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Tuesday, March 11, 2014

DIY Glitter Unicorn Shirt

My little diva has become quite the unicorn fan. When I asked her what kind of shirt we should make, she didn't even hesitate to answer with "a pink, sparkly unicorn, of course!". How could I say no to that?

DIY Glitter Unicorn Shirt at artsyfartsymama.com #vinyl #unicorn #kidfashion #ExploreCricut

To make a custom unicorn shirt, I first needed some heat transfer vinyl. I'm really impressed with the color selection and quality of heat transfer vinyl that Expressions Vinyl carries. I ordered the glittered heat transfer vinyl in Blush, then uploaded my unicorn image to my Cricut Explore. The heat transfer vinyl can be cut on any vinyl cutting machine, or you could even cut by hand.



DIY Glitter Unicorn Shirt Tutorial at artsyfartsymama.com #vinyl #unicorn #kidfashion #ExploreCricut

The iron-on sheets are made up of two parts: the heat transfer vinyl, which will be ironed on to your project, and the liner. The liner is a carrier sheet (think transfer paper) that holds the design in place and protects your iron during application.

*Like any iron-on product, make sure you mirror your image! Otherwise it will be backwards when you iron it on!

To cut the vinyl, place the sheet liner side down on the cutting mat. Cut the sheet with a "kiss cut" (where you only cut through the iron-on, but leaves the liner intact). Every cutting machine is different, so make sure to check your cut guides.

DIY Glitter Unicorn Shirt Tutorial at artsyfartsymama.com #vinyl #unicorn #kidfashion #ExploreCricut

After the image has been cut, weed out the excess vinyl. Flip the liner and vinyl over, and place it on the shirt. The liner is sticky, so you can press it down to keep the vinyl in place. When it's in the right place, follow the instructions for ironing the vinyl on:

Set your iron to the Cotton/Linen setting with the steam OFF.
  1. Lightly preheat the area with the iron for 10-15 seconds. This really does help!
  2. Place your image, liner side UP onto the area. If you don't place the liner side up, it will stick to your press cloth.
  3. Carefully lay a press cloth or dishtowel over the design. Be VERY careful. You don't want any of the pieces to shift!
  4. Apply medium pressure with the iron for 25-30 seconds.
  5. Flip the material over and apply medium pressure with the iron to the back of the material for an additional 25-30 seconds.
  6. If you have any parts that didn't stick for some reason or if edges are flipping up, re-iron the pieces or loose edges with the iron tip for 10 seconds.
  7. Let cool and remove liner. If you try to remove the liner before it cools, you risk burning your fingers or peeling the vinyl up.
DIY Glitter Unicorn Shirt at artsyfartsymama.com #vinyl #unicorn #kidfashion #ExploreCricut

Now the shirt is ready for wearing!! The vinyl has washed great so far, and hasn't peeled up at all. I'm so glad that I was able to easily make a unicorn shirt that is diva-approved!!

I received product from Expressions Vinyl in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own.

Would you like to comment?

  1. I love making t-shirts for the kids and me.

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  2. A music shirt for my daughter!

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  3. I'd make a soccer shirt for my daughter!

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  4. Super cute! I don't have a fancy cricut, but that's awesome you can get your own image cut with the vinyl.

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  5. So cute! My daughter would love this!

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  6. Oh this is so cute! I would make something similar for my daughter!

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  7. I haven't tried the glitter vinyl yet! This is an adorable project

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  8. I would make a tshirt for my daughter that was band oriented!

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  9. Your shirt is almost as pretty as the model! They're both adorable!

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  10. I would make some shirts for my girls :)

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  11. I'd make my son a shirt with his school logo!

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  12. A shirt for my son with his school logo!!

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  13. So - is this image a Cricut download? Or did you find it somewhere else? Or did you design it yourself? Cuz it's gorgeous and I want it! ;)

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  14. I would make something cute for my girls!

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  15. I would make a sign for my daughter's house. She has pieces of paper on her walls. A pretty sign would be better.

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  16. super cute shirt! I would make some onesies/shirts for my soon to be born son! :)

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  17. Where did you find the cut file for the unicorn image? I love it!

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  18. lots and lots of shirts for my kids and I...any maybe some for the nieces.

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  19. I have two granddaughters who would love some shirts! That's what I would definitely do.

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  20. THe unicorn shirt for my daughter!

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  21. a custom t shirt for my husband!

    jessicarwarfield at gmail dot com

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  22. Love the unicorn!!! What a great shirt it made! :)

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  23. Look how big she is getting! She looks so tall in that pic! What a fun shirt- I really should make more clothing type things for my boys, usually I stick to decor type projects for vinyl :)

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  24. Definitely would make some cute applique shirts for my toddler =)

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  25. Your shirt is gorgeous and so is your model! :) If I won, I would make a shirt or a tote bag.

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  26. Endless possibilities for shirts for my little guy!

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  27. Onesies for my new baby girl due to be born any day now!

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  28. I made a blanket for my son's teacher...who is expecting. I'd add a monogram.

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  29. My daughter would love to design a shirt for herself.

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  30. My daughter would love to design a shirt for herself.

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  31. Hi Lindsay, your shirt is so cute and my daughter fell in love with this unicorn. Can I buy the file anywhere ?

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    1. Yes where can we get the image

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  32. hello where can I get the unicorn image??

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  33. I love the image... where can I get it from? THANKS

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  34. You are the best. Thanks for the great job.

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  35. Can you please let me know where you got the unicorn image from and if we can buy it please?
    Thanks, Beth

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Thank you so much stopping by! If you have any questions, please leave them here and I'll try to answer ASAP!