DIY Infusible Ink Cozies and Free SVG Files

The little machine I used to make infusible ink cozies was kindly gifted to me by Cricut, but the thoughts and opinions below are my own. I want you to enjoy the crafting journey without worrying about a sales pitch. I’m just here to share the fun!

I’ve always wanted a Cricut, but the thought of adding another tool to my already overcrowded craft room put me off. And then something happened. An email arrived in my inbox asking if we wanted to review the Cricut Joy. I must admit I’d never heard of it. My bad. So, I jumped on the internet and did some research. Turns out, this portable little machine is a game-changer for crafters like me who are short on space. And with Father’s Day around the corner, I didn’t hesitate to hit that reply button to make these punny DIY cozies for the dads in my life who both enjoy an ice cold beer.

Pretty awesome, right?

Creating the cozies was a breeze! The process took less than an hour using infusible ink to embed the design directly into the beer sleeves. The ink comes in sheets, and you can buy it at most craft stores. Unlike vinyl, infusible ink doesn’t crack or peel and won’t fade with repeated use.

So, if you’re looking for a fun, durable DIY gift idea that will put a smile on your Dad’s face, then we’ve got you covered. But, before we get there, please do me a favor and follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram. And don’t forget to subscribe so you’ll never miss a post!

What you need

• Cricut Joy
• Computer with a blue tooth connection
• Polyester Cozy (Can Cooler Sleeve)
• Lint-free roller or tape
• Infusible ink transfer paper
• Heat Press or Iron
• Butcher’s paper

Just a heads up, I’m not going to do the whole Cricut unboxing thing or show you how to set it up. There’s already a ton of videos out there that do that way better than I ever could.

What we will cover in this tutorial is turning beer puns into typography art using free online tools. If you don’t want to make your own you can download the SVG files I used to make the cozies here.

I’ll also show you how to cut a design on infusible with a Cricut Joy. 

Designing typography art

If you think you don’t have the right design skills or access to expensive apps, don’t worry about it. I have zero graphic design skills and didn’t use any fancy software to make these Father’s Day cozies. Two free online tools did all the hard work for me. When creating your design, keep in mind that there’s not a lot of space on a cozy so you don’t want something that’s too intricate or busy.

Typography Art

Say hello to your new design BFF; Ideogram.ai! This intuitive little tool helped me whip up the beer-y cool typography on the cozies.

SVG Converter

My go-to tool for all things file conversion. Convertio.co can turn AVI to MP4, PNG to SVG and everything in between.

This quick video will show you how to use both tools and import the file into Cricut Design space.

 

How to make infusible ink cozies

Alrighty, so now that we have a design, we can start making the cozies using infusible ink.

What is infusible ink?

Infusible ink is a special type of ink that’s used for sublimation printing. Unlike it’s messy cousin, screen printing, infusible ink fuses with the material when you apply heat.  As it cools down you end up with a vibrant design that won’t fade over time.

You can find A4 or letter-sized infusible ink sheets at most craft stores. I have seen smaller sheets online that will fit the Cricut Joy, but if you only have the normal sized ones, you’ll need to trim the sheet first.

You can do it in two ways:

1. Cut out individual pieces of paper that are a bit wider and longer than the design you’ll be cutting, or
2. Trim the sheet to match the width of the Cricut Joy cutting mat.

With careful planning, option 2 saves paper and makes it easier to fit multiple designs on a single sheet. Store any unused sheets in their original box since they lose their inky potency if exposed to light.

Cutting the design

Place the trimmed infusible ink sheet onto the standard green cutting mat, liner side facing down (i.e. the inked side facing up).

Upload the SVG file in Design Space and add it to the canvas.

Resize the design to fit your cozy. Aim for an image width of approximately 7 cm (or 2.75 inches). If the image is any wider, the text may wrap around the can, making it harder to read.

Remove any unwanted bits by opening the layers panel on the righthand side and clicking on the eye to hide the layer.

