What's better than a fun afternoon spent soaking up the sun? A fun afternoon soaking up the sun on your very own customized beach blanket, of course!
We're showing you how to use this month's free hand-lettered cut file from Arlena over at Bossy Brushstrokes and our own Color Chimp Luxe HTV to DIY a beach blanket that will have you ready to spend a fun afternoon relaxing in the sun!
You’ll need:
- Blank blanket or Turkish Towel
- Cutting machine (we used a Cricut Maker for this project)
- Color Chimp Luxe Heat Transfer Vinyl in Gold
- Heat Press or Iron
- Weeding Tool
- Girls Just Wanna have Sun SVG file (download it here)
Step 1: Design
Upload the Girls Just Wanna Have Sun SVG file to Design Space or Silhouette Studio and resize to fit your beach blanket. We sized our file to 11.5" tall.
Once you’ve got the design resized, hit the green “Make It” button and follow the Design Space prompts to prepare your mat and select your material.
Don't forget to “Mirror” your design before cutting it!
Step 2: Cutting
Apply your vinyl to your mat, placing the carrier sheet side of the HTV towards your mat (the shinier, plastic side) and then let your machine get to work.
*Crafting PSA: Because wasting material is the WORST, it’s always a good idea to double-check your settings BEFORE you cut!*
Step 3: Weeding
Once your machine has finished cutting, it's time to weed it your design. Remove the vinyl from your mat by turning your mat over and gently rolling it away from the HTV. Next, begin by pulling away the larger pieces of excess vinyl and then use your weeding tool to remove all the smaller pieces, like the insides of the letters.
Step 4: Place & Press Your Design
Since we're working with Color Chimp Luxe HTV, we pressed with medium pressure for 3 seconds at 320 degrees. You always want to be sure to follow the pressing instructions for the brand and type of heat transfer vinyl you are using because it can vary from brand to brand and with different fabrics.
Step 5: Peel away your carrier sheet and enjoy!
Now the fun part: It's time to peel away your carrier sheet! If you’re not sure that your HTV has completely adhered to your material after you peel away the carrier sheet, we recommend covering your entire design with a Teflon sheet or thin cotton cloth and pressing again.
That’s it - now sit back and enjoy your handy work!
We love seeing what you create, so if you give this DIY a try be sure to share a picture in the comments below! Check back next month for another exclusive hand-lettered design from Arlena and in the meantime, check out her all work over at BossyBrushstrokes.com and be sure to follow her on Instagram.
Be sure to head over to the Craftey shop to find all of the materials used in this project, including our Color Chimp Luxe heat transfer vinyl.
