-This post sponsored by JOANN, all ideas and opinions are my own. This post may contain affiliate links.-

I recently got a Cricut Mug Press and have been testing it out so that I could share a tutorial here with everything you need to know to get started. I have been seeing the mugs people have been sharing on Instagram and was excited to try it out for myself, and I was not disappointed. They turned out so cool!

Making these mugs gave me so many ideas for future projects that I can't wait to try, personalized mugs, gift ideas, new designs, and more.

For the mugs I will be sharing in this post I chose to cut designs out of Infusible Ink transfer sheets, but you can also make designs with Infusible Ink pens, or even combine the two for something different.

How to Use the Cricut Mug Press

You will need:

Cricut Mug Press
Cricut Cutting Machine (Maker, Explore, or Joy)
Cricut Mugs in 12 or 15 oz (or any sublimation mugs that are 11-16 oz)
Infusible Ink transfer sheets
lint roller and alcohol wipes
heat resistant tape (optional)

Instructions:

If this is the first time you are using your Mug Press the first thing that you need to do is activate it and register it to your account. To do this you will use the USB cord that came in the box to plug it into your computer, if you are like me and have a computer that doesn't have a regular USB port you will need an adapter so that you can plug it into your computer. Go to Cricut.com/register your Press. It will take you to a site to either download or open Design Space. Click open, unless you need to download it, then do that. That will take you to a screen to set up your machine and it will give the choice of cutting machine or heat press. Click heat press, then choose mug press and follow the prompts on your screen.

Once you have that taken care of you are ready to get started making your mugs. First you will need to decide on your design. You have several options here. There are lots of pre-made designs in Design Space ready to use. This is what I chose to do with these mugs that I made. There are also some designs that are ready to be customized, so the basic design is ready to go but you can add your own initials or words to complete the design. Then there is also the option to start from scratch and create your own design.

When choosing from the designs in Design Space be sure to pay attention to the size of your mug and the size of the design. There are small and large options in each of the ready made designs so that they will fit either the 12 oz or 15 oz size.

The designs I used were:

Small Painted Stripes Mug Design
Small Tentacles Mug Design
Large Painted Dots Mug Design
Large Night Time Forest Mug Design

Cut the designs out of Infusible Ink transfer sheets. Make sure you mirror your designs, especially if you choose a designs with words or directional elements (it wouldn't make a huge difference on any of the designs I made, but it is good practice to do it every time so you are less likely to forget when it does matter). Weed your designs.

Turn on your mug press so that it can begin heating up, the light will be red when it turns on and green when it is ready.

Prep your mug by cleaning it with an alcohol wipe and then going over it with a lint roller.

Wrap the design around the mug. Use heat resistant tape if you need it. I found that I was okay without it because the transfer sheet suck down enough.

When the press is heated and ready place the mug into the mug press with the mug press lever lifted up. Once the mug is in place press the lever down and let the mug press do its thing. There are little progress lights next to the power button so you can see how close it is to getting done.

When it is ready the progress lights will be full and it will beep. When that happens just lift the lever, remove the mug by the handle, and set it on an EasyPress mat or other heat resistant surface to cool. Peel off the transfer sheet to reveal your design.