Cricut Tutorial: DIY Little Mermaid Shirt

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On the hunt for Disneyland Outfits? This DIY Little Mermaid Shirt is a super easy Cricut Tutorial and can be created on both the Cricut Joy and Cricut Explore!

Let’s get something straight right off the bat. I AM NOT CRAFTY. I wish I was. But it is not my gift. So when I attended a fun pop up event that Cricut threw back in LA over the holidays….I wasn’t sure I would REALLY use a machine like the Cricut. Well at the pop up? I got to see a couple demonstrations of simple Cricut projects using the Cricut Air and I was BLOWN AWAY. I could actually DO THAT. So I came home, and I started practicing. And crafting…..who was I? I even created our DIY Minnie Mouse Sweatshirts that we wore on our Disney Creators Trip. Fast forward to a few weeks ago, and Cricut made a HUGE announcement. They were adding a new machine to their offerings……the Cricut Joy. This mini sized machine looked pretty, compact, and was perfect for smaller spaces. And now? It’s even available at Target and Target.com.

We all know I love my Disneyland Outfits. And while we are staying home? I’m dreaming of my favorite place and all the fun clothes I’ll wear there when we can go back. This DIY Little Mermaid Tee? It’s the sentiment we all feel now. Plus, I can’t wait to wear it on the Little Mermaid ride when we’re……where the people are again.

Cricut Tutorial: DIY Little Mermaid Shirt

Cricut Joy

Materials Needed:

Cricut Joy: I love how compact this machine is!

Iron On (pink and green for that mermaid vibe): Since we’re making sweatshirts, Iron On material is a requirement.

Cricut EasyPress: The Easy Press made ALL the difference for this DIY Little Mermaid Shirt. Yes, you can use an iron. But it’s not going to be as even. The press has adjustable, evenly distributed heat. It takes the guesswork out of the ironing on and makes everything look a little more professional.

Essential Tool Kit: This tool kit had all the pieces I needed to weed my design. Weeding? Removing the little pieces that had been cut but needed to be taken out (aka the center of Minnie’s bow). White Tee Shirt: I used a simple white cotton tee shirt.

Directions:

In the Cricut Design Space, select our design to grab the template I created (major shout out to Melody Lane, her mermaid letters tutorial helped me to create this and was SO easy to follow). This will open to the exact design we printed.
You can change the size of each design element if you want to adjust for a kids’ shirt or a smaller option.
Before you move on to the cutting, be SURE to switch the mirror option to ON for EACH section. This makes the design print backwards so that when you transfer it to the fabric, it will be right side up. Trust me, this is an important do not miss it step!
Attach your iron on to the cutting mat, and load with the shiny side down.
You’ll be printing THREE separate components of this design. So three printing processes (reminder to turn mirroring on for EACH one).
Print out each part, and remove extra material. Use your tools to weed, or remove the extra pieces in between parts of the letters or design.
Set your EasyPress to the correct temperature (you can use the heat settings designated in the heat guide) and set up your sweatshirts. I used an EasyPress Mat which helped a ton and set it all up on our dining room table (it felt like the right height to me).
Carefully cut around each SECTION of the design. As you arrange on the shirt, be sure that the clear iron on material doesn’t overlap.
Prep your tee shirt by heating for about 10 seconds, then place the design in your desired location. Apply the EasyPress, set the timer, and remove when it goes off. Afterwards, turn the sweatshirt over, and press the back for about 10-15 seconds. Remove the clear liner.

On the hunt for Disneyland Outfits? This DIY Little Mermaid Shirt is a super easy Cricut Tutorial and can be created on both the Cricut Joy and Cricut Explore!