Merry Christmas Bozo: A Holiday Heat Transfer Tale

I know today's project title sounds strange, but I promise the story about it is worth it!  I last minute made this heat transfer shirt for my 4yr old as a special surprise:

It's a direct quote from him about the character pictured with it.  Yes, he's wishing a squirrel Merry Christmas.  And yes, he's calling him a bozo.

Backstory: In October we had a bunch of pretty pumpkins out on our front porch as part of our festive decorations.  After a while we noticed a few small chunks taken out of one of the "fairy tale" varieties.  Days went by and more small chunks.  A week went by and it was looking pretty beat up.  We figured something about it must have been appealing to a bird or chipmunk so we tossed it out.  The rest were untouched so it must have just been something about that one, right?

The next day a couple had small bite marks and a large classic pumpkin had a giant hole in it.  The porch was also sprayed with pumpkin innards and seeds.  Like someone had blown it up with a stick of dynamite like in a cartoon.  I didn't think to take a photo at the time, but it was a MASSIVE mess.  About 15min later I spied this guy through the glass in the door (it looks like there are 3 of him, but it's the effect of the cuts in my door's glass):

Yep, it was a squirrel.  A giant, chubby, almost-as-big-as-a-cat squirrel.  Eating seeds out of a pumpkin.  In two decades of putting pumpkins out, we've never had any bitten into, let alone torn apart and chowed on!  Then I saw him in action :

It seemed crazy!  He was carving it by eating!  So my 4yr old pranced over and began dancing a little jig to a spontaneous song he made up for the squirrel, "Bozo, bozo, you are a bozo!" in a sort of school-yard nah-nah tone while peering at him through the glass.  Squirrel didn't care - he kept eating.  But as soon as he left we tossed all the remaining pumpkins out and washed the mess away, so I'm sure he was disappointed when he came back and his buffet was gone.

We haven't seen him since, but he came up in conversation last week.  Not missing a beat, my little guy commented in a disgruntled tone "Merry Christmas Bozo." and I knew I had to immortalize it into a shirt.

I found a free silhouette image of a squirrel and another of a Santa hat and combined them using iPiccy.  

I imported it into Cricut Design Space to make a cut file and adding the wording and cut them out.  The words with plain heat transfer vinyl and the squirrel in flocked.

I applied them with my heat press (more on the ones I use here and here).  Since I was using two different kinds, I did them in phases.  The flocked was first at 295 degrees for 30sec front/15sec back.

  Then I did the lettering on 330 degrees for the same time, carefully not overlapping the press on anything.  I peeled when cool and our inside joke Christmas shirt was born:

Everyone in the house is now in love with this shirt.  My teens are now requesting them.  Maybe next year it should become a family Christmas photo....;)

Why I'm NOT buying a Cricut Mug Press

Today's post is kinda different, kinda bold for me.  Instead of being a project or sharing my experience with a new craft product, I'm sharing my thought process with holding back on buying a craft product.  It feels a little weird, but hear me out.

 

I'll be honest, over the years I've been a huge impulse craft supply shopper.  If something was new & fun (or just new to me), I was ALL about buying it.  My inability to walk out of JoAnn's, Michael's or Hobby Lobby with just a single item is proof of that.  

 

I needed all these...for something...although I didn't know what (and still don't).

These just "accidentally" fell in my cart....every single time I went in.

 

Cricut has been a craft supply brand that I've felt the same about.  They come out with new gadgets & supplies on the regular, with much online & in-store fanfare, and I always oohh and ahhh.  Their marketing team really knows how to make us crafty types swoon!  Their products are attractive, easy to use and made for the at-home hobbyist.  

 

I've shared a number of posts with projects I've made using their Explore™ & EasyPress™, including one of my most visited posts ever:

 

So I feel like I can say I'm a fan of their work.  A few weeks ago Cricut announced a new upcoming product, the Cricut Mug Press™.  It started to make the rounds on blogs that the company has sponsor deals with - in posts showcasing what the blogger created with it and giving their key marketing talking points for the new product.

 

So what is the Cricut Mug Press™? A small scale sublimation press specifically for ceramic mugs.  

 

How does it work?  You make a digital design that will fit on a mug using Cricut Design Space™ and use a Cricut Explore™ or Maker™ (or another cutting machine/hand cut) to cut it out of some infusible ink transfer material, then stick it on the mug, pop it in the press and presto!  You have a custom design mug that won't crack, peel or fade and is totally dishwasher & microwave save.  You can also use their infusible ink markers with the press to draw or stencil a permanent design too.

Image © cricut.com

My first impression was excitement and wanting to find out more details.  The product video on their site had me imagining all kinds of coordinating mugs to fill up our cupboard (& finally get rid of the multi-shape/design hodge podge assortment we have) and the idea of making fun mugs that I could gift for all sorts of occasions.  The product wasn't going to be released for another week so my buy-it-now impulse had a little think time to really weigh the pluses & minuses once the initial excitement calmed down:

Mug Press Pros

Easy push button use.  No massive learning curve to use it or temperature calculating (although it can be adjusted slightly).

 

Permanent design - unlike using vinyl or Sharpie, these designs will stay exactly the same, even with heavy use and machine washing & heating.

 

Speed.  The actual pressing is just a few minutes.  The longest time spent is on the design/cut part & cool down time.  You can have a completed mug ready to use in under an hour. 

Cute edge designs.  The short sides of your design that face the handle can be straight, scalloped, wavy, etc. which is fun.

 

 Compact product size.  It's as minimal as possible and the sleek shape can fit with many shelves and cupboards.

 

Mug Press Cons

 

Mug Limitations.  The press is sized for straight wall 12 or 15oz mugs so forget about doing tall, oversized, latte or other shapes.  Or other products.

 

Cricut mugs only.  You can't just grab any old blank mug at the dollar store.  You need to use specially formulated blank mugs to do the sublimation design.  You might be able to find other sublimation blanks that are the same size, but Cricut won't promise they'll work with the press.  Maybe it's 'cause they only want you to buy theirs, but you'd have to be willing to waste some $$ materials and do some trial & error to find out for sure and at your expense.

Designs can only be on the outside.  You can't put a design on the inside, bottom or handle, just a wrap-around on the outer side.

 

Limited infusible colors & designs.  The PR images give the impression you can do any design, but in reality, it's only what infusible sheets Cricut offers.  It appears they only have 5 solid colors and 5 printed design options (like night sky or buffalo check).  So it's not like you can create a totally custom design in whatever multi-color look you want - and forget about making photo mugs.  And same as ⬆️ with using other brands sublimation sheets, maybe they're fine, but Cricut's not one to give handy tips on using competitor's products in their devices.

 

Availability.  One of my big pet peeves about Cricut is the spotty availability if you do want to buy something new.  There was such big fanfare the week before its release and now just a few weeks later it's still showing as "Coming Soon" on their site.  Bundles of a machine with materials are Out of Stock in their shop.  On Amazon a machine will be available to ship out in a week at soonest.  A case of mugs (the most economical price/mug) will be 1-2 months.  Some big box craft stores have various Mug Press stuff, but it's limited availability in-store or slow ship times online.  And like most Cricut devices, it's excluded from sales & coupon discounts so the price is the same everywhere and likely will stay that way for some time.

 

Gives you the vapors.  No seriously.  In the fine print it says: Adult uses only.  CAUTION: Use in a well-ventilated area—vapors from heating process may be irritating to sensitive individuals.  So that's something else to consider if you're like me and have a bunch of kids in the house all the time or have any concerns about what you're breathing in...which is the entire world last time I checked, thanks to Covid mania.

    

Suddenly I wasn't so sure about forking over $200 for one.

And that's just the price of the machine itself.

 

Blank Mug Price: cheapest option is buying a 12 oz 6 pack at about $4.00/each
(unless you buy a set of 36, which would be just $2.16, but is conveniently out of stock)

Ink Price: the infusible ink sheets come 2 per box for about $7-11.  If you use an entire mug-sized sheet mug, that's $3.50-5.50 per mug.  Interestingly these mini sheets are considered compatible with the Cricut EasyPress (for using on fabric), but the larger, less expensive, infusible ink sheets they sell for the EasyPress state "Requires compatible Infusible Ink blank (sold separately) and Cricut EasyPress™ 2 or heat press that reaches 400°F (205°C). Will not work with incompatible base materials" which pointedly leaves out using them with the Mug Press. 

 

Heat Resistant Tape Price: You need this to hold the transfer sheet onto the mug while it's in the press.  That's about $5/roll too.

 

Actual Mug Total Costs: So each mug you make costs about $3.50-5.50 in just materials, and the machine itself is $200.  So if you make 24 mugs (which seems like a lot for a hobbyist) the total per mug cost is about $12-18 per mug, assuming you already own a cutting machine (which would cost you another $200 if you don't).

Investment: you need to fork out a couple hundred on the Mug Press, a variety of transfer sheets and blank mugs.  It's kind of a big splurge for something that's a one trick pony craft project-wise.

 

Limited Space:  While Cricut does a good job making its machines small and unobtrusive, it is still another device to have to store.  And collect dust in since it doesn't appear to have a covering for the actual press part, which is weird.  I can't see using it as often as my Explore or EasyPress because it's strictly for making mugs of a certain size, so taking up more of my already extremely limited space isn't ideal.

 

Other Options:  My husband did a quick search and found several other machines that cost a couple hundred more, looked a bit more commercial and were a bit larger, but were able to do mugs of all shapes & sizes, water bottles, glassware, etc.  My feeling is if I were going to drop hundreds on a new craft device, I'd want it to be as versatile as possible to maximize use.

The Apple Effect:  Cricut is the Apple of the craft machine world.  They create innovative, cool looking products and market them well, but usually, about 12 months after a new product hits the shelves, they release a newer version of it.  With better features, kinks worked out, more use options, etc.  Suddenly that first version is outdated, but it's too big an investment for most of us to just toss and plonk down the same $$ for another one so soon after.

 

 My BIGGEST reason to hold off: Zazzle, CafePress, Printify, VistaPrint, Printful and other custom print companies already offer the ability to do 100% custom mugs with your unique design.  And offer it on bowls, glasses, bottles, jars, as well as a slew of other products.  I did these that way a number of years ago and still love & use them regularly:

 

 

 

 Custom Print Pros:

 

More Design Options: The design is still your original creation, except you can do whatever colors, patterns or photos you want.  No limits on how much can go in one design compared to the small selection of transfer sheet options.

 

More Product Options: Want the mug to be two tone?  Latte or espresso sized?  Bone china?  Or maybe be frosted glass or a water bottle or tumbler instead of a mug?  You can do any of those with a custom printer.   

 

Same or less cost per mug.  They frequently have coupon codes & sales to lower the price even further and no quantity minimums.

Convenience.  Making a digital design and clicking buy is a lot easier than having to drag out the cutter & a bunch of materials, cut a design, apply it in the press, wait until it cools and put all the devices away.  All that is a bit of a hassle if you have small kids that can easily cause trouble with machines or a breakable project like a mug.  I don't have enough spare counter space to leave all that stuff out and not be in the way either.

 

Guarantee.  If your item doesn't look quite right or as you expected, most custom printers will offer a refund or replacement.  If you goof on how straight you tape on your transfer sheet or leave a bit of dust on your mug with the Mug Press, it's a permanent mistake and materials wasted. 

Custom Print Cons:

Lack of Instant Gratification.  Yeah, if you have all the gear on hand, the Mug Press gives you the finished item in an hour, which is great craft turnaround time.  In our Amazon Prime world, waiting a week for a printer to make & ship something feels like eternity, but realistically, it isn't that long. 

So after doing some soul-searching and practicality consideration, I've decided this isn't the craft product for me.  At least right now & with the current specs anyway.  I may change my mind someday, but for now, it just doesn't make sense for a lot of reasons.  Weirdly, I've never tried to do designs of any kind (paint, vinyl, marker) on mugs before but now my interest is piqued and I may give some a go.  I hand wash a lot of baby bottles & glass and steel water bottles these days, so more items to hand wash isn't a huge turn off.  Maybe I'll give some of those options a go and make some of my custom mug dreams come true, even if they aren't sublimated;)

 

I'd love to hear what others think.  Will you buy a Cricut Mug Press™?  Have you already?  Are there reasons for or against buying one I've missed?  Have you done custom mugs in another way?  Share your thoughts or experiences in the comments!    

Easy Ribbon Thanksgiving Turkey Art

 

 It's hard to believe, but Thanksgiving is right around the corner.  Since time to craft is short around here, I wanted to make something festive, but also VERY easy.  

Enter my Easy Ribbon Thanksgiving Art.

 

 Using basic supplies, it's simple to make this fun decorative project to celebrate the holiday.  By layering a card stock "window" over a ribbon filled shadowbox frame, there's an interesting dimensional effect:

 

Using an assortment of ribbons give interesting detail & texture too:

  

And while I used fall themed ribbons because I had them on hand, you could pick whatever colors & designs you want.  Then it can match any decor!

Hang it on the wall or prop it on a mantle or shelf.  And the best bit is it can easily be dismantled, so you can reuse everything for a different projects at a later date.  

 

   I always feel like poor Thanksgiving gets short changed when it comes to holiday crafts.  Loads of Halloween & Christmas ideas abound, but unless it's recipes, Thanksgiving gets less attention.  Maybe because it seems a little harder to get creative about.  I've been craft blogging for over a decade, but I've only made a couple of specifically turkey day holiday projects:

 

 

 But that has changed this year!  

Now, let's get to how to make this festive Thanksgiving decoration in next to no time...

Materials:

- 12in x 12in unfinished wood shadowbox (mine was from Michael's)
- 1 inch thick craft foam (or foam floor mat)
- Assorted 1.5 in wide ribbons
- Wood tint (I used Folk Art Home Decor in Grey)
- 12in x 12in card stock
- Dressmaker's pins (basic silver flathead pins)
- Cricut Explore (or similar cutting machine)

 

I started by brushing the grey wood tint onto my unfinished frame.  This color seems to go with everything.  Two coats does the job & it dries super fast too.  

  

Can I just say, how much I LOVE this stuff?  I've had this jar forever, but it's just as good as the day I bought it. I've used it on a bunch of projects and always loved the results:

 

  

 For my interior base I cut up an EVA foam floor mat - the kind they sell for kid's rooms and garages - with an exact-o knife to fit my frame (12in x 12in).  We had a bunch in the house from past projects, so it made the most sense to use that, but I know craft stores sell styrofoam squares in that size for a ready-cut option.  Upholstery foam would probably work too.

Of course I didn't take a pic of it because I jumped right into the next bit - cutting 8 strips of my various 1.5in ribbons to be 15 inches long and laid them in an order I liked over the foam. 

 

 Again, I was using ribbons already in my stash (waste not, want not!). The burlap looked a bit plain on its own, so I jazzed those strips up by overlaying some narrower decorative ribbons on top of them:

It added a bit of extra dimension and texture which I liked:

  

I wrapped the ribbons around the sides of the foam and anchored them there with the pins.  This made it really quick & easy to secure them:

 

Then I carefully laid the foam into the frame.  It fits snuggly so there was no need to attach it with glue or anything.

 

Turkey time!  I found a free clip art turkey silhouette:

I imported that into Cricut Design Space and removed the background to make a simple cut file.

 

I sized this guy to be 9 inches high, which seemed perfect to fit the 12 in square frame.  

