HTV on Painted Wood
A question I am often asked is, “Can I use HTV on painted wood?” And the answer is yes!
I love making all kinds of wood projects. And Heat Transfer Vinyl is one of my favorite vinyls to use. I have found that a heat set vinyl will often hold better than even a permanent vinyl.
Today we are making a cute little Halloween wood sign. This is a new project I haven't made before. I am working on a care package for a special someone and thought that one of these little DIY signs is a perfect add on to this care package.
One of the first things we need to do is to gather our supplies.
The Supplies
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To make this project, or one similar, you will need the following items:
- Wood surface
- Heat Transfer Vinyl (Glitter HTV would look amazing also)
- E-Cutter (ie, Silhouette Cameo, LOKLiK, Cricut machine)
- Mini Heat Press 3
- Teflon Sheet or a pressing mat
- Paint
- SVG (your design)
- Weeding Tool
The Making
To start your project, you need a piece of unfinished wood and your paint. You can use any kind of paint, my favorites are chalk paint and acrylic paint. But you can also use spray paint, I would stick to a matte finish though.
For mine, I used acrylic paint. This wood block started as a light pink and several coats of white later, it was good to go.
It's best to make sure your paint is completely dry. I used a heat tool on mine, but you can also paint your wood blanks a few days ahead and allow to air dry where that paint has fully set. A heat tool has it dry in a fraction of the time that air drying takes.
Then it's time to pick your design. I used a graphic from Creative Fabrica. This cute little Halloween graphic was perfect for my piece of wood.
Now it's time to cut your HTV. Make sure you mirror image the design before you cut if you're cutting out words, or else your words will be backwards. Also remember with HTV, you put it “shiny side down”. That's how I remember it.
With a regular vinyl, or a permanent adhesive vinyl, you put it on your cutting mat with the vinyl side up, and you only cut through that top layer. Then you use transfer tape to pick up your cut image and then lay it onto your surface. Whereas with HTV, you have a built in carrier sheet, which is your shiny side. We need that carrier sheet face down on your mat so we can cut through the vinyl.
Once you're vinyl is cut, it's time to grab your weeding tool and remove your excess vinyl. To me, it's way easier to weed HTV than regular vinyl. You will remove everything but your design, which will stay attached to the carrier sheet.
Our next step is to place your design in the right place on your wood block. Once you have it lined up the way you want it, it's time to heat set it. While you can use a household iron, I prefer a heat press. With a regular iron, you can't tell what temperature it's set at. And with HTV, you really do want to have it dialed in correctly.
I'm using the new Mini Heat Press 3 from HTVRONT. I used their HTV for this project as well. I love the results I get with their products, and they are products that I recommend.
This Mini Heat Press 3 has a built in timer, so you get your press time just right. Always follow the guidelines for your heat press and your vinyl.
I prefer to use a teflon sheet in between my carrier sheet and my heat press. Some people like to use parchment paper, I've always used a teflon sheet, so I stick with that. (Did you catch that little pun there?)
Set your time and your temperature on your Mini Heat Press 3 and you are ready to go once it's warmed up. I start with a medium pressure, meaning I'm not just setting the heat press on the project, but I'm also not leaning on it and pressing the life out of it.
There are many types of vinyl out there, so make sure that you read the instructions for your vinyl for best results of removing your carrier sheet. For HTVRONT, they suggest a cold peel; meaning that you let your project completely cool off before you attempt to remove your carrier sheet. If this is your first time doing this, you may be very anxious to peel it back and complete your first project. But patience is truly a virtue in this. You don't want to go through all of this work and then ruin it by not waiting a few minutes.
Slowly remove your carrier sheet. If any part of your vinyl starts to pull up, stop peeling right way and lay the carrier sheet back down and re-press it. Allow it to cool again and then try to remove your carrier sheet again.
Once your HTV has successfully been applied to your project, the last step is to decorate! I used a simple black and white checked ribbon tied into a bow to complete mine. But you can do whatever you would like! A lot of it will depend on what type of craft you are making as to how much embellishing you want to do on it.
Now it's time to display or gift your beautiful DIY project!
The Video Tutorial
I made you a quick video tutorial, because I love you! I am a visual learner, and I know so many of you prefer to see it come to life in video.
You can also choose to seal it if you are going to be putting it outside. There are several mediums you can use for this, like Mod Podge or polycrylic sealers.
I did this on a painted wood block, but keep in mind that the possibilities are endless! You can make all kinds of vinyl projects:
- tiered tray decor
- unpainted/untreated wood
- framed fabric project
- different types of wooden surfaces, like wood ornaments
You can use this same exact design on cute tea towels, a t-shirt, a yard flag, fun DIY wood signs, and more! And if you don't want to pay for a graphic service like Creative Fabrica, there are free svg files and free designs out on the internet or even included in the software of your e-cutter.
Thank You
Thank you for stopping by today and catching this fun Halloween project. It's your turn to try HTV on painted wood now that you've discovered how to do it. Until next time, XOXO, Meg
