Fox in the Garden Iron-On T-Shirt with Cricut BrightPad

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

This is the second post in a series about the Cricut BrightPad. I’m sharing an intricate iron-on project I made while using the BrightPad, an illuminating tool for crafting that makes weeding, tracing, embroidery, and other crafty tasks easier while reducing eye strain.

This post contains affiliate links. I may receive compensation (at no added cost to you) if you make a purchase using these links. This post is sponsored by Cricut, but all opinions and thoughts are my own.

Last week, I shared an overview of the BrightPad along with nine projects you can make with it. You can read that post here for more details, but basically the BrightPad is a lightweight and portable illumination surface you can use for crafting. It lights your project so you can pay attention to smaller details while easing your eye strain.

While I have made countless iron-on projects since first being introduced to the world of Cricut, my projects tend to be relative simple, like the literary geek t-shirts, the “Makers Gonna Make” tote bag, the Crocheters Gonna Crochet project bag, or the naughty and nice couples t-shirts. All of these projects use largish fonts with simple images.

Confession time: I have been known to leave a piece of iron-on that I was supposed to remove when weeding and not notice that it was still on until AFTER I have already pressed and removed the iron-on liner. (Insert sound of head smacking into wall.) To be frank, I have avoided intricate iron-on and vinyl projects because I didn’t want to miss something important because of my eyesight not being perfect or because the lighting was poor in my workspace. With the Cricut BrightPad, I decided to take a chance on a much more complex iron-on project. One that required a lot of weeding, and intricate weeding at that. I hope you enjoy the finished result as much as I did!

Fox in the Garden Iron-On T-Shirt

Tutorial by Underground Crafter

I adapted the Beautiful Wildlife Pillows by Lia Griffith project (free with a Cricut Access Standard subscription) to make this detailed t-shirt.

Tools

• Cricut Maker or Cricut Explore family machine with Cricut Design Space and Cricut Access Standard subscription,
• EasyPress 2 with EasyPress Mat, or iron with other heat-safe surface,
• Cricut StandardGrip Mat with Fine Point Blade,
• Cricut Weeder and scissors (I used the ones from my Essential Tool Set), and
• Cricut BrightPad.

Materials

• Beautiful Wildlife Pillows by Lia Griffith in Design Space, or the Fox in the Garden cut file in Design Space,
• Cricut Iron-On (I used most of one sheet from the Everyday Iron-On Sampler – Classics), and
• T-shirt (I used a Gildan Women’s V-Neck T-Shirt).

Instructions

Cut Your Iron-On

• Open Beautiful Wildlife Pillows by Lia Griffith in Design Space. Select Customize to adjust the size of the project. I made mine 7” so that it would fit onto a small women’s t-shirt. Or, use the Fox in the Garden cut file in Design Space, which is already resized.

• Select Cut. Mirror the image for iron-on. Place the iron-on on the mat with the shiny (liner) side down and then follow the instructions for cutting.

• Remove your iron-on from the mat. Use the scissor to cut away the unused iron-on to save for a future project.

Weed Your Project

• Plug in your Cricut BrightPad and turn it on. Adjust the illumination level based on your materials and the ambient lighting in your room.
• Use your Weeder to remove the excess iron-on and to reveal the details of the fox and the garden.

Iron-On Your Project

• These instructions are for Everyday Iron-On and a 100% cotton t-shirt; if you use different materials, please refer to the EasyPress 2 Reference Guide. For more tips on using an EasyPress 2, check out my tutorial post.
• Plug in the EasyPress 2 and bring it up to 315 degrees.
• Place the t-shirt on the EasyPress Mat and press for 5 seconds.
• Place the weeded iron-on onto the t-shirt. When you are satisfied with the position, press it for 30 seconds.
• Flip the t-shirt to the wrong side and press for 15 seconds.
• Do a warm peel.

Enjoy your t-shirt!

I can’t wait to gift mine. I’m glad I used the BrightPad because it gave me the confidence to make this intricate iron-on project.