Funny “School is Important. Disney is Importanter.” T-Shirt DIY

Time needed: 30 minutes

DIY this funny “School is Important. Disney is Importanter.” T-shirt to commemorate your next Disney park trip.

1. Design The Cut File

   Click over to use the cut file that I created and uploaded into Cricut Design Space (adjust the font, size, alignment, etc. as needed to fit the size of your T-shirt).
   

2. Make The Cuts

   Click the green “Make It” button in the upper right corner. This will send all the layers of your text to the mat. Next, under “Material Size”, select “12 x 12 in.”.
   
   Then, select the “Mirror” option (this cuts out the text backwards – which then gets applied to your T-shirt with the text reading the standard way). Now, click the green “Continue” button on the bottom right.
   
   Big Fat Tip: You will need to click the “Edit” link on each mat and select the “Mirror” option EVERY SINGLE TIME, for every single mat.
   

3. Prep and Load Your Mat For Cutting

   Take the protective film off the 12″x12″ Standard Cutting Mat and adhere a piece of the black every day iron-on on it (apply the iron-on FACE DOWN so the clear liner is against the mat). Be sure to brayer it or press it down all over to make it stick completely.
   
   Next, select the green “Browse All Materials” link option from the “Select Material” option. Select “Iron-on” and click the green “Done” button. Then, be sure to load your fine tip blade securely into the slot on the right in your Cricut Maker.
   
   Now, use the arrows button on your Cricut Maker to gently load the mat. Once the loaded, the “Cricut” button on your Cricut Maker will blink – push it to begin cutting.

4. Weeding Your Phrase

   Once the Cricut Maker is finished cutting, click the arrow button on the machine to unload the mat. Carefully peel the iron-on from the mat (this is easily done by peeling the MAT from the material [instead of the material from the mat]).
   
   Be sure to keep the iron-on on the clear plastic liner – your phrase will appear backwards). If needed, use a BrightPad to see the cut lines for easier removal.
   
   Use a weeding tool to remove all the negative space material (everything you DO NOT want to appear on the T-shirt design).
   

5. Adding The Basic Iron-On Design To The T-Shirt

   Place your cut and weeded basic graphic on your tee (remember that since you had it cut out as a mirror image, that it will now be placed on the T-shirt with the graphic the right way and the clear plastic liner facing up).
   
   Use the 9″x9″ EasyPress 2 (with a 12″x12″ EasyPress Mat between the T-shirt layers) to gently press transfer the graphic on to the T-shirt.
   
   The settings for the Basic Everyday Iron-on on the 9″x9″ EasyPress 2 are:
   
   Set the EasyPress 2 for 315 degrees F.
   
   Preheat the area where your graphic will be going for 5 seconds with the EasyPress 2.
   
   Press for 30 seconds on the front of the T-shirt and then, turn the T-shirt inside out, and press for 15 seconds using medium pressure both times.
   
   Peel off the clear liner once it's warm to the touch.
   
   Big Fat Tip: Hang on to the liner – you'll need it for the next step.

6. Adding The Different Colors of Everyday Iron-On Design To The T-Shirt

   Now, you'll be adding your different color letters on top of the already adhered black letters. This will take some extra (and tedious) work but is totally worth it in the end.
   
   First, take your first color and use scissors to trim between the two letters. The Maker will have cut two “I”s next to each other but you need them to appear on separate layers so cut between them to make two separate pieces.
   
   Repeat for every letter set.
   
   Place your cut and weeded color letters on your tee (remember that since you had it cut out as a mirror image, that it will now be placed on the T-shirt with the graphic the right way and the clear plastic liner facing up).
   
   Big Fat Tip: If you're using my original file with no edits then the color letters are intended to layer on top of the black letters with the tiniest sliver of black showing.
   
   Use the leftover liner pieces from the previous step to cover up the rest of the already ironed on design. This will protect it from direct heat.
   
   Use the 9″x9″ EasyPress 2 (with a 12″x12″ EasyPress Mat between the T-shirt layers) to gently press transfer the graphic on to the T-shirt.
   
   The settings for the Colorful Everyday Iron-on on the 9″x9″ EasyPress 2 is:
   
   Set the EasyPress 2 for 315 degrees F.
   
   Preheat the area where your graphic will be going for 5 seconds with the EasyPress 2.
   
   Press for 30 seconds on the front of the T-shirt and then, turn the T-shirt inside out, and press for 15 seconds using medium pressure both times.
   
   Peel off the clear liner once it's cold to the touch. I repeat, DO NOT PEEL THE LINER OFF UNTIL IT IS COLD TO THE TOUCH. Otherwise, you'll peel the entire design off.