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Dukes and Duchesses

Dallas Fort Worth Creative Lifestyle Blogger

creative projects Cricut · Written by Randi Dukes

Custom Cloth Napkins Made with the Cricut EasyPress

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These custom cloth napkins were created as part of a sponsored post for Cricut.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.  The post contains affiliate links.

With the holiday season approaching, I spend a lot of time thinking about tablescapes: the dishes I want to use, what linens I’ll pair with them, and how I’ll create a centerpiece.  Cloth napkins are a great way to add color and pattern to the table and these custom cloth napkins add a little fun and whimsy as well!  I created these with eat, drink, and be merry text but you can obviously customize them any way you want.

custom cloth napkins made with the cricut easypress

I made these cloth napkins using the new Cricut EasyPress and I can’t tell you how much I love this little machine!

cricut easy press machine

I’ve avoided using iron-on vinyl or heat transfer for a while now because ironing it on with a regular iron gave me such inconsistent results.  Since I couldn’t regulate the temperature of my iron, there was always a lot of guesswork in terms of temperature, length of time to press, and the materials I was using. Having the pattern lift off a project after the first wash was so discouraging that I quit using any iron-on products.

Until now! The new Cricut EasyPress takes the guesswork and inconsistency out of the equation. With an evenly heated ceramic plate and simple digital controls, you can have iron-on success in sixty seconds or less!

cricut easypress heat press

To make these custom cloth napkins, you’ll need to buy a set of napkins {you can find cute, affordable napkins at World Market or Home Goods} and design the image online.

Insert a utensil image from Cricut Design Space then ungroup it and delete the utensils you don’t want.

utensils image in cricut design space

Straighten out the knife and fork and then add text next to them, sizing all the text the same and using the align function to center the words and utensils vertically.  {Tip: when you have a screen full of items and want to select only certain things, hold down the control button and click on each item that you want to select together.}

To make more than one napkin with the same design, simply select all the pieces, attach them, and duplicate.  Attaching the pieces together will make them cut in the same way that you see them on the screen so you don’t have to try to piece them together after cutting.

One more tip before we move on to the next step.  Sometimes the spacing of a font doesn’t look right to your eye.  In the image below, you can see that the t appears to be too far out because the spacing is judged by the outermost parts.  You can pull letters together by decreasing the letter space number but that will pull each letter together in equal amounts and sometimes you just want to pull one letter in.  To do this, click on advanced and select ungroup to letters.  This allows the letters to be treated separately.  Slide the letter where you want it, select all the letters and align them {align to the bottom or center depending on the font}, then select them all and attach them together again.  This simple step allows you to arrange letters any way you want without limits.

text image for cutting with cricut maker

Once the design is created the way you want it, send it to the Cricut Maker or Cricut Explore Air 2 to cut.  Don’t forget to select the mirror option so the text will cut correctly.

mirror image to cut iron on vinyl

Cut on a light grip mat with the shiny side of the iron-on vinyl facing down.

cutting iron on heat transfer with cricut maker

Once the pieces are all cut, place the iron-on vinyl on top of the Cricut BrightPad to illuminate the project and make the cut lines easier to see for weeding.  This is another tool that I love … and if I’m nowhere near an outlet, it can plug into my laptop with a USB cord and power up.  This simple tool is saving my poor old eyes one project at a time {wink}!

weeding with cricut brightpad

Once the project is cut and weeded, it’s time to adhere it to the surface with the Cricut EasyPress.  Plug it in, turn it on, and refer to the guide for the appropriate temperature and time setting depending on the materials being used.

small affordable heat press for home

The machine will show you the temperature as it heats up and the button will remain yellow.

settings on cricut easypress heat press

When it’s ready to use, it’ll beep and the button will turn green.

how to use cricut easypress heat press

For best results, preheat the base fabric for 3-5 seconds to remove wrinkles and moisture …

preparing fabric for iron on heat transfer vinyl

… then lay the design in place on the fabric with the shiny side facing up.

how to apply iron on heat transfer vinyl

Place the Cricut EasyPress on top of the design, press the button to start the timer, and apply gentle pressure until it beeps.

