Screen Printing with Vinyl: Valentine’s Tic-Tac-Toe Bags

Jan 22, 2020 | Cricut Projects, Project Ideas, Screen Printing, Valentines, Vinyl Projects


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valentine class gift idea diy

If you are looking for a DIY Valentine's treat that isn't candy, these tic-tac-toe bags make great party favors!  Plus, they are really easy to make in bulk using your Cricut or Silhouette.  With one small piece of vinyl, I made 4 bags during this tutorial.  The vinyl holds up nicely if you wanted to make 10, 20, or 50 of these!  Making a whole class set of these could be done quickly (and cheap!).

You can use any small objects (or even Hershey Kisses) as your game pieces. I found these plastic hearts at the Dollar Tree. When you are done playing, the bag holds all of your game pieces!  I keep a bag of these in my purse to play with my kids when we are waiting at the doctor's office.

screen printing project idea valentines

Supplies Needed for this Project

how to screen print vinyl cricut silhouette

How to Screen Print Muslin Bags using Your Cricut or Silhouette

If you are new to screen printing with vinyl, my ebook explains each of the steps in detail.  “A Complete Guide to Screen Printing with Craft Vinyl” is available in my shop.  Once you understand the process, you can screen print on a variety of items!

Screen printing on small jewelry bags is the same process I use for screen printing t-shirts.  The only difference is, I use the Speedball 10×14 hinge frame.  The hinge frame is perfect for any flat items. I also use it for screen printing napkins, koozies, and paper cards. The benefit of the hinge frame when screen printing multiple items is the ease of lining up the design.

After applying the adhesive vinyl to the screen (but before adding the painter's tape), I line up the bags under the frame.  Once it is lined up perfectly, I trace the outline of the item on paper that is taped to the base.  This creates a template that I can use to line up each of the bags during the screen printing process.

Now you are ready to screen print!  Squeegee the ink over your design.  Lift the screen to reveal your screen printed bags!  Repeat the process as many times as needed.  You'll want to work relatively quickly so the ink doesn't dry in your screen.

cricut silhouette valentine project diy screen printing

Tips for Using the Hinge Frame for Screen Printing

  • Align your item under the screen before putting the painter's tape around the edges.  This will allow you to see through the screen and more accurately align the design.
  • Use a piece of paper taped to the board to trace an outline of your item once it is aligned.  You'll use this outline to accurately line up your next bags, making the screen printing process go very quickly.
  • Tape your bags to the paper.  This will keep your bags from moving around.  If you miss a spot with the ink (like I did in this video), you'll be able to lower the screen and add more ink.
  • Don't forget to heat set your fabric ink. Even though I don't plan to wash these bags, if they were to get wet, the ink would start to come off.  Here are more tips on heat setting the fabric ink.

Watch the Process in Action

1 Comment

  1. Nice article! Thanks for sharing this post with us. I really enjoyed reading this post and very helpful for me.

    Reply

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I’m Jennifer, your go-to for all things vinyl screen printing. I offer both in-person and online classes to help you craft better quality shirts. This blog is full of screen printing inspiration to get your creative juices flowing. Roll up your sleeves and get ready to learn all about screen printing with vinyl!

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