Tutorial: How to Use Iron-On Vinyl

One of my favorite and most used craft skills is knowing how to use Iron-on Vinyl. It allows me to personalize anything. I use it all the time on tons of different types of projects.
Projects featured above: Make Love Not Horcruxes Shirts, City of Bones Dress, Car and Bag, Bookish Pillows, Cinderella Dress, Doll and Girl Skirt

You know since I discovered Iron-on Vinyl also called Heat Transfer Vinyl I’ve been throwing it on absolutely everything but I realized I don’t have a good detailed post on how to use the stuff. I’ve got loads of projects where I mention the steps but I thought it might be helpful to share a step by step, picture filled tutorial on how to use iron-on vinyl.

I always use my Cricut to cut my vinyl but you should be able to use the same method with other cutters or even an exacto knife although it might make it a bit more annoying. But I really love my Cricut machines (yeah I have four) and I think the ease of use makes it totally worth it.

Supplies

• Cutting Machine (I use my Cricut Maker and Cricut Explore machines the most now but any machine will work, even the ancient Expression in these pics lol)
• Iron-on Vinyl also also called Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV)
• Weeding Tools (optional but I really like this set)

Make sure you get Iron-on Vinyl this is different that regular vinyl. It has a plastic backing that get’s peeled away and that you will iron through to affix the vinyl to your project material. I’ve used a few different brands but the most popular and recommended are Siser Easyweed (my personal favorite) Oracle, and Cricut. It comes in tons of different colors, glossy, stretchy, patterned, glitter and more! Here’s a a great starter pack of of basic colored sheets but I love buying them in rolls. It comes in tons of different options so just buy what you need. 

Step 1: Pick Your Images or Text

The newer Cricut machines work without physical cartridges and plug into your computer so you can just find/buy designs on Cricut Design Space (the newer version of Cricut Craft Room). I love this. Usually when I start a project I just search in the image search or type up my text.

I recently learned that you can get a kind of font guide by typing the letter A in and then you can see all the different types of As (and what cartridge they are on) from you search. This time I wanted to play with the new Monster Bash images so I just clicked on that from the list and scrolled. I found a couple of cute things.

To add the image to the mat you just click on it. When the image is highlighted you can adjust the size, turn it, or move it.

Step 2. Mirror Flip the Images or Text

For iron-on vinyl you want to get the mirror image. It’s not important unless you have text or an image you need to face a certain direction.

Let me tell you it’s not a matter of if but when you go to cut and you’ve forgotten to flip your images so I highly recommend just getting into the habit of that whenever you have an iron-on vinyl project whether it’s necessary or not.

Now in Cricut design space when you go to cut the program it will prompt you to mirror the image, check the box. Just click the mirror option and it will invert it for you. So much better than back in the day when you had to make sure to flip the image before you proceeded to cutting.

If you’re braving cutting something manually invert the image before you print/trace it to use as your guide.

Step 3: Prep and Position Vinyl with Plastic Side Down and Vinyl Side Up

Cut your vinyl to fit your mat or to fit the space you will need. You can tell by looking at the cut preview and seeing the space it takes up.

I usually like to give a 1/2 inch buffer. So if my image about takes up 2 inches across by 3 inches up and down I’ll cut a 3 by 4 inch rectangle. 

Then position it PLASTIC SIDE DOWN and vinyl side up (the more dull, less shiny side). There is a layer of plastic that will be peeled away. It’s the shinny side. So again that’s shiny side down.

Step 4: Cut on Iron-On Vinyl Setting

You want to do something called a “kiss cut” it will make everything loads easier especially if you have lots of small pieces like words or designs. The kiss cut should cut the top layer (the vinyl) while leaving the bottom layer (the plastic) more or less in tack.

That way you can just peel off the negative space and use the plastic to manuver. Sure you can take the individual pieces if it cuts it all the way through but the kiss cut makes things WAY easier.

All the machines newer machines just have you set your material when you go to cut. Select Iron-On. 

On the older of my machines  the proper setting for this is Depth 3. Pressure 2, and Speed 4. The just send it to cut. 

Step 5: Pull off Excess Vinyl (Weed)

Once you unload your cutting mat peel away an of the excess vinyl. This step is called weeding. I like to use my fingers first and start from one corner and slowly pull and get as many of the big pieces off at once.

