DIY Tote Bag with Siser^® HTV- Available at Michaels Craft Stores!

So you’ve been busting out custom products like nobodies business, and you can see the light at the end of the orders when, uh-oh, you’re out of black HTV. Maybe your authorized distributor isn’t a convenient drive or you don’t have time to wait for shipping. Now you can pull back the panic when you’re in a pinch by visiting your Michaels craft store!

That’s right, all Michaels stores (this means you too, Canada!) now carry a variety of Siser HTV in select colors. The rolls are 11.8″ wide so they fit onto your cutting mat perfectly without any trimming! Each roll comes with not just 1, not 2, but 3 feet of material. That’s 1 yard filled with endless possibilities!

One possibility is this peachy keen tote bag. Simply download the .jpeg or .svg and follow along with this post to make your own.

Step 1: Cut HTV

When you have the cut file open in your editing software, mirror the image. For the Cricut, you can do this step in Design Space by selecting Flip Horizontally or you can select Mirror Image for Iron On on the cutting screen.

Place the HTV glossy side down, so the duller side is exposed for cutting. Then load the mat, select the flashing button on the machine, and watch the magic happen!

Thin HTV can be cut on the Iron-On setting. Thicker HTV, like Glitter and Holographic need the Iron-On+ setting. But how do you know those settings are ideal for your blade? Check out this post for tips on identifying good cut settings.

Step 2: Weed HTV

After the heat transfer vinyl is cut, trim the cut piece from the remaining sheet of HTV. Then weed away the extra material inside and outside the objects (still on the dull side of the material.) If you don’t have a Siser Weeder you can use an exacto knife or straight pin.

Step 3: Heat Apply HTV

While we absolutely recommend investing in a heat press if you’re selling your items, an iron will get the job done when you’re crafting for personal use. Put it on the cotton setting and let it get nice and hot. Turn the steam setting off and find a solid heat proof surface (ironing board not recommended) to work on.

Pre-iron the area before applying HTV to remove any wrinkles or lingering moisture in the fabric. Now you can begin applying the transfers. Start from the bottom most layer up: the outer circle and body of the peach.

Coral EasyWeed on the bottom, then Cherry EasyWeed Electric, and finally a heat transfer cover sheet.

A heat transfer cover sheet, parchment paper, or pressing cloth is a necessary barrier between the iron and HTV, so make sure to lay one down before pressing. Instead of sliding your iron like you’re used to, try to mimic a heat press by lifting and pressing firmly in sections until you can peel the clear carrier without lifting any HTV. This takes about 10-20 seconds per section.

Continue layering the peach pieces using the same application steps outlined above.

When you get to the words, be mindful of the carriers. Say the Holographic HTV overlapped EasyWeed Foil’s carrier sheet for example. During ironing, the HTV would adhere to the other carrier and not to the cotton tote bag like we want. So just be careful to cut the carriers closely and double check them before pressing!

Continue pumping that iron until you can cleanly remove all the carriers. Glitter, Holographic, and EasyWeed Foil do best when the carriers have been left to cool slightly before peeling.

Now your tote bag is ready to be filled with other crafting goodies from Michaels!

Care for your HTV crafts by waiting 24 hours before the first wash. Machine wash warm/cold with mild detergent (no bleach or fabric softeners) and dry on normal setting. If you use an iron for all your crafts, you can’t guarantee proper pressure so peeling may occur. No worries though, the adhesive is still on the back of the HTV, so simply place a cover sheet over the area and iron for 5-10 seconds to re-adhere it.

So what are you waiting for? Get yourself some Siser HTV and get crafting!

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