FREE Back to School PNGs!!!! (and who doesn't like FREE?)

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Once you have unboxed your Cricut and signed up for DesignSpace, you are ready to create your own tees!!!

Supplies:

blank tshirt (you can buy them at any craft store, or I even get the solid Cat and Jack shirts from Target!)

Cricut cutting mat

heat transfer vinyl

heat press or iron

teflon sheets

Optional:heat press mat

You can download my FREE designs below:

PRE-K HERE

Kindergarten HERE

**I recommend that you save them to to your desktop for easy access ;)

Okay, so the first step is to upload your PNG from your desktop into Design Space. Once it is in there you can manipulate the image (change colors, size, etc). While the colors are preference based, you do want to put some thought into the size of your image. The image should be sized based on the size of the shirt you a creating. Typically to figure out the size of the image that I need, I just google "size chart for tshirt design". Whether you have a v neck or a scoop neck may also change the placement of that image, so I google that too :)

Once you get it all edited and saved in Design Space, YOU MUST MIRROR THE IMAGE. This ensures your image is not backwards after you have pressed it on :P Now you are officially ready to cut! In Design Space, you will choose your material and load your mats one color at a time to cut. Typically when I start to cut, I start to heat up my Cricut Heat Press. I own the 12"x10" press, so that it is large enough to press adult shirts. If you do not have one, you can always use a regular iron. I just prefer the heat press over the iron, because in addition to being the perfect size, it also heats everything easily. I also take this time to prep my tees. I have read on community boards that some people make sure to wash their tees before they add the vinyl, but I have never done that....and all my tess have held up really nicely :) I DO HOWEVER make sure to lint roll the tee, to make sure that all excess dirt/debris is off of the shirt. I also prep the shirt by warming it with the heat press so that the glue adheres nicely.

The Cricut is going to cut in layers (colors). Since this image has multiple layers you are going to have multiple colors. There is different advice out there on what material to use with multiple layers. I did start off using parchment paper, but I found that I was burning the parchment paper or it was leaving a residue on my tees. I really like using teflon sheets. The teflon sheets are meant to protect the layers that you have pressed into the shirt (because if you reheat them unprotected, they will stick to your iron :P). You're going to press each color until your image is complete. I usually recommend that you turn the tee inside out, and I additionally heat from the back side of the image (I just feel like it gets the glue really melted and then the image is really on there). Some boards advise that you do not dry the shirts, or you tumble them dry on low. However, I have quite a few shirts that I have created, that have been through the dryer with no problems.

I hope that you enjoyed this free resource. Please like and follow me for additional crafting inspiration on Facebook or check out my Etsy shop :)