This post is brought to you by Cricut but contains 100% authentic opinions from a Cricut superfan.
Just last week it was still over 100 degrees here- but this morning when I let the dogs out it was just 58 degrees! It is undeniable that fall has arrived and I am READY!
I live somewhere that is unreasonably hot for 4 months out of the year, so as soon as we get just the smallest chill in the air I’m ready to ditch my flip flops, pull out all my flannels, and most importantly- switch to soothing, warm drinks!
You’ll always find me with a warm cup of something this time of year, whether it’s coffee, tea or even warm apple cider. And along with those delicious drinks, you’ll find me enjoying my prized mug collection!
I’ve always been a mug girlie and that hasn’t changed with time. The thing that HAS changed? I can make my own mugs now, exactly the way I want them! I know we’ve all found a mug we loved on a store shelf that was amazing but just not quite perfect- maybe it used a font you hated or a word you’d rather your four year old not repeat when they learn how to read it. Either way, creating your own mugs solves all of those problems!
So how do I create my own mugs? With Cricut!
I use my Cricut machines for so many things- from holiday gifts to tote bags to graphic t-shirts and so, so much more. One of my favorite things about using Cricut machines is their huge selection of materials to work with- seriously, they have materials to work with that I would have never even dreamt of on my own!
Case in point? The Heat-Activated Vinyl! I stumbled upon this completely by accident at the same time that I found their Cold-Activated Vinyl that I used to make a custom bento box for Zac’s lunches. It’s exactly what it sounds like- vinyl that changes color when it gets warm!
Specifically, the vinyl is designed to change colors at temperatures above 88 degrees, which is great because that means even if you’re like me and you like your drinks “kids’ temp” you can still watch it transform right before your very eyes! They have three different color combos available- Magenta/Light Pink, Purple/Turquoise and Turquoise/Light Blue, so you can find the perfect one for your project.
If you’ve ever worked with Cricut vinyl before, you already know how simple it is to work with- it cuts cleanly with a Cricut machine and it is so easy to weed, you won’t think twice about working with more intricate designs. Using specialty vinyl like the Heat-Activated Vinyl is no different than the “normal” stuff- the only change you need to make is selecting the right material in Cricut Design Space when you’re ready to make it!
Ready to design a Heat-Activated Mug? Here’s how to do it!
1. Create your design using Cricut Design Space. You can download the design I used here or create your own using thousands of images and fonts available with a Cricut Access subscription!
2. Select your Heat-Activated Vinyl Color Combo and your mug! You can use any mug, but I chose to use the Cricut mugs because they’re great- just the right size and with a beautiful color on the inside!
3. In Design Space, select Make and check to make sure your image looks how you want it to. If you’re using multiple elements, you may need to group them together to keep them spaced exactly how you want them. My image came from Access already assembled so I was able to skip this step!
4. Connect your Cricut machine- while I usually use my Cricut Explore Air 2, I wanted to give my new Cricut Joy Xtra a go, especially since this was a nice and small design that’s perfectly suited to it. {I did need to trim the vinyl to fit the Joy Xtra since it’s sized for a 12×12 mat. This was super simple to do- I used a paper cutter but could have done it with normal scissors in seconds!}
5. Load your vinyl onto your mat- I used a LightGrip Mat but a StandardGrip Mat would be fine for this project as well.
6. Once you’ve connected your machine in Design Space, click on Browse All Materials and scroll down to Vinyl. There you’ll find Heat/Cold Activated Color Changing Vinyl- select that one so that the machine knows exactly how hard to press to cut!
7. Ensure that your blade is inserted, load your mat, and hit go!
8. Once your design is done cutting, remove the mat from the machine and grab your weeding tool. Weed the parts of the design that you don’t need.
9. Grab a piece of transfer tape and use a scraper to “pick up” the design onto the Transfer Tape.
10. Adhere the design {still attached to the Transfer Tape} to the mug and press down on the design to adhere it to your mug. You may need to use the scraper tool here as well to get it to go from the Tape to the Mug.
11. Enjoy your heat-activated mug! Oh, and don’t forget it’s hand wash only!
Whether you’re making yourself a mug to ring in the changing seasons or getting ready to make holiday gifts, the possibilities are truly endless when it comes to crafting with Cricut!
What hot drink will you enjoy in your mug first?
Leave a Reply