How to Decorate Neoprene with EasyWeed™ HTV & a Heat Press or Home Iron

While neoprene is water resistant it’s quite willing to take on Siser heat transfer vinyl. Which is great because there are some awesome neoprene blanks available for HTV businesses. Such as: drink coolers and koozies, popsicle sleeves, tablet cases, and many more! The best thing about neoprene though, is you can apply it with a heat press or home iron, so everyone is in on the fun.  Speaking of fun, this neoprene camera strap quickly transformed from bland to bold in the best way (and in only a few minutes!)

So round up your Supplies for a Custom Neoprene Camera Strap and let’s get started!

• EasyWeed heat transfer vinyl
• Neoprene camera strap
• Craft cutter like the Brother Scan N Cut
• Weeder and Scissors
• Heat Transfer Cover Sheet
• Heat Press or Home Iron

Now that you have everything you need, it’s time to cut your design from the HTV. It could be an object, the owner’s name and contact info, or even a phrase or word like I chose to do. To create my script design in Scan N Cut Canvas I had to use the Scan N Cut Type Converter. Previously, you were limited to Scan N Cut’s pre-loaded fonts, but now you’re able to access and use ALL the fonts on your computer with the help of the Type Converter.

*If you’re not a Scan N Cut user, you can skip this next section ;) Cricut user tips can be found here. And Silhouette user tips are here.

How to Use Scan N Cut Type Converter

The Type Converter is not built into Scan N Cut Canvas, so it requires a few extra steps. But they’re worth it to be able to use your whole arsenal of fonts. This video shows how to install the type converter on your computer. Once installed, open the program and type in your word or phrase in the dialogue box. You can then select the font, appearance style (bold, italic, etc), and size. When you think you’re satisfied, select Preview in the bottom right corner and another dialogue box will appear to show you what the text will look like once uploaded to Scan N Cut Canvas (photo 1.) You’ll notice the letters in the script font are still individual and are not one smooth cut line (photo 2.) This can be edited once uploaded, so I clicked Save. The file will be a .fcm and is only compatible with the Scan N Cut, but that makes it super simple to upload. Simply select the SVG Upload icon, select the .fcm file you just created and voilá! Smile appears in Scan N Cut Canvas (photo 3.)

Ok, so now to turn all those letters into a continuous line for cutting. When the file is first brought into Canvas, the cavities (the little bits in the s, l, and e) are grouped with their respective letters. If you weld everything at this point you’ll lose your cavities. To remedy this, select the entire design and choose Ungroup. Now you can separate the letters from the cavities and only Weld the script letters. When you’re done, realign the cavities in the letters and Group everything.

Now the text is almost ready to be sent to the Scan N Cut! The final step is to mirror the image or flip horizontally. If you need to know how to transfer a cut file to the Scan N Cut click here. For tips on getting your best cut click here, and don’t forget our recommended cut settings for each HTV can be found on the Siser website and App.

After the Scan N Cut does it’s work, unload the cutting mat and trim closely around the design to waste as little HTV possible. Next, weed away the outer and inner excess using a Weeder.  When all that remains on the clear carrier is the design you want to transfer then it’s time to bring on the heat!

How to Iron On EasyWeed to Neoprene

Place the EasyWeed on the neoprene so that you can see the color and the word is right facing. The sticky part of the clear carrier should be touching the fabric while the smooth side is face up.

Place a heat transfer cover sheet on top of the HTV as a protective barrier and press firmly with the iron (on the Cotton setting) for 10-15 seconds. You may notice an odd smell while you’re pressing. Don’t panic! Neoprene gives off a bit of a funk during heat application, but it’s nothing to worry about.

Peel the carrier hot, and now you have decorated neoprene!

Can you see the shiny clear adhesive peeking out from the s? This can happen if the iron is shifted during the pressing process. That’s why it’s best to lift and press the iron instead of sliding.

How to Heat Press EasyWeed to Neoprene

Ensure any unnecessary bulk (like the buckles on this strap) is off the lower platen before pressing. With your heat press set to 305°F, cover the HTV with a heat transfer cover sheet, and close the press for 15 seconds. You may need to adjust your pressure so that the upper platen locks down firmly on the thick neoprene.

After pressing, peel the carrier sheet hot and admire the adhesive streak-free handiwork of the heat press!

Can you guess which one was done with the iron? It’s hard to spot the difference from a distance!

If this post made you smile be sure to pin it for future reference!