 

I cut him out of the card stock with my Cricut Explore and popped the center out:

  

I inserted the outer piece into my frame.  I put pins in the corners to hold it in place.  A few glue dots would probably work too. Then I added some decorative gourds & candles around it.  Presto - my ribbon turkey tableau was done: 

 

It felt nice to be able to make a little something to decorate for Thanksgiving this year and, apart from the shadowbox, I already had all the supplies here at home so it was thrifty too.  I may do versions for other holidays going forward and just swap them out in the frame.  Being able to make fun things despite a tight time & cash crafting budget is well worth it.  And since it comes together so quickly, there's time for more projects left too!!

Quick & Easy Little Pumpkin Baby and Toddler Shirt

We're in the holiday home run season folks.  3 months in 3 holidays.  Yikes!  It can be a challenge to find time to craft and not feel like the relevant time frame is over the second you've made it.  I especially feel like that about holiday themed wearables.

 

I love cute kid's Halloween outfits, but with 5 kiddies, it seems like a waste to buy stuff with a 1 month or less wear time.  Especially with my two smalls who are less than 2 years apart.  I can't justify making/buying stuff for my 2 yr old boy, then chucking it and for something similar but "girly" for my 8 month old daughter the next year.  Longevity in kid's wear is key people!

A few years back I made these spooky cat raglan shirts for my 3 big kids and they've gotten tons of wear as they've been handed down from one to the other to the other:

 

 

Yet, I realized I didn't have anything Halloween-y for my toddler (which happens when there's an 8 yr gap between two of the kids).  Baby girl is sporting his too small pumpkin face onesie this year.  Already being nearly mid-October, I wanted to use stuff I had at home rather than spend $.  I also needed to make sure it would work for my little lady to wear next year.  Mission accomplished:

 

This project was a little nod to the heat transfer DIY Pumpkin Maternity Shirt I made (and sported the past few Halloweens):

 

 

 

I used the same pumpkin file, fonts and leftover orange glitter heat transfer vinyl.  The design is cute for boys or girls so it'll be just as cute on my sweet girl next year as it is on my little guy now.   

 

I couldn't find a cheap basic black shirt in his size ('rona restrictions make shopping is such a hassle these days), so I scrounged his closet and found an olive green onesie that still fits well.  

 

Materials:
- Onesie or t-shirt
- Heat transfer material (mine is the glitter variety)
- Cutting machine or exact-o and patience.  
- Cricut EasyPress (or iron)

 

I used a pumpkin silhouette image found online and opened it in Cricut Design Space then turned it into a cut file there.  
I added the Mommy's Little Pumpkin text in free fonts (Bubblegun and Milkshake) that are nice and thick, so ideal for cut files. You can right click to save my file to cut your own.  

 

I sized it at 5 inches by 5 inches in Cricut Design Space to be the perfect size for a 24 month sized top/onesie.  It also needs to be mirrored before cutting since the material is cut face down on the mat.  

 

Since the details are pretty small, I used a weeding tool to get all the tiny bits out.  The letters need to be removed for the shirt to peek through inside the pumpkin, but you need to keep the tiny bits inside the "o", "e" and "l" in place.   

 

It ends up looking like this on the carrier sheet:

 

I've gotten a lot of use out of my Cricut Easy Press the past couple years (you can get my full, unbiased review of it here) & this was no exception.  I used the recommended settings from Cricut for my EasyPress model & the glitter material: 340 degrees for 30 seconds followed by 15 seconds on the backside and waiting until cool to peel.  I always use a thick towel underneath for best results.

 

By using green rather than traditional black as the background color, it's still Halloween-y, but also more generally fall, so wearing it in September and November won't look weird.  

 

 

Thanks to that happy accident, I figured out how to make it wearable for about 3 months rather than 3 weeks!! And it'll be perfect for the entire season on baby girl next year.

 

 

Not bad for $0.  Even my small fry guy agrees!!