These weeding tools come in real handing getting little bits and pieces and getting it started without wrecking your nail but you could manage with your fingers or even the use of a sewing straight pin.

Step 6: Weed Out the Little Pieces

Then I like to go back with my little poker tool (Cricut has a whole tool kit that is super great and makes all this stuff much easier).

Then I remove all the little pieces or the pieces attached to little details like the middle of letters or right by the antennae.

Step 7: Cut Pieces to be Positioned Seperately 

If you did the kiss cut you should have a sheet of plastic with some pieces of vinyl on it. If it’s the perfect layout just leave it like that.

If you want to spread out your images you can cut them apart. Then just position them on your fabric PLASTIC SIDE UP this time. This is super important.  

Step 8: Iron Through the Plastic

With a hot iron (mine is a little down from cotton so not the max hottest setting) Iron through the plastic.

Hold for a few seconds still and then wiggle and them move positions until you’ve hit all the vinyl.

Gently pull on an edge if the vinyl comes up with it iron some more. This step takes the longest especially if you have a large image.

Step 9: Peel Off The Plastic

Next I like to flip it over and iron a little from the back.

Once you are sure the vinyl is securely attached pull away the plastic. Feel around the vinyl especially at the edges to see if there are any spots that need reinforcement.

Step 10: Iron with a Piece of Fabric (or through the back)

I don’t always do this step but I find it helpful especially on larger projects where my patience might have me speeding through the last few steps but I place a clean thin piece of fabric down and iron through the fabric for one last bit of attaching.

I also like to iron through the back once as well) so if it’s a shirt flip it inside out and iron the underside of the shirt where you put the vinyl. 

How to use iron on vinyl tutorial

Step by step tutorial on how to cut out and iron on vinyl using a Cricut Machine.

Print Project

Pin Project

Instructions

• For iron-on vinyl you want to get the mirror image. It’s not important unless you have text or an image you need to face a certain direction. Let me tell you it’s not a matter of if but when you go to cut and you’ve forgotten to flip your images so I highly recommend just getting into the habit of that whenever you have an iron-on vinyl project whether it’s necessary or not. See the little arrow buttons that face eachother at the top? Just click on that and it will invert it for you. Or if you’re braving cutting something manually invert the image before you print/trace it to use as your guide.
• Cut your vinyl to fit your mat. Then position it PLASTIC SIDE DOWN and vinyl side up. There is a layer of plastic that will be peeled away. It’s the shinny side. So again that’s shiny side down.
• You want to do something called a “kiss cut” it will make everything loads easier especially if you have lots of small pieces like words or designs. The kiss cut should cut the top layer (the vinyl) while leaving the bottom layer (the plastic) more or less in tack. That way you can just peel off the negative space and use the plastic to manuver. Sure you can take the individual pieces if it cuts it all the way through but the kiss cut makes things WAY easier. On both of my machine the proper setting for this is Depth 3. Pressure 2, and Speed 4. The just send it to cut.
• Once you unload your cutting mat peel away an of the excess vinyl. This step is called weeding. I like to use my fingers first and start from one corner and slowly pull and get as many of the big pieces off at once.
• Then I like to go back with my little poker tool (Cricut has a whole tool kit that is super great and makes all this stuff much easier). Then I remove all the little pieces or the pieces attached to little details like the middle of letters or right by the antennae.
• If you did the kiss cut you should have a sheet of plastic with some pieces of vinyl on it. If it’s the perfect layout just leave it like that. If you want to spread out your images you can cut them apart. Then just position them on your fabric PLASTIC SIDE UP this time.
• With a hot iron (mine is a little down from cotton so not the max hottest setting) Iron through the plastic. Hold for a few seconds still and then wiggle and them move positions until you’ve hit all the vinyl. Gently pull on an edge if the vinyl comes up with it iron some more. This step takes the longest especially if you have a large image.
• Next I like to flip it over and iron a little from the back. Once you are sure the vinyl is securely attached pull away the plastic. Feel around the vinyl especially at the edges to see if there are any spots that need reinforcement.
• I don’t always do this step but I find it helpful especially on larger projects where my patience might have me speeding through the last few steps but I place a clean thin piece of fabric down and iron through the fabric for one last bit of attaching.

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And there you have it. Now you can customize anything to your hearts content!