Today on the blog we are introducing a new technique- how to apply HTV onto burlap! It may seem difficult or impossible to get iron-on vinyl to stick to burlap because it's such a fuzzy, loose woven fabric. But our newest guest blogger Aubrey has a foolproof technique to get HTV on burlap and she's about to show you how to do it!
Hey everyone! I'm so excited to share with you how you can customize anything, even those hard-to-work-with materials like burlap and stretched canvas. Heat transfer vinyl is one of my favorite crafting materials to use, because it can turn "blah" into "yeah!" I'm going to show you how to customize a burlap placemat for any event, so let's get to it!
Supplies needed:
-burlap (found at any craft or fabric store)
-cutting machine (I used a Silhouette CAMEO)
-Smooth HTV (I used black)
-iron or heat press
-large ceramic tile
-sewing machine or Fray Check
-Weeding tools
teflon paper
Step One: Make the burlap placemat
Cut a piece of burlap to the size 12" x 18". Because burlap is made of interlocking strands, you'll want to pull out a few from each edge to create a fringe. Use fray check or your sewing machine to keep the edges from fraying.
With a scrap piece of burlap, sew on a pocket piece. This is where we will be adhering the HTV.
Step two: Create the design
Open your design software and type up your phrase. Since I am making placemats, I decided on the phrase "Bon Appetit". In order to make sure my phrase fit the size of the pocket, I drew a rectangle that was sized the same as my burlap pocket. This is a great way to see how big your design needs to be.
Anytime you use a scripty font, you'll want to weld the letters together so it cuts as one word instead of separate letters. So right click on your word and select weld.
Before cutting, right click your design and flip horizontally. This will mirror your image since we will be cutting on the back side of the HTV.
Step three: Cut out design
Place your HTV with shiny side DOWN. Load your cutting mat and select your cut settings for smooth heat transfer vinyl. Then let your machine get to work!
Step four: Weed design
With your weeding tool, pull off the parts of the design you won't be using, leaving only the phrase. Because of the clear carrier sheet, your design will stay put!
Use the hook tool to peel off the tiny insides of the letters. Now your cute phrase is ready to be adhered!
Step five: Iron on design
Because burlap has so many fibers, use a lint roller to prepare your surface. This will create a better surface for your HTV to adhere to.
Place your design onto the burlap, right side up. If you don't like the placemat, you can easily peel it up and reposition it.
If you have a heat press, follow the manufacturer's guidelines and refer to this heat chart for exact temperature and press time. I don't have a heat press, but I do have a trusty home iron that can do the trick! I use cotton settings with no steam.
Now burlap can be tricky because it's thick and has a ton of grooves and empty spaces. But we won't let that stop us! For a good press, you NEED a very hard, very flat surface to iron onto (if you're not using a heat press.) Your ironing board won't do the trick because the metal frame has many slots underneath where the heat can escape. So instead, I use a large 12 x 12 piece of ceramic tile because it's heat resistant and flat.
Once you have a good, hard surface to work on, place a teflon sheet over your design and hold the iron in place for 10-15 seconds with HARD pressure. Because the burlap is so coarse, the HTV needs a good amount of heat and pressure to adhere.
Now let your design cool for 10 seconds. Do NOT peel when it's hot or the HTV will come right off!
After peeling off the clear carrier sheet, put your teflon sheet back on the design and give it some more heat and pressue, about 10-15 more seconds. You'll know you have good adhesion when you can see the HTV flow along the grooves of the burlap strands, as you can see here:
And there you have it! Decorate your table space with your fun, customized burlap placeats and throw a dinner party! I'm sure your guests will love the personal touch! Happy crafting!
