does whether you peel the carrier warm or cool. Use the settings in the vinyl’s instructions or the Cricut Heat Guide. Press firmly and don’t slide the press around.
4. Peel the carrier warm or cool, as the vinyl requires. If an edge lifts with the carrier, lay it back down and press a little longer.
5. To finish, turn the shirt inside out and press the back of the design briefly to set it.

Layering two colors

Layering gives you designs like a red candy cane with white stripes, or a green tree over a gold backing.

1. Cut and weed each color separately. In a color SVG, each color is already its own layer.
2. Press the bottom layer for just a few seconds, enough to stick, then peel the carrier.
3. Line up the next layer on top and press it briefly.
4. When all layers are in place, cover with a pressing cloth and do the full-length press for the whole design.

Two or three layers is the practical maximum before the print gets stiff and heavy. Order matters too. Smooth vinyl can go under anything, but glitter vinyl has to be the top layer, because other vinyl won’t stick to its textured surface.

Only have a single-color design? The editor’s Offset border creates a backing layer that sits just outside the design, and it’s the easiest way to turn that design into a two-color shirt.

Washing and care

Wait at least 24 hours before the first wash. After that, turn the shirt inside out and wash it cold or warm, without bleach or fabric softener. Tumble dry on low or hang it to dry. Never iron directly on the vinyl.

Troubleshooting