If the freezing temps and gray days have you saying, "Wake me up when it's Spring!" then you're going to love today's project!
We're walking you through how to DIY a fun, custom sleep mask that is perfect for gifting to your BFF, sister, mom, or even yourself (we know you work hard, girl. Treat yo' self)! We're using our Color Chimp Essentials heat transfer vinyl and this month's hand-lettered SVG cut file from Bossy Brushstrokes. Let's get started!
You’ll need:
- Cotton Sleep Mask
- Cutting machine (we used a Cricut Maker for this project)
- Color Chimp Essentials Heat Transfer Vinyl in White
- Weeding Tool
- Heat Press or Iron
- Hibernation Mode Activated SVG cut file (download here)
Step 1: Design
Upload the SVG file to Design Space or Silhouette Studio and resize to fit your sleep mask. We sized our file to 2" tall.
Step 2: Cutting
Apply your vinyl to your mat, being sure to place the carrier sheet side towards your mat (the shinier side). You can peel back a tiny corner of the material to see which side is the plastic carrier sheet if you're having trouble telling just by looking. You will want to cut your design in reverse, so remember to select the "Mirror" option in Design Space.
*REMINDER: There is nothing worse than wasting vinyl! Always double check your settings BEFORE you cut!*
Step 3: Weeding
After your machine has finished cutting, remove the HTV from your mat.
Use your weeding tools to remove all of the excess material. Don't forget to remove all of the smaller pieces (like the insides of the letters) too!
When you're finished weeding, you should be left with this:
Step 4: Place Your Design
Now that you have your design weeded, you're ready to place it on the sleep mask and press it.
Step 4: Press Your Design
Since we're working with Color Chimp Essentials, we pressed with medium pressure for 5 seconds at 320 degrees. Be sure to follow the pressing instructions for the brand and type of heat transfer vinyl you're working with because it can vary from brand to brand and with different types of fabrics.
Step 5: Peel away your carrier sheet and enjoy!
We don't know about you, but we're just about ready to put this baby on and keep it there until spring!
As always, we love seeing what you create so if you give this project a try be sure to share a picture in the comments below, or over on social media using the hashtag #GetCraftey! Arlena will be back next month with another gorgeous (and always free!) hand-lettered design and in the meantime, head over to BossyBrushstrokes.com to check out all her work and be sure to follow her on Instagram.
Head on over to the Craftey shop to find all of the materials we used in this project, including our Color Chimp Essentials heat transfer vinyl.
And if you're looking for more project ideas, inspiration or free cut files head over to the Craftey Community site and join in on the fun!
