How to Decorate a Polyester Mesh Jersey
Whether you’re dunking shots or drinking them, this mesh jersey can be your go-to top with just a few things:
Supplies
- Siser® Glitter HTV (I used Rainbow White and Old Gold)
- Cutter (like the Silhouette Cameo)
- EasyWeeder®
- Mesh Jersey (mine is 100% polyester)
- Home Iron or Cricut EasyPress
- Heat Transfer Cover Sheet or Parchment Paper
- Heat Transfer Pillow
Designing a Knockout File in Silhouette Studio
When making a cut file, you want to keep the heat transfer vinyl you’re using in mind. Siser Glitter can’t be layered directly on top of each other, so you’ll need to create a knockout which allows each color to be applied directly on the fabric. A little Glitter on Glitter overlap is okay, but the majority should touch the fabric. Knockouts can be made using the Offset and Modify windows in Silhouette Studio.
Cutting Siser Glitter HTV
Don’t forget to make sure your graphics look backwards before cutting. Use “Mirror” or “Flip Horizontal” to get graphics like the ones shown above.
If your design is longer than the 12″ mat like mine, switch the mat settings in Studio to the 12×24″ cutting mat.
When you’re ready to load your mat into the Cameo, double check your settings with a test cut. If you’re not sure which settings to try first, check out our suggestions here.
Note: Glitter HTV is cut with the shiny carrier side down.
Weeding Siser Glitter HTV
After cutting each layer, it’s time to get rid of the extra HTV on the carrier. We call this “weeding” and it can be done with just your fingers, but a weeder tool helps. Weeding on top of a warm surface also helps! Did you know if you close your heat press for a few seconds, it heats up the lower platen to make a perfectly warmed surface for easy weeding? The heat slightly activates the carrier so the HTV releases easier and makes weeding effortless.
We call this the heat press trick! But you can DIY it with your home iron and a warmed pressing cloth or your EasyPress and a warm pressing mat.
I’m not going to go over the best way to decorate jerseys with a heat press in this post, but you can watch the process in the following video.
Applying Siser Glitter HTV with a Home Iron
Test Press: Before applying the HTV, I used my second jersey to check the heat sensitivity of the polyester. Sometimes 100% polyester will discolor from high heat and leave a mark that can’t be removed. I didn’t have that issue with these jersey, so I can stick with the standard application settings. If your jersey is heat sensitive, you can still decorate it with the lower heat application method outlined in this post.
Tips for Home Iron Application
- Firm surface (not an ironing board)
- Lift and press in sections (do not slide iron)
- Irons are hotter in the center with cold spots, so be sure to distribute that heat as evenly as possible!
Step 1: Set iron to the “Cotton” setting and let it warm up. When hot, pre-iron the application area for a few seconds.
Step 2: Place heat transfer pillow or cover sheet inside the garment. This blocks the warm adhesive on the vinyl from flowing through the fabric and sealing the 2 sides together.
Step 3: Center you first color and cover with a heat transfer cover sheet.
Step 4: Press iron firmly in sections for 5-10 seconds. (Since we’re layering you don’t need to do a full time press.)
Step 5: Peel Carrier warm
Step 6: Repeat steps 3 and 4 with your second color.
Applying Siser Glitter HTV with a Cricut EasyPress
Step 1: Set the temperature to 355°F. Most Siser HTV can be applied with the EasyPress set to 335°F-340°F, but Glitter does best with a little higher temperature. When the press beeps, it’s reached temperature and you can use it to pre-press the jersey.
Step 2: Place the EasyPress mat inside the garment between the front and back layers.
Step 3: Cover HTV with a heat transfer cover sheet and press firmly for 5-10 seconds. (The larger 12×10 EasyPress 2 enabled me to press in just two sections as opposed to five sections with my small iron.)
Step 4: Peel carrier warm.
Step 5: Repeat steps 3 and 4 with your second color.
Now this mesh jersey looks fabulous from front to back!