Flip the napkin over and repeat on the back side with the same settings.

how to apply iron on vinyl with cricut easypress

Let the item cool completely before removing the liner.  Don’t rush it even though you’ll be tempted to.  The only time this process has failed for me is when I didn’t let it cool all the way.

If you do start to remove the liner and the design lifts at all, lay the liner back down and reheat it for a few more seconds.

customized napkins with heat transfer vinyl

Once you peel the liner off, the napkin is done!  Isn’t it cute?

eat drink be merry napkins

I love the entire eat, drink, and be merry set! 

customized DIY cloth napkins

These will get a lot of use during the holiday entertaining season …

custom cloth napkins with text

… and, with the bright colors, they’ll be perfect year round.

eat drink and be merry napkins

They’d make a really great gift for your favorite hostess, too!

DIY custom cloth napkins for entertaining

What text or design would you put on custom cloth napkins?

how to use htv

 


17 Comments

About Randi Dukes

I’m Randi, a Dallas-based mom of five kids, ranging from third grade to college and including a set of twins. I love strong coffee, craft and DIY projects, my planner, and my big ol’ family. When I’m not creating something for my blog, I can be found in the car, running kids from one place to another. I’m the one knitting at the red light. Connect with me on google+ | twitter | facebook

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Comments

  1. Stacie @ Divine Lifestylest says

    September 28, 2017 at 7:35 am

    Those are so cute! I didn’t know that Cricut made this particular kind of tool. Very cool!

    Reply
    • Randi Dukes says

      September 28, 2017 at 7:39 am

      It’s brand new … they just revealed it this summer!

      Reply
  2. Heather @ Kraus House Mom says

    September 28, 2017 at 8:24 am

    They are so cute. Cricut has come a long way from their original machine, so many more thing you can do now.

    Reply
  3. Jeanette says

    September 28, 2017 at 8:48 am

    I really need to buy one of these machines. There’s so much you can do with it! This would be so much fun. I would go crazy with all the ideas that I want to do.

    Reply
  4. brianne says

    September 28, 2017 at 3:05 pm

    This is so cool and what a neat machine. I bet my daughter would love this!

    Reply
  5. Olivia S Douglass says

    September 28, 2017 at 6:07 pm

    I absolutely LOVE this idea! I’m not crafty but I think I could do this.

    Reply
  6. Claudia Krusch says

    September 28, 2017 at 6:33 pm

    These are so many fun projects I would love to do with one of these machines. I have a birthday coming up soon. I will have to add it to my wish list.

    Reply
  7. Michelle Waller says

    September 28, 2017 at 8:48 pm

    I just love this. I had a circut when they first came out. They have came a long way since then. I just love what you did, this would be perfect for party napkins.

    Reply
  8. Toni | Boulder Locavore says

    September 28, 2017 at 11:25 pm

    These are so cute! So perfect for parties and holidays!

    Reply
  9. Hali says

    September 29, 2017 at 12:09 am

    Wow what a cool device, I will be constantly creating with it! Wow

    Reply
  10. Autumn Reo says

    September 29, 2017 at 9:27 am

    Cri-cuts really are so cool for all kinds of projects! I haven’t thought about the napkin thing!

    Reply
  11. Nancy at Whispered Inspirations says

    September 29, 2017 at 9:45 am

    These would be amazing for holiday get-togethers. They are really super cute.

    Reply
  12. reesa says

    September 29, 2017 at 9:53 am

    I would love one of these devices!! How cool are these napkins!

    Reply
  13. Jamie says

    October 6, 2017 at 10:16 pm

    Those turned out great. Perfect for hosting parties or holidays.

    Reply
  14. Kelly Woodruff says

    October 10, 2017 at 7:38 am

    So cute! I have had terrible luck with iron on, so I avoid it even though I have so many great ways I want to use it! This easypress is definitely on my wish list! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  15. Samantha says

    October 13, 2017 at 1:23 pm

    very cute~ are you limited in size? the press part doesn’t look very big

    Reply
    • Randi Dukes says

      October 14, 2017 at 6:25 am

      It has a 9×9 base which is big enough for most images on shirts, etc. If you’re doing something really large, you just press it in sections.

      Reply

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Welcome to Dukes & Duchesses!

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I’m Randi, a mom of five living in Dallas. I love strong coffee, long lists, bright colors, thrift stores, repurposed junk, and power tools.

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