If you’re searching for DIY shirt ideas or wondering what kinds of shirts you can make with a Cricut machine and heat press, you’re in the right place. Over the past several years, I’ve created dozens of shirts—some for myself (because why not wear your creativity?) and others as custom orders for friends and family.
While this post likely goes against all blogging best practices, if you are new here I tend to do my own thing! In this post, I’m sharing some of my favorite DIY shirts. I’m also sharing tips I’ve learned along the way. I hope they inspire your next project!
As I work on this post I am thinking of all of the shirts in our closet that I don’t have pictures of. Apparently I just snap pictures of the ones leaving. Stay tuned for another post I’ll have to do as I gather pictures of those!
Why I Started Making DIY Shirts
I originally bought my Cricut for scrapbooking, but once I realized how many other things were possible, I was hooked. Pairing it with a heat press gave me professional-looking results that I couldn’t get with a hand held type of press. Suddenly, the possibilities were endless.
Now, I create shirts for:
- Everyday wear
- Gifts
- Small business branding
- Special occasions
- Holidays and family events
- Custom orders from local customers
Matching Shirts
You can have some fun with group and family shirts. Often these are custom requests so the person already has an idea of what they are looking for.
Shirts for Kids
It didn’t take long before people started asking, “Can you make me one?” And just like that, my hobby turned into a small side hustle!
1. Holidays
Any holiday is inspiration to make fun shirts for kids. In the image I’ve got a simple St. Patrick’s Day shirt and a more elaborate Valentines Day shirt made with infusable ink.
2. School
When kids are younger 100 days of school is a big deal. I’ve done several for my own son as well as custom orders.
Baby Onesies
Baby onesies are a fun gift. You can make them for what the parents are into and have fun with it.
- Back the Blue – dad is a police officer.
- Chevelle – dad was restoring a Chevelle.
- Diaper Mifflin Pooper Company – mom is a big Office fan.
- Friends, How You Doin – mom is a big Friends fan.
- IPAlot – dad likes beer (this one is popular).
- Every Party Has A Pooper – Easy to customize colors for if you now the gender or are keeping it neutral
- I have asked you thrice now for milk – mom is a big fan of Shitt’s Creek.
- The Princess has Arrived – cute for a girl.
- Straight Out of Mommy – moms a gangsta rap fan.
Sport related shirts
Tips for Making Cricut Shirts That Last
Want shirts that don’t peel, fade, or crack? Here’s what works for me:
- Wash the blank shirt with no fabric softener and dry in dryer. I know no everyone agrees with this because of potential reactions to the detergent. I’ve ruined shirts because of not doing this first. If the shirt shrinks after you’ve pressed a design onto it the design is now wrinkled and doesn’t look good. Drying it before gets that possible initial shrink out. I use non-toxic detergent so while no guarantees the chances of reactions are lower.
- Always pre-press your shirt for 5 seconds to remove moisture.
- Use high-quality HTV like Siser, Starcraft or specialty glitter vinyl.
- Make sure you know peeling directions – cold peel or warm peel.
- Wash shirts inside out in cold water and hang dry when possible.
- When selling custom shirts, include a small care card!
Final Thoughts: DIY Shirts Are More Than Just Fabric
I love knowing that each shirt starts as a blank canvas. It becomes something special whether I’m making a tee for myself, a custom order for a bride, or a cozy sweatshirt for a small business. I don’t have shirts on my Etsy store because they are all personalized by request and not ‘general’ to batch make and sell. Just contact me if you would like something made.
Creating DIY shirts with a Cricut and heat press isn’t just a craft. It’s a creative outlet, a business opportunity, and a form of self-expression.
Welcoming Sentiments 
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