Introducing the EasyPress 2 from Cricut

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.

I spent the better part of a week learning everything I possibly could about the EasyPress 2 from Cricut. I didn’t have experience with Iron-On applications so I figured I’d play it safe. Thankfully, when it comes to Cricut, things are very well explained and there are always resources to answer any questions that come up. Since I’ve wanted to make t-shirts and throw pillows for basically ever, I was excited and eager about learning to use the EasyPress 2. It’s more cost-effective for me to buy plain t-shirts and put my own designs on them than pay $30+ for mass-manufactured ones.

There’s also the added bonus of putting my creative spin on the designs I use. Before I show off my first Iron-On project, I want to introduce you to EasyPress 2.

Say hello to my dream come true — EasyPress 2 from Cricut!

The Cricut EasyPress 2 is designed to give professional iron-on results in 60 seconds or less. Unlike using a household iron to fuse iron-on transfers, EasyPress 2 provides even heat distribution.

Imagine peeling up the film of your transfer to find only half of it fused. If it gets to that point there’s a good chance you won’t get the perfect alignment and the resulting transfer will be slightly off or worse.EasyPress 2 is similar in functionality to commercial heat presses but scaled down to fit virtually anywhere. That’s even truer since the machine is available in 3 different sizes. You can buy the Cricut EasyPress 2 in sizes 6″ x 7″, 9″x 9″ and 12″ x 10″. Choose the size that fits your needs and available space or stock up on all three.

Like the Cricut cutters, EasyPress 2 comes packaged with everything you need to learn by doing, i.e. creating your first heat transfer vinyl project. In this instance, applying the Cricut ‘C’ to the canvas tote bag that the EasyPress 2 was tucked away in.

The included directions walk you through the simple steps which let you get a feel for how the machine works. From turning it on, adjusting the temperature, and setting the timer. The Cricut Heat Guide is your resource for determining what temperature you should set the EasyPress 2 at. Just

• select your machine
• choose the transfer material and the base material from the dropdown
• decide what you’re using to protect the surface from heat

This page is also a great way to see what base materials you can transfer to. I had no idea you could transfer iron-on vinyl to wood, but you can! There are some materials that only work on certain bases, so the Heat Guide can help you figure out if your project is possible before you get ahead of yourself.

Using Heat Transfer Vinyl for the First Time — My UH-OH Moment

I’m not sure how it happened, but somewhere in my studying, I skipped or completely forgot the part about weeding heat transfer vinyl. Get ready to laugh at me, because I made a huge faux pas during my first attempt at using the machine. Seriously, common sense was not around when this happened. Okay, here’s what happened.I got the design to a point where I was happy with it (click here to get it) and used the Cricut Maker to cut it. I did remember to mirror the images and even to put the iron-on vinyl shiny side down on the cutting mat.

This is where it gets bad.

I pulled the design off of the mat, trimmed around the edges, flipped it over and laid it on the t-shirt shiny side up.

The EasyPress 2 was already at the right temperature and I had already preheated /de-wrinkled the shirt so I just lifted it from the base, pressed it onto the vinyl and set the timer. At no point did I hesitate. I lifted the EasyPress 2, returned it to its base, and grabbed my weeding tool.

Are you with me?

I tried to weed the design after it was fused to the shirt. That wasn’t my finest moment, but I didn’t let it bring me down. I’m chalking it up to my brain doing a hard reset and a momentary loss of intelligence.

Once I shook it off I redid the cutting and fusing and the result was perfect. I even changed things up a little to where I loved the design. I’m definitely happier with how the second attempt came out and the colors I used on the second pass are even better too! So, messing up wasn’t that bad after all.

You can find directions for my first iron-on project below, but first, grab the design on DesignSpace.

If you’ve ever dreamt of making t-shirts, bags, or home decor, the EasyPress 2 is the perfect way to do it. It’s incredibly easy to use and the results are phenomenal. I couldn’t be happier (or more addicted) than I am. I can’t wait for the next project, and the next one, and the next one!

Until then, enjoy.

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Thankful T-Shirt

Yield: 1 T-Shirt

A cute Thanksgiving inspired t-shirt with 3D like embellishment.

Print

Materials

• 2 colors of Iron-On Vinyl
• 1 T-Shirt
• EasyPress Mat or towel

Tools

• Cricut Maker (or similar machine)
• Weeding tool
• EasyPress 2

Instructions

1. Open design in Cricut Design Space. Preheat the EasyPress 2 to 330 °F.
2. Resize (if necessary) the image and cut with Mirror ON. Be sure to load the mat with the shiny side DOWN (stuck to the mat)
3. Unload the mat. Carefully remove the vinyl from the mat and weed until the only thing left on the clear backing is what's being transferred to the t-shirt.
4. Place the Cricut EasyPress mat or towel on the surface you'll be working on. Lay the shirt on the mat.
5. Lay the design on the shirt, shiny side UP. Position it where you'd like it to be fused.
6. Position the EasyPress 2 on top of the design and gently press down. Set the timer for 30 seconds and press the Cricut logo to start.
7. Flip the shirt over and press for 15 seconds. Flip back over and wait for 20 - 30 seconds or until the backing is warm to the touch.
8. Gently peel up a corner of the backing to make sure the vinyl fused. Continue lifting until the backing is completely off.

Did you make this project?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest