I received my Cricut Mug Press last week from JOANN and today I’m showing you how to make this cute mug! In this post I’ll be teaching you how to find mug press designs in Cricut Design Space and how to create your own mug design. I’ll also be teaching you step by step on how to make a mug with your Cricut Mug Press.
This is a sponsored post brought to you by JOANN. All opinions are my own.
If you missed my post last week, make sure to check it out HERE. I answer all your frequently asked questions about the Cricut Mug Press and I also show you the whole unboxing.
Today, I’m teaching you all about how to find mug designs in Cricut Design Space and how to make your own too! Plus, I’m showing you how to use your Cricut Mug Press once you have made your design.
HOW TO FIND CRICUT MUG PRESS DESIGNS IN PROJECTS
If you like seeing pictures of already completed mugs, then you’ll want to search for mug designs in Projects.
Open Design Space. Click on Projects, All Categories and then type “Mug” in the search bar. You’ll see a bunch of finished mug projects. You’ll also notice a “Mug Design Template”. I’ll explain more about this in the next section.
Click on the mug you would like to make and it’s ready to go. *Note, searching this way also brings up other mug projects including vinyl ones not designed for the Mug Press.
CRICUT MUG PRESS TEMPLATE IN PROJECTS
Another option you might want to know about it is a blank mug template called “Mug Design Setup” in Projects. This template has drawings on the top to show you where on the mug the design will be placed. If you use this template to design a mug, you’ll need to hide the drawing layer before cutting.
When you click on the Mug Design Setup Project, it will open a new window. You’ll see a drop down menu, where you can select the size and type of edge you would like. (The small mug is the 12 oz blank and the large mug is the 15 oz blank.)
HOW TO FIND MUG PRESS DESIGNS IN IMAGES
Another way to find mug press designs is in Images. There are two ways to search for them in Images.
Option 1
Open a new project and click on Images. You can search “Mug Press” which will bring up lots of mug designs.
TIP: Make sure to click on the “i” on the design to see the image info and what size mug the design is meant for. There are two sizes of most designs, small and large. The 15 oz mugs are 4.25 inches tall and the 12 oz. mugs are 3.79 inches tall. You’ll want to make sure you select the right one for the size of cup you are making. Make sure to select the right size when you are making a custom design. Trust me, I know from experience. 😉
Option 2
Cricut has also made searching for mug press designs super easy. On the left hand side on the Images menu, select “Project Type” and then you can select Small Mug Press Designs, Large Mug Press Designs, or both, to bring up only mug press designs.
HOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN CRICUT MUG PRESS DESIGN
Now that you know how to search for mug press designs, let me show you how to make your own!
You can always use the Mug Design Set up as a blank starting point for any design. You can also change up any mug design you find in Cricut Design space using the Slice, Weld and Attach tools.
You can even just cut out images and press them on your mug. You don’t need to use a mug template. However, using the template makes it much easier to get your design perfect every time.
I’ve linked my design I used HERE. For my mug design I used the “Small Paint Splotch Mug Design” as my starting point. I liked the splotchy edges rather then a straight edge.
TIP: If you want to see what images were used in a design, right click it on the Layers menu on the right hand side. You’ll see Image Info at the very bottom that will tell you all the images and fonts (if any) that were used in the design.
Let’s make this same design. First, insert the Small Paint Splotch Mug Design to your canvas and the Crafting Forever, Housework Whenever design. Resize and move the Crafting Forever design where you would like it.
Since the crafting forever design is in two parts, you will need to use the Weld tool first to make them one, before you can slice them.
Once you have welded together the Crafting Forever design, select the Paint Splotch background and the Crafting forever design and select “Slice” You’ll now see two slice results. Delete these two layers.
Now you can insert the scissors and paintbrush images and repeat the same steps to slice and remove it from the design.
That’s how easy it is to make your own design! Click on Make it, and cut it out with your machine. Now let me show you how to use the Cricut Mug Press.
HOW TO PRESS A MUG WITH THE CRICUT MUG PRESS
Supplies:
(Click on any of the words below to purchase the item)
Cricut Machine
Cricut Mug Press
Cricut Mug Blank
Cricut Infusible Ink
Cricut StandardGrip Mat
Click HERE to open the same mug design I used. Click on Make it. Select Infusible Ink transfer paper. Place your Infusible Ink on the mat. Make sure you have mirrored your design!
Cut out your design, and carefully weed the Infusible Ink.
Prepare your mug by wiping with a clean cloth or lint rolling.
This is the easiest method I have found for wrapping the mug. Place the mug so the handle is perpendicular in front of you. Take your Infusible Ink mug wrap and place it flat on the table, making sure the center of the wrap lines up with the handle on the other side.
Bring it towards the mug and wrap it around. Make sure to press it all on firmly.
Plug in your mug press and allow it to heat up. The light will turn green when it is ready. Place your mug in the press, making sure the handle is centered when its close so the entire design is covered.
Now the machine will do the rest of the work. The blinking lights at the top will light up as the machine works, and once they are all lit up, the machine will beep that it’s complete. This process usually takes around 6 minutes, but it depends on a few factors.
The handle of the mug will not be hot, but the rest of the mug will be very, very hot! Remove with caution. I like to place mine on an EasyPress mat to cool down. Allow the mug to cool for 15-20 minutes.
Once the mug has cooled down, it’s time for the fun part! Taking off the Infusible Ink paper to reveal your perfect design!
Now your mug is done! Wasn’t that so easy? If you have any questions, let me know in the comments below.
I had a friend that used the hav vinyl on her mugs does this cause any damage to the mug press?
The mug press uses a higher temperature for the infusible ink so it’s not recommended with HTV. I have seen people use it with HTV; I think they probably only let it go for a a shorter press, and protect the press with butcher paper. Otherwise the HTV will melt onto the press.