STEP 1

Open Cricut Design Space.

Find and click “upload” on the left-hand side of the screen.

Next, click “upload image.” 

Select “Browse” and find your image you want to use, then open it.

Feel free to use my personally designed cut file seen in the demo.

Since my image is a PNG file and not SVG, its necessary to tell Cricut Design Space this, which we do by selecting “complex” for the image type.

STEP 2

Now you should be on the “Select and Erase” page.

You will be erasing out “more” and all of the hearts.  I’ll explain more on this later….trust me for now….

Then click “continue”

Now select “Save as a Cut image” and click “save” in the bottom right-hand corner.

STEP 3

You will now find it under your recently uploaded images.  Select it and then find “insert images” in the bottom right-hand corner.

STEP 4

Go back to upload and upload the same exact image again.  We are doing this because usually we use SVG files which have multiple “layers” to them.  This PNG is not designed that way, so when we upload the image a second time, and then go to the select and erase page, we will erase everything that we left on the first image.  So the results should be that the first and second image when combined, will form one complete image. 

Now click “continue” and then “save as a cut image.”

You will find it under your recently uploaded images.  Select it and then click on “insert images.”

You will find that the 2 different images have come together to form one complete image.

STEP 5

Find the layers panel and select the layer we just uploaded.  It should be the layer that says “more” with the hearts.  Find the color swatch in the top left hand corner and select red. 

Now click and drag over the entire image.  Go to the top right-hand corner and select “group.”  You can now select the image as a group and make it whatever size you want.

STEP 6

Measure your pillow cover.  Ours is 18’’ so we will make the image about 9.5 inches wide.  Change the image size by going to the top of the screen and typing in whatever size you would like for your project. 

Click “make it” at the top right-hand corner.

Select “mirror” for both the black and red layer and then click “continue” on the bottom right.

STEP 7

Select your material by clicking on “browse all materials.”   If using an Explore Air 2, set your dial to ‘custom’ and this menu should populate. 

Type in infusible ink and select ‘infusible ink transfer sheet.”

STEP 8

Consider putting on a pair of disposable gloves to prevent oil from being transferred onto the infusible ink transfer sheets.  Load the sheet onto your Cricut mat with the shiny side down and the ink side facing up. 

Load the mat into your machine, then click “load,’’ and then the flashing green Cricut button on the machine   to start cutting.

Unload your mat and flip the infusible ink transfer sheet over, face down, to roll the mat away from the infusible ink transfer sheet.      

Trim your excess off and save for potential future projects. **(Be sure to leave enough of the black transfer sheet available to place the red ink around and below the words “I love you.”  You need to make sure you have only one transfer sheet in the end with all of the ink for the entire image on it.  With infusible ink it is very important that the entire image has heat applied to it only one time as an even application across the whole image.)

Start weeding off your backing sheet to release the ink from the transfer sheet. 

Repeat this process for your other color.

STEP 9

Go to cricut.com/heatguide.

Select your easy press you are using and the heat-transfer material and base material. 

Your base material does not have to be a Cricut brand blank.  The most important factors in what you apply your infusible ink to, is that its as high a polyester count as possible (90% or higher) and as light as possible in color.   

Selecting our Cricut EasyPress 2 with infusible ink transfer sheet and t-shirt as the base material we see that our pre-heat is 15 seconds, temperature is 385 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 seconds with light pressure and a warm peel.  We need butcher paper as a barrier between the easy press and transfer sheet and thick cardstock under the ink, in between the layers of the pillowcase,to prevent bleed through. 

Don’t forget to use a lint roller on your material, prior to using your EasyPress.

Feel free to spruce your pillow up however you want, but I decided the perfect finishing touch would be fluffy pom poms all the way around the border of the pillow.  Use your imagination for whatever you like!  Until next time…keep it Crafty!!