DIY Cactus Shoes Made with the Cricut EasyPress Mini

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If you love the cactus trend as much as I do, you have to check out this fun idea: DIY cactus shoes made with the Cricut EasyPress Mini! I’m so excited about the newest addition to the Cricut EasyPress family and I can’t wait to show you what a crafting game changer it is!

Beyond being the cutest little tool ever {wink}, it’s also so incredibly useful.

Cricut EasyPress Mini

For a long time, I’ve wanted to add iron-on to items like shoes and hats, items that have small areas to embellish, but there’s no good way to do it with the other, bigger EasyPress machines. The Cricut EasyPress Mini has made it possible and even simple! It fits easily into tight and hard-to-reach spaces, making it easy to customize shoes, hats, pockets, sleeves, and other unique items. You can even use it on stuffed animals!

And for those that sew, this little machine is ideal for pressing seams open and applying appliques. Because of its small size, it can fit neatly next to the sewing machine, making it convenient and practical.

Ready to see how it works?

How to Make DIY Cactus Shoes

To make DIY cactus shoes, you’ll need a pair of plain white runners {I just hit up a local big box store for a cheap pair}, the Cricut EasyPress Mini, and iron-on in the colors of your choice.

Rather than using the Cricut Maker for this project, I used the Cricut Explore Air 2. It’s such a great machine and cuts iron-on flawlessly. I get so used to using the Maker that I forget how versatile the Explore Air 2 is as well.

Create the cactus design in Cricut Design Space. I used ready-made images {there are so many great cactus images available}, duplicated the different cacti shapes and sized them to fit the shoe. I made some of the cacti 1 inch high and some 1.5 inches high.

When cutting iron-on or heat transfer, don’t forget to mirror the image before cutting. Place the iron-on vinyl on a green standard grip cutting mat, shiny side down, and follow the machine’s instructions.

Once cut out, use weeding tools to remove the excess iron-on so the design is ready to place on the shoes.

How to Use the Cricut EasyPress Mini

The Cricut EasyPress Mini offers the same benefits and technology as the Cricut EasyPress 2. It has an even heat plate and easy-to-use dry heat settings for effortless heat transfers. It also has an automatic shut-off feature so you don’t have to worry about accidentally leaving it plugged in if you run out mid-crafting session.

Unlike the other EasyPress machines, you don’t set the Mini to a specific temperature. It has three settings {low, medium, and high} and you choose the setting you need based on the project you’re creating.

I used the second setting for this standard heat transfer project.

You let the Mini preheat just like you would with the larger EasyPress machines and then it’s ready to use!

Before placing the cactus images onto the shoes, lay them out to get a general idea of placement.

Stuff a sock into the toe of the shoe to provide a firm surface. I also placed my hand inside, under the sock, but be careful not to burn yourself.

Once ready, place the image on the shoe and use the Cricut EasyPress Mini to adhere the iron-on. With the Mini, you move it continuously over the iron-on during the transfer process rather than pressing down in one place. This helps avoid press marks on the blank.

There’s no timer button so you’ll have to use a separate timer. I won’t lie, I just went for it without timing anything. It’s easy to tell when the image has fully adhered.

Once the image is in place, let it cool then peel the backing off and continue until all the cactus images are placed on the shoe.

When applying the images, be careful not to run the Mini over the sides of the sole. The plastic or rubber will melt with the heat. I did brush up against the sole a few times and just wiped the plate of the Mini off on a rag to remove the residue.