Cricut’s new Mug Press is all over Pinterest and YouTube. I have seen so many projects using the new Mug Press. I have not purchased one since I have been doing Sublimation on tumblers and mugs using my convection oven. The one thing that I have noticed is that there are lots more Sublimation blanks available since Cricut released their Mug Press. So I thought I would share a project I did this week as part of a gift for a friend. I found Stainless Steel Mason Jar sublimation blanks on Amazon. They are so cute. I could not wait to start designing. So, if you are looking for a way to make a unique gift for a friend? You are in the right spot!
I wanted to put together a Family Fun/Movie Night package for a special gift. So I thought the Stainless Steel Mason Jars would be great drink cups for the gift package. The smallest member of the family is crazy about Dinosaurs. So I thought I would use that as the theme on the mugs.
If you are new to Sublimation, you might want to check out my first post on Sublimation Why You Should Try It, HERE!
*Disclaimer: Links in this post are affiliate links. By clicking on these links, I may earn a small commission at no cost to you. Some products may have been provided to me by vendors. However, all opinions and reviews are strictly my own.
Before we get started on the project, let’s review the supplies you need for Sublimation.
The Printer
The first thing you will need is a printer with sublimation ink. I recently purchased an Epson 7210, and I am using Cosmo Ink. If you are looking for the right printer for you, I have a great post on the research that I did before buying my new printer.
Sublimation Blanks
The sublimation process requires blanks that the sublimation ink will adhere to the blanks. There are numerous sources for sublimation blanks. The Mason Jar Stainless Steel blanks for this project I found on Amazon.
Sublimation Paper
To get the best results with Sublimation, I recommended that you use Sublimation paper. I purchased my paper on Amazon. The link is HERE!
Sublimation Shrink Wrap
To sublimate on the tumblers, you use a shrink wrap on the mason jar sublimation blank and place it in the oven! There are lots of places to purchase Sublimation shrink wrap. I found mine on Amazon.
Design
The sky is just about the limit here when you start to think about your design. Can you put a picture on a stainless steel tumbler? YES? What about an intricate design on a tumbler? YES? Or can you personalize on a stainless steel tumbler, YES? So you decide what you want to do. For this project, I will design in Cricut’s Design Space and use the Flatten feature and then print the design.
So let’s get started! You can either watch the step-by-step video tutorial below or scroll down to the step-by-step tutorial.
Step #1 The Design for your Stainless Steel Mason Jar
Pick your design. I am going for a family of Dinosaurs for my design.
Step #2 Print
Determine the size of the design and print the design on the sublimation paper using your sublimation printer.
Step #3 Place Design
Cut out design and affix to tumbler using heat tape.
Step #4 Shrink Wrap Your Stainless Steel Mason Jar
Now it is time to insert the tumbler into the shrink wrap. Once the tumbler is in the shrink wrap, you use a heat gun to shrink the wrap around the tumbler.
Step #5 Bake Your Stainless Steel Mason Jar
Now it is time to place your Mason Jar in the oven! Place in oven for 6 minutes at 360°. Remove from oven and remove shrink wrap and image from the tumbler.
There you have it, a customized Stainless Steel Mason Jar. The other significant point to using the shrink wrap is that you can do multiple tumblers at a time! Just think about how many you can make! It is not recommended that you use your regular oven to make the sublimation tumblers. I purchased a small convection oven that I have in my garage for my Sublimation!
So what do you think! Will you try it? I hope so! Just think of ideas for gifts. Graduation is right around the corner, and so is Father’s Day. So many possibilities.
Here is the Family Fun/Movie night-themed gift topped off with these cute Dinasaur Mason Jars.
Check out my Fun Stuff Crafts Amazon Store Front, where I list all my favorite crafting and sewing tools. Please check it out HERE!