You can also move individual layers by clicking on it and dragging it around the canvas. When you’re done playing with the design, select the top layer and click Combine and Unite to merge all the layers together.

Click the Make button.

Choose “On Mat” and pick a mat size.

Remember to mirror the image before continuing!!!

Connect to the Cricut Joy using Bluetooth.

From the list of materials choose “Browse All Materials”.

Search for Infusible Ink Transfer Sheet, select it and click on done towards the bottom of the screen.

Follow the screen instructions to load the mat and watch the Cricut do its thing.

You should end up with beautifully cut letters.

Weeding the design

Lift the cut design from mat and trim away any excess. Gently roll the infusible ink sheet until you hear a slight “crackling” sound. The inked paper is quite “hard” and rolling it makes it easier to weed the design and prevents tearing.

Use your fingers or weeding tool to remove unwanted bits. You only want the design to stay behind on the clear liner backing.

Prepping the cozies

Before infusing the ink into the cozy, use some sticky tape (adhesive tape) or a lint roller to remove any little bits and unwanted fuzzies from the cozy. Trust me on this one. Even a tiny speck could mar the end result. We have lots of fur babies and their hair gets everywhere, so it’s best to make sure that’s all gone.

Oh, and wear gloves. You don’t want the oil on your hands to mess up the infused image either. Preheat the cozy for about 10 seconds, just to warm it up. Place the weeded image face down on the cozy and use a ruler to center it.

Use heat resistant tape to keep the design in place. My infusible ink sheets came with a sticky backing, so I didn’t use any tape. Once you’re happy with the placement, put a piece of butcher’s paper over the top. Make sure the butcher’s paper covers the whole thing. Grab your iron or heat press.

If, like me, you’re using an iron, use the highest setting (usually Cotton/Linen) and turn the steam setting is OFF. Press the iron down for 40 to 50 seconds. To avoid smudging, or ghosting the design don’t move the iron around. Lift the iron straight up and allow the cozy to cool, before removing the clear backing sheet to reveal the ink infused cozy.

Washing the infusible ink cozies

I normally put two or three drops of dishwashing liquid inside our cozies and add lukewarm water and a dash of vinegar. Leave them to soak for a few minutes and then smoosh the soapy water around inside, before rinsing. Let the cozy dry upside down before using them again.

Final Thoughts

For a beginner like me, the Cricut Joy was super easy to setup and start cutting. Compared to other Cricut machines it’s also more affordable and compact enough to squeeze into the tiniest nook. It can do almost anything the bigger Cricuts can. The only thing I struggled with was connecting via Bluetooth. You have to Go to Settings > Bluetooth & Devices > Devices. Scroll down until you see the “Bluetooth Devices Discovery” setting. Click on the “Advanced” button to see the Cricut Joy.

There are some limitations, though. Your image or drawing can only be 4.5 inches wide (about 11.5 cm), and you need to double-check when ordering pens and accessories. Most materials and adaptor bits are made for the bigger Cricuts.  If you do want to cut a wider image, I would split it into two bits which can be lined up, side by side before heat pressing.

Overall, I think the Cricut Joy is the perfect addition to any craft room where space is limited and you’re not going make something in bulk. For a part time crafter like me who loves making teeny tiny things for fairy gardens, it’s ideal. I can’t wait to play some more.  In the meantime, cheers to all the Dads out there.

If you plan on making some infused cozies, don’t forget to pin the tutorial. 

Sharing is caring

Oh, and if you’re looking for some of the things we used, we’ve got you covered. Disclosure: Clicking on the links below, means we may receive a commission from Amazon. But don’t worry it won’t come out of your pocket, and it helps us make more amazing crafts to share with you.

And if you prefer to buy rather than DIY, perhaps these beauties will appeal.

And as always, wishing you a wonderful, crafty week filled with laughter and love. Thank you for popping in for a visit and Hoppy Father’s Day.