This easy DIY Valentine's Day kids tee is equal parts cheesy and adorable and I am here for it. The step-by-step tutorial couldn't be easier so grab your favorite cutting machine plus a few sheets of heat transfer vinyl and let's make some magic happen.
Estimated Time To Complete: 20 Mins (moderate)
Here's What You'll Need:
- Craftables Smooth HTV (I used pink, red, beige and light brown)
- Weeding Tool
- Cutting Mat
- Iron
- Cutting Machine (I use the Cricut Maker)
- Blank T-Shirt
- Free Waffle Love SVG
Step One: Design Set Up
Start by downloading this cutie SVG from the Craftables website and then upload it into Design Space. You'll see that the dark brown waffle outline and the words are a group that can't be ungrouped. I wanted the wording to be pink so I used this quick trick to separate the words from the waffle image.
1. Use the shapes tool to make a square, then unlock it by clicking the lock icon on the bottom left-hand side of the square. Drag it into a rectangle that's just large enough to cover the words. Align the rectangle over the wording.
2. Select both the brown outline in the layers panel, press shift and then select rectangle. Next, click the slice tool at the bottom of the layers panel.
3. Delete the rectangle and the grey wording and you'll be left with just the brown words that are now separated from the rest of the design. You can then change the color to whatever you'd like. *You'll have to do the top and bottom wording separately.
Once the colors are all set to your liking, scale the design to fit on the t-shirt. For children's t-shirts the decal should be no larger than 7 inches in height.
Next, click the Make It button and turn on the mirror option for each mat.
Step Two: Load and Cut Vinyl
Place the first color of heat transfer vinyl on the cutting mat with the shiny carrier sheet face down against the mat. Load the mat into the machine and press the start button. Do this for each separate color of heat transfer vinyl.
Step Three: Weed Images
Once the images are finished cutting, use a weeding tool to remove the unwanted pieces.
Step Four: Iron On
Use an iron on the cotton setting to preheat the t-shirt for 15-20 seconds.
Center the first color of heat transfer vinyl on the shirt and press with an iron or heat press for 15-20 seconds. Remove the carrier sheet once the vinyl has cooled for at least 10-15 seconds.
Continue layering on each color of vinyl one at a time, making sure to protect the previous layer with a carrier sheet so you don't accidentally iron directly on top of the vinyl and melt it.
Step Five: Add Custom Details
I wanted just a little cheesier V-Day pizzaz so I used the shapes tool to add little hearts on top of each waffle square.
Place the heart layer on top of the design and press for 15 seconds. Heat transfer vinyl adheres faster to another layer of HTV than it does to fabric, so you won't need to press as long.
Allow the design to cool completely then remove the carrier sheet and reveal the finished product!
PRO TIP: As a final step I like to turn my t-shirts inside out and iron over the entire design for 30-45 seconds. This allows the heat transfer vinyl to form a really solid adhesion to the fabric and ensures a long-lasting product.
Looking for more Valentine's Day crafts? Check out DIY Valentine Card Tutorial: How to Cut Felt Flowers Using Your Silhouette CAMEO to make a super sweet gift, or Silhouette DIY Tutorial: How to Cut a Hand Lettered Design to Make a Valentine's Day Banner for some festive decor.
Don't forget to tag us on Instagram if you create this project and as always, check out even more holiday inspiration over on the Craftables Blog.
About the Author
Kayla
My name is Kayla and I’m a DIY loving mom of 3, living in North Carolina. I absolutely love creating! It doesn’t matter if it’s refinishing furniture or paper crafting, I love it all. I’m a former blogger for Silhouette America and current blogger for Cricut so I know the ins and outs of both machines and love teaching beginners all of the handy tips and tricks. Come visit my blog at kaylamakes.com or follow me on Instagram @kayla_made.