I love using Cricut’s Iron-On vinyl, but admittedly, I’ve wished it was a bit more flexible on the shirts I’m using them on. Being a woman it’s always a bit unfortunate when you create the perfect design and then you put it on and it looks a little funny after if you know what I mean.
So when I found out they were coming out with a new flexible Iron-On vinyl called SportFlex Iron-On, I knew I had to try it! Thankfully Cricut was awesome and sent me some to try out so I could share with you how truly awesome this new vinyl is in solving the problems I was having earlier.
Why use SportFlex Iron-On?
SportFlex Iron-On is great for stretchy fabrics. It is flexible for those awkward areas when you’re wearing a shirt with it on. It’s also great for tech fabrics like Nylon and Polyester. So those workout shirts you’ve been dying to customize? This is a great option! Plus it’s thin and lightweight.
SportFlex comes in 11.8″ x 24″ sheets so when making a design you want to make sure it fits within those parameters. You can also layer it like the other Cricut Iron-On, but it’s suggested not to do more than 2 layers
How to use SportFlex?
Of course, you want to know how to use the SportFlex. To help, I’ll walk you through the steps so you’ll be a SportFlex Iron-On pro in no time!
And to help you get started, you can make one of these cute Amazonian Warrior shirts that I designed.
First off, you’ll need your supplies:
- SportFlex Iron-On in Red
- SportFlex Iron-On in Midnight Blue
- SportFlex Iron-On in Metallic Gold
- Cricut Cutting Machine (I use the Explore Air)
- Cricut StandardGrip Cutting Mat
- Plain white workout shirt (I got this Hanes one from Amazon for myself and this tank top for my daughter)
- Iron and Ironing Board (or the Cricut EasyPress and EasyPress Mat)
- Pressing Cloth
- Cricut Weeder
Okay, now that you’ve got your supplies gathered, it’s time to get started.
Click this link here if you want to make the adult sized shirt. If you want to make the toddler version, click here.
Once you’ve got the design up, click the green button that says “Make It”. You’ll be taken to a screen where the design is split into 3 sections for each color of the design. I recommend rearranging the gold lines to make sure they’re not too close to each other (it makes it easier when you’re splitting them apart for ironing later on).
You’ll also want to make sure that you’ve got “Mirror” turned on for the phrase part of the design, or else when you iron it on, it’ll be backward. It’ll look backward on the screen though, but that’s how you want it to be.
Once you’ve done that, click “Continue”.
Place your first color on the cutting mat, making sure the shiniest part is face down, make sure your Cricut Machine is connected to your computer, then load the mat + SportFlex Iron-On into the machine.
You’ll want to put your settings on “custom” then on your computer you’ll choose the SportFlex Iron-On setting since the SportFlex is thinner than normal Iron-On vinyl.
After that, press the blinking Cricut C on your machine and your machine will start cutting!
When you’ve finished with the first color, repeat for the next two colors.
Now that you’ve got your design all cut out, you can start weeding! Grab your weeding tool and carefully remove the extra vinyl around the design as well as the little parts between the letters like the A’s and O’s for example. You don’t want to leave those or it can be hard to read what it says!
Next, grab your iron and ironing board (or if you have the Cricut EasyPress and EasyPress Mat, grab that!) and let your iron heat up (make sure steam is turned off!). Also, don’t forget to grab your pressing cloth to put between the iron and the SportFlex Iron-On.
Lay your shirt flat on the ironing board. I like to then take the heated up iron and move it across the area where I’m going to put the design. This helps with bonding, though isn’t necessary. Once you’ve done that, take the first part of your design and position it to where you want it. Make sure the plastic is on the top and the vinyl is against the fabric.
Get your pressing cloth and cover the design. The pressing cloth is important because, without it, the iron will melt the plastic! If you don’t have a pressing cloth, you can use a piece of fabric or sheet. I actually use a piece of muslin that I have in my sewing supplies.
You’ll take your iron and set it on top of a portion of the design and leave it there for a few seconds. I like to kind of give a little bit of a push down to put pressure on it. Doing a back and forth motion like you would when ironing a garment doesn’t help the SportFlex Iron-On set into the fabric.
Repeat across all sections of the design.
Next, turn the shirt inside out and press with the iron on the back side of the design. This helps the vinyl bond even more.
Turn it ride side out and give it another press (with the pressing cloth between the plastic and the iron). After you’ve done this, you can remove your cloth and carefully peel off the plastic sheet.
Your design should be attached to the shirt. If it starts to come up with the plastic when pulling it off, iron that section a little more.
Repeat the pressing steps with the remaining portions of your design. Before pressing the sections with your iron, make sure it’s positioned correctly because you can’t go back when it’s stuck to the fabric!
After you’ve finished applying each piece to the fabric, hold your shirt up and be in awe of your awesome custom workout shirt!
I can’t wait for you to get to try the SportFlex Iron-On vinyl! My daughter and I love our new workout shirts and can’t wait to use them during our workouts together.
What will you make with the SportFlex Iron-On vinyl? Let me know in the comments!
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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.
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