My DIY Sublimation Fail (But We’re Not Giving Up Yet!)
Last week, husband and I made a little Hobby Lobby run and came home with some canvas bags. Cute, right? Now, you might remember in an earlier post how I said I decided not to get a Cricut because I hate the weeding part. It’s tedious, it’s time-consuming, and honestly? It just sucks the joy out of crafting for me.
But here’s the thing—I still really wanted to decorate those canvas bags. Enter: sublimation. Except, tiny issue—canvas is cotton. Sublimation loves polyester, not cotton. So naturally, I dove into TikTok and ChatGPT research land. TikTok said, “Use polycrylic spray—it’ll make the sublimation stick and look vibrant.” ChatGPT said, “Do a 1:1 mix.” TikTok said, “Nah, do 8 ounces of water to 1 ounce of polycrylic.” Guess who I trusted? TikTok.
So off I went to Walmart, grabbed the polycrylic (basically looks like clear paint in a can), mixed it up in a spray bottle, and went to work. I sprayed both sides of the bags and left them outside to dry in the sun for a full 24 hours. They came out stiff—like, stiff-stiff—which I thought was a good sign.
The bag I was most excited about had eight little pockets—three on each side, plus one on each end. I had visions of making the cutest, most functional little sublimated tote for my bow planner that husband got me. I was hyped.
And then…the Cricut EasyPress let me down. Big time. The design didn’t stick. There were wrinkles. The image looked faded. Basically, it was giving “thrift store reject” instead of “Pinterest-worthy tote.” I even tried the other side just to see if I could rescue it, but nope. Trash. Whole project gone.
But listen—I don’t think it’s over yet. I think the real culprit here was the EasyPress. It just doesn’t have the pressure I need. Next week, I’m pulling out the real heat press—the big one that actually clamps down. The bags are already sprayed and dried, so experiment number two is happening. Fingers crossed this one doesn’t end in the garbage can.
Because if it works? I’ll have the cutest, most organized little bag for my planner. And if it doesn’t? Well…at least you’ll get another chaotic crafting story out of me.
📌 Perfect For:
- Anyone wanting to save more and spend smarter
- Tracking household expenses, small business finances, or personal budgets
- Building a stress-free money management routine
Polycrylic Recipe:
24 oz Luke Warm Water
4oz Polycrylic Gloss
Mixed in a Spray Bottle
