Crafting on a Budget

However, if you find that your transfer becomes dull after using this method, then try doing these things,

Six months ago, sublimation was all the craze.  Once people found out you could convert an Epson ecotank printer into a sublimation printer, you couldn't get your hands on one.  I know, I was part of the craze!  But what about sublimation now?  How do I feel about it?  I'm not going to lie, it isn't one of my favorite things.  Why?  Limitations.  The only sure way to get an excellent result is if you are sublimating on white 100% polyester.  Hey, guess what?  Not everyone is a fan of polyester.  And finding white polyester shirts has become as difficult as finding an Epson printer.  But you can sublimate on other things.  Mugs, tumblers, glitter vinyl and special heat transfer papers made for sublimation.  But buyer beware, there have been many reports of people getting mugs and tumblers on Amazon, that were not for sublimation.  To sublimate on any surface, there needs to be a poly coat applied to it first.  So the mugs you can buy at the hobby stores, next to the mug press by a company in Utah, have been specially treated to accept the sublimation ink, when heated to the correct temperature, under the correct pressure.  

Of course there are many companies that have blank substrates, like keychains, koozies, shot glasses, yard flags and even graduation stoles.  You can also buy phone cases and lighters to sublimate.  But that might not be an affordable option if you're trying to sell.  Shipping or minimum orders might make the price tag too high.  So what else can a person sublimate on?  A YouTube search will pull up quite a variety of things that people have sublimated and places to find cheap blanks.  One of my favorite stores for all things crafty is the Dollar Tree.  And I happen to be lucky enough to have 6 stores within a very close distance.  

One hack, that I have not tried yet, is to adhere a laminate sheet to a painters canvas, then sublimate on that to create a vibrant portrait or wall art.  This is something I plan on doing in the near future, to test.  I'll be sure to share the results here.  

Over the course of the next few weeks, I'll be looking for more ways to utilize my sublimation printer and to find more crafty ways to create.  Be sure to check back for updates!

Although I've been quiet on here, I have been pretty busy with a few projects.  They range from birthday t-shirts, to Halloween wreaths!  I thought I would take a few minutes to share them with you.


 I spent a day running around to several Dollar Tree stores in my area looking for the sparkle tulle, and the metal wreath rings to make these.  After watching a YouTube tutorial and seeing how easy it was, I wanted to make one for myself.  It's the top picture.  I then made one for my daughter and a son.  I was able to make these for a cost of about $10 each.  And they all have led lights.  It was fun, but very messy.  I have glitter everywhere.  The video is from 2016, and I didn't find the Halloween mesh, so I used the tulle.  I still love the way it turned out.

I have also been designing and making t-shirts for birthdays.  I made one for my grandson's #2, (not pictured) and one for the son of a friend.  The "Cinderella" themed shirt is for my granddaughter.  I will also be making the svgcuts pumpkin carriage for a center piece.  I have made additional shirts for the grand kids, but I don't always think to take a picture before they are "worn away"!

In the mean time my massive paper collection is sitting idle wondering when I will start using it again, while my heat transfer vinyl collection is growing.  But I have my papers picked for the coach and I'll be cutting and gluing it this weekend. 

Thanks for stopping by!

 I've been gearing up for a trip north to be part of the 2017 Solar Eclipse.  We're going to a town that will experience totality.   We have our glasses for viewing and I just had to make the grandkids some shirts!  I had a lot of fun designing them.   The older boys wanted the Star Wars themed shirts.
 These were made with a yellow metallic and black htv.
 This little shirt was made with black and glow in the dark htv.