Infusible Ink Coasters with Pens

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When Cricut sent me a box of their new Infusible Ink products I was really excited to try out the transfer sheets on the shirt and tote bag. It was really cool to see how the ink transferred into the fibers of the fabric, rather than sitting on top of it like iron on vinyl does. But as impressive as that was I think it was even cooler when I tried the coasters.

I think it was because it made more sense in my mind how the ink dyed the fabric, but to see the shiny, smooth, white surface of the coaster I couldn't imagine how it would work. Then I pressed the transfer and peeled it up to find the surface just as shiny and smooth, but now with a colored design. It was so neat.

There are 2 types of coaster blanks, round ceramic ones and square ones. I got a package of the square ones in my box. There are 4 coasters in a pack and I wanted to try both the pens and transfer sheets on them so I made 2 of each.

I started with the pen designs. To chose a design I first typed coaster into the search bar and looked through the coaster designs already available. Even though they were pretty much all cut designs I just looked through until I found a couple I thought would work well when changed to draw designs. I wanted something that had quite a bit of detail so I found an Aztec pattern and a flower design and chose those.

Once I changed the design to draw instead of cut it no longer cuts out the square shape so I just made a square the size of the coaster and attached the draw design to the square, that way it cut out the right size as well as drawing the design.

One more tip with the coasters, make sure you pay really close attention to the instructions based on the kind of coaster you are using and whether you are using pens or transfer sheets. The instructions are different for each combination. For example when using the square coasters and pens you put butcher paper down on your mat, then the coaster with the design taped to it, then cover it with cardstock. When using the transfer sheet with the square coaster it is the opposite, you put the cardstock down first, than the coaster with design, and the butcher paper on top.

How to Make Coasters with Infusible Ink Pens

You will need:

• Cricut Maker or Explore
• Light Grip Mat (blue)
• Infusible Ink Pens (I have the Basic Marker set, 1.0)
• Infusible Ink Compatible Coasters (I used the square)
• White Copy Paper
• EasyPress 2 (6"x7" is perfect for coasters)
• EasyPress Mat
• Heat Resistant Tape
• Butcher Paper
• White Cardstock

Instructions:

The first thing you will need to do is decide on a design. I started by looking at the pre-made coaster designs already available in Design Space. Remember that you will only be drawing the outline of the design when deciding which design to choose. I chose a few, put them on my canvas, changed them to draw instead of cut to see if I liked the way they looked. Then I chose a couple that I liked the best and that is what I went with. 

You can get the designs I used HERE

Once you have chosen your design you will want to add a square behind the design to cut it out because you have changed the lines from cut to draw.

To do this you will make a square 3.75" square. Then put it behind your draw design (also sized to 3.75" square), select both and align so they are centered, then attach.

If you are planning on making your coasters different colors make sure to change the colors of each on your canvas. This will tell your Cricut that you want to change the color when drawing. I

Now you are ready to draw and cut the designs. Place the copy paper on the mat (you are supposed to use laser copy paper because it handles higher heat, I used regular copy paper because that it what I had on hand and it seemed to work fine for me, but just know that laser paper is what is recommended). Just like with iron on you will want to make sure to mirror your design, especially if you have words or other directional designs.

Once your design is drawn and cut you are ready to press it onto the coaster.

Preheat your EasyPress 2 to 400 degrees (check here for instructions if using Original EasyPress or ceramic coasters)

Cover your mat with butcher paper to protect the surface. Wipe your tile with a lint free cloth. Place design face down on top of coaster and secure with heat resistant tape. Cover with a clean sheet of white cardstock.

Carefully place the EasyPress on top of the coaster with no added pressure for 60 seconds.

Lift the Press, remove the cardstock. Let the coaster cool, it will be very hot, then carefully remove the paper and see the big reveal.