Can you use infusible ink on a tumbler? How does it work?
If you like taking drinks with you on the go, then you probably love using tumblers. They are great for keeping your drink warm or cold, depending on what temperature the drink is when you put it in your cup.
But, most store-bought tumblers are kind of boring. How do we make our tumblers more fun and flashy with infusible ink?
Crafters, today I am going to show you how!
The secret to making these adorable tumblers is the material you use, Infusible ink transfer sheets, and a tumbler heat press. With just these 2 supplies, you can make the most bright and vibrant tumblers.
I like to have different styles to switch up every day. These also make really great gifts for family and friends.
Does Cricut infusible ink work on metal?
Yes, it does! I used stainless steel sublimation tumblers for this project. You just need to make sure you have the right supplies and tools.
What do I need to use infusible ink on a tumbler?
I used the
- Cricut Infusible Ink
- Kasyu Infusible Ink
These worked really well and the colors turned out nice and bright.
Plus, you will need some tumblers to practice on! For this project, I used:
- 20 Ounce Stainless Steel Skinny Tumbler
- 20 Ounce Holographic Stainless Steel Skinny Tumbler
- 30 Ounce Skinny Tumbler
- Frosted Beer Can Glass
To get different effects with your infusible ink, try using tumblers with different finishes.
- White Finish Sublimation Tumbler
- White Holographic Tumbler For Sublimation
- Holographic Sublimation Tumbler
- Stainless Steel
- Glow In The Dark
- Glitter Sublimation Tumbler
You can see that my rainbow tumbler has a sort of reflective finish, and that is because I used a holographic stainless steel tumbler.
I wouldn’t recommend using tapered tumblers as it will be very hard to get the design to be consistent around the entire tumbler. Try to find tumblers with straight walls.
How To Make Adorable Tumblers With Infusible Ink
I actually created a YouTube video of me making these skinny tumblers with infusible ink. If you prefer to watch the video, you can do that here.
The first thing you will need to do is cut the design out of your transfer paper. I did this with Cricut Design Space and my Cricut machine, but you can also use a Silhouette.
Once cut it out, you can weed out anything in the design that doesn’t need to be there. On my designs, I added names.
Before you attach the designs to your blank tumblers, I recommend removing any dust with pure acetone. You can also use a lint roller, but I think the acetone works much better.
Then you will want to wrap the infusible ink transfer sheet around your tumbler. To make sure the paper is wrapped tightly around the tumbler, I used heat-resistant tape to hold down the edges and any loose bits where I have words and names cut out. This will help avoid the ink ghosting.
Can You Use Infusible Ink On A Tumbler?
I also wrapped one of my test tumblers with butcher paper, but this step is optional. If you do try this, make sure your edges are flattened with the same heat-resistant tape.
Once you’ve wrapped the tumbler, you can go ahead and put it into your heat press. Make sure you’ve adjusted it to fit the diameter of the tumbler you are using. Otherwise, you will end up with ghosting and additional lines that you don’t want.
I pressed at 380F for 60 seconds and then turned if I needed to and did another 60 seconds.
When removing the tumbler from your heat press, make sure you are wearing heat-resistant gloves so that you don’t burn your hands, and make sure you give the tumbler time to cool down before you start peeling off the paper. You don’t want to burn yourself or anything while doing this DIY project.
When you are done, you might see a seam along the back of your tumbler if your design does not line up properly. On most of the tumblers, it wasn’t too noticeable though.
For the last step, add your lid, and a metal straw if you use one, and that’s it. You’re done!
Can you use infusible ink on a regular ceramic mug?
Yes, you can. But for this kind of craft, I would recommend using a mug press, like the Cricut mug press. This heat press has been designed for the shape of a mug including the handle.
If you would like to compare mug presses to get the best one, you can find my Mug Press comparison here.
The tumbler heat press has only been designed for tall, cylinder containers.
What else can I use if I don’t have a tumbler heat press?
It is possible to use a convection oven or Air Fryer instead if you don’t have a tumbler heat press. You can learn how to do that by going to this blog post from Hey Let’s Make Stuff.
I wouldn’t recommend using a heat gun as the heat applied would be inconsistent. You are much better off using a convection oven or toaster oven instead.
Are these tumblers dishwasher safe?
To keep your tumbler looking high quality and new, I recommend only washing these on the top rack of your dishwasher or simply hand washing them with warm, soapy water.
I hope that this blog post has been helpful to you! Happy crafting!
