They get fascinated by those DIY projects which involve creativity blended with urban styling and simple procedure. That’s because there can be so many creative works to do which are highly time-consuming, and working moms and even homemakers cannot squeeze out so much of time for those, and wait days and hours to create a surprise or craftwork.
Simple and stunning work of graphics on clothes, brought through heat transfer vinyl printing, can bring a smile on the face of the mom who created this, and the family member or child who received the gift.
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Why is vinyl heat transfer printing a simple DIY project?
Vinyl heat transfer printing is a simple DIY project because of its utter simplicity of materials and quick project completion time. Basically, this method of printing is used for a quick transfer of any chosen graphics work on fabric, and the job can be completed with simple tools. And this is a work that can be done at home.
Hence, moms find this work to be a pretty easy DIY thing, which they may use as and when required, or just for fun to makeover old dresses, spice up boring dresses, decorate plain and simple t-shirts, gift exciting graphically designed t-shirts to kids and hubby, and also make nice gifts for easy gifting.
Some moms even take this a step further to make it a small home-based business of making vinyl t-shirt printing.
Who can practice this craft work?
Anyone skilled enough to use a computer, a designing software, a vinyl heat transfer sheet cutter machine, and a pressing iron can do this craft work. And if you don’t know to use any of them, then also you may learn all in just two days. In fact, no mom would ever say that she doesn’t know to handles pressing iron.
Computers are also too common a commodity in every household. Some homes don’t have a television, and yet they have a computer there! The designing software also comes with simplicity. The simple Microsoft Paint on the Windows OS is also a decent designing software to edit and resize any chosen graphic simply.
All you have to collect and use are the heat transfer vinyl sheets and the sheet cutting machine. And using this machine is also a simple task a non-specialist can learn in a few minutes. Therefore, if you can take out an hour in the day for this, you may easily print one or two fabrics using this method.
What do you need to do a vinyl heat transfer printing?
To do a vinyl heat transfer printing, you need the following:
- Vinyl heat transfer sheets
- Sheet cutting machine compatible with your computer
- A computer to choose or create a design
- Clothes iron
- A heavy cloth or thin towel
- Weeding kit
Using these supplies, you may easily start on your DIY graphic design and printing project for making fascinating printed clothes.
Where to get the supplies
You can get the heat transfer printing supplies online or at a local store too. These items are now readily available for easy buying. Craft supply stores online have a huge collection of all such items, and you can buy heat transfer vinyl sheets of many colors, glitter styles, and more. These supplies are not rare and easily available in varieties when you choose a good crafting store for this.
How to do a simple t-shirt design
A simple t-shirt in mono-color can be designed using the heat transfer vinyl printing method, in just a few minutes. The simple method used to create stunning t-shirt designs is as follows:
- Use any designing software of your choice to create or modify any graphic design, or just pick any nice graphic from any source and extract it to get it printed on the heat transfer vinyl sheet.
- Flip the graphic like a mirror image to get it print ready.
- Connect the vinyl heat transfer sheet cutter machine to your computer.
- Place the sheet on the cutting machine tray. The clear plastic backside must face down, and the vinyl coated side must be faced up.
- Put on the machine, set the settings dial to vinyl heat transfer, and then press the start button.
- The machine will take the time as per the complexity of the design to cut it on the sheet. This may take just a few minutes.
- Once done, put off the machine, and take off the sheet.
- Use the weeding tool to scrape off and pull off all the unnecessary pieces of vinyl on the sheet, and only leave the design part.
- Now place this sheet on the dress or fabric at the exact place where you need to transfer the graphic.
- Now place a towel on the sheet
- Over the towel start pressing with the hot clothes iron, and continuously press for 30 seconds to 2 minutes as per design size and intricacy.
- Remove the towel and the plastic sheet
- Find the graphic design neatly transferred on to the surface of the fabric.
As simple as that, the whole process gets done in just less than an hour. And brilliantly designed clothes, bags, etc. can get ready soon.
The difficulty level of the DIY
The difficulty level of this DIY project is really amazingly low. Anyone with limited time and limited abilities also may try this to indulge in something productive and creative. And you can make good use of your free time to make nice clothes, tees, bags, table clothes, etc.
Finally
To start with this, get all the items you need from a reputed craft store. Get all the vinyl heat transfer sheets and their various styles you may creatively use. Just get started by watching tutorials and videos etc.
Where the whole thing is depicted so smoothly, that even a kid can learn in some time. DIY vinyl heat transfer printing is fun, and you must discover the joy in this art and craftwork.
