I really like the idea of using Cricuts infusible ink but I didn’t want a vibrant image on a white shirt. My preference is for something a little bit more muted and on a darker fabric. So I started to wonder if we could use what we know doesn’t work to make something we want! Our goal was to create a faded washed out vintage looking t-shirt with Cricut’s infusible ink. We tested out different fabric blends and infusible Ink sheet types to test out how faded the image would look to get the perfect result. Below we have put pictures and listed the material content type (polyester percentage) so that you can create the perfect faded vintage looking t-shirt
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Choosing your t-shirt:
This doesn’t necessarily have to be a t-shirt – it could be anything!
Cricut’s infusible ink is optimized to work BEST on 100% polyester. So for this project we want to choose a poly blend shirt. I know that goes against what is recommended but trust me it works! We WANT some of the dye to wash out – we don’t want it super vibrant. Basically, we want to make it look like it has been washed 50 times already.
I picked a tri-blend shirt (50% polyester, 25% cotton, 25% rayon) and a 60% cotton, 40% polyester blend. Both gave a fantastic look!
You can pick any colour of shirt really except black. The darker the colour the more limited in the colour’s you can use for the image as it needs to be darker than the shirt you are applying it to.
Choosing your Cricut Infusible Ink:
Ink Type: I choose to use Cricut’s infusible ink sheets but you could easily use the pens as well
Colours: Infusible ink dyes the fabric meaning the colour you choose for your image needs to be darker than the shirt you are putting it on.
Layering: It is not really suggested to layer (adding dye onto more dye) however you absolutely CAN make a design with more than one colour. I suggest making each colour only cut what is shown (using the slice tool in design space) and combine each of the ink cut outs on to one transfer backing (to only press once). If you do need to layer just make sure the bottom layer is a lighter colour than the top one.
Texture: I found using a brushed pattern sheet provided the most worn out vintage look that I was going for (see below). Consider texture as you choose your ink.
Creating the shirt:
- Wash your shirt: Do not skip this step!! A lot of clothing comes with sizing in it which can effect how the ink dye the shirt
- Remove lint: Take a small lint roller and make sure to remove all dog hair/fluff
- Prep the shirt: Heat the shirt briefly to remove wrinkles and make sure it is nice and flat. I use my Cricut EasyPress 2, 9×9.
- Transfer your ink: Do this according to Cricuts website – here is a link to their instructions
- Wash your shirt: This step is key since some of the ink may wash out still since you are using a fabric blend. I suggest washing in a cold cycle and using a dye catcher sheet (such as a shout colour catcher).
After all of that I was able to create a baseline knowledge of how different fabric types react when using Cricuts infusible ink. I do tend to prefer a more vintage t-shirt style and am so happy I can create it with infusible Ink. I do absolutely love the look of the 60% cotton/40% polyester or the tri-blend shirt (Cotton/rayon/polyester mix) and after about 20 washes they o look very similar. I was worried it would fade over time but it hasn’t faded any more than expected. What creative ways have you found to use Infusible Ink? Let us know in the comments!
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Happy Crafting!
Jo
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