Getting to Know My Cricut MiniPress

I always kinda treat myself at Christmas and this year was no excepting! Adding to my Cricut collection, I got an MiniPress. To be honest, i was a little skeptical about it when I opened it. This this is really small! Then I started thinking about all the things that I could do with it. So come along as I’m getting to know my Cricut MiniPress!

I know Christmas is past for this year, but I have elves I didn’t get done in time and I so want to play with the Mini! I got my design from Jennifer Maker my idol!

After my designs were made, I cut them out on my Cricut Maker. Don’t forget that iron on goes shiny side down and always mirror your images.

Now the fun part! Plug that Mini in and let it heat up. This little thing is fantastic for the small designs. Just let it heat up and hold it on the iron on vinyl for the length of time suggested at Cricut Heat Guide. My guys turned out so cute. My husband even said so!

I know that permanent vinyl doesn’t always stay on a coffee cup if you put it in the dishwasher. Hand washing is a better option to keep the vinyl in place. I did some research to find a way to make it dishwasher safe and this is what I’ve come up with finally.

Believe it or not, glitter iron on will stand up to the dishwasher. I still prefer to hand wash my cup just because it’s my favorite and I use it every day.

As with all iron on, mirror your image before cutting it out of the vinyl with the shiny side down on the mat.

Wipe your cup with some rubbing alcohol to remove dirt and oils for a better adhesion of the vinyl. Place the design on the cup and start pressing the MiniPress on it set on the hottest setting. Take your time with this step. I put my cup on a towel to hold it still while I used the MiniPress. The cup will get very hot so be careful not to burn yourself or anything else around you. I would count to 30 in my head then move the mini press to another section and do that again until the entire design had been heated.

Since glitter is a warm peel, begin slowly peeling the backing off. If you find a spot that isn’t sticking simply lay the backing down and press that spot again. Continue slowly until the entire backing is removed.

When I posted photos of my cups, some of the ladies didn’t realize you could press HTV onto glass and asked for a video. Well, it’s certainly not professional, but does show the process if you want to check out my very first YouTube

DIY Glitter HTV on a Mug with the Cricut MiniPress

(Please be kind, they will get better I promise!)

After using this great, little MiniPress, I knew I’d be using it when I sew. It’s perfect to press small seams.

And the last thing I tried was pressing HTV on wood. I like to make little bowl fillers. I usually just use permanent vinyl for these. Valentines Day is obviously coming up soon as I’m writing this!

Super simple to do, always remember to mirror iron on, cut and weed your design then place it and press it. With the MiniPress set on high, go slow and be sure to press all of the design. Warm peel slowly making sure the design is stuck well to the wood. I did a second video that is a little better presented.

So I’m sure that this little beauty is going to get a lot of use. It’s been a blast getting to know my Cricut MiniPress! I’m glad that I decided to get the thing after being a little apprehensive if I would use it. I certainly would recommend it to a Cricut seamstress as well as all non sewers. It will be a great addition to your craft area! Are you going to get one? What are you going to make? I would love to see some photos of your projects or put your thoughts down in the comments.