DIY Halloween Potholder using Sublimation without a Printer | Artesprix Iron-On Ink

Hi everyone! Debbie here from Debbie J’s Crafting Corner, and today I’m getting into the Halloween spirit with a fun new project using Artesprix Iron-On Ink! If you’re like me and love a good seasonal craft, then you’re going to enjoy transforming a simple potholder into a spooky kitchen accessory with some creative stamping and sublimation techniques. Let’s dive in!

What is Artesprix Iron-on-Ink?

Artesprix Iron-on-Ink is a game-changer for crafters. It’s a specialized sublimation ink that allows you to transfer vibrant designs onto compatible surfaces with heat and pressure. Unlike traditional sublimation, which requires expensive printers, Artesprix makes it accessible for all makers. Once your design is transferred, it’s permanently infused, making it durable and long-lasting.

Supplies:

Step-by-Step Tutorial:

Step 1: Trace Your Design Area

First, let’s prepare the paper for our design. Take your potholder blank and place it on a piece of cardstock or plain paper.  You do not need sublimation paper for this. 

Using a pencil, trace around the blank. This helps to ensure that your design will fit perfectly onto the potholder once it’s transferred. Remember, graphite from the pencil won’t transfer during the sublimation process, so don’t worry about it showing up on your final product.

Step 2: Stamp Your Halloween Sentiment

For this project, I’m using a Halloween stamp set from Tim Holtz that I’ve had in my stash for years. The sentiment I chose says, “I’m here for the candy”—perfect for Halloween! But there’s a trick to stamping for sublimation: you need to mirror the image.

I placed the stamp onto a piece of acetate with the image facing up (instead of down).  I placed the Artesprix Mirror stamp onto the MISTI stamp platform lid.  I then inked up the sentiment using Artesprix Ink. 

When I closed the MISTI stamp platform lid, I was able to pick up the ink from the sentiment with the mirror stamp.  

I removed the piece of acetate that has my sentiment stamp on it and closed the platform lid, essentially “stamping” with the mirror stamp onto the cardstock.

Since the only ink that is on the mirror stamp is what was added from the sentiment stamp, this is what transfers.  A mirror image of what we would normally see when using the sentiment stamp.

The reason I recommend using a stamp platform for this is that you will probably NOT get a dark stamping on the first time around.  You’ll need to repeat the process until the final image is dark enough.  And be careful NOT to shift the stamp or you will get a ghost image.

Step 3: Add Some Spooky Background

Now it’s time to get creative with the background. I’m using the bat stencil from the same Tim Holtz set. For the background, I started with some purple Artesprix Ink using both a blending brush and a paper pouncer. The pouncer gives a more intense color, while the brush gave a soft color for the background.

Step 4: Assemble and Tape Your Design

Next, I cut out the sentiment and adhered it to the center of the cardstock with a glue stick. Positioning is key here, so I used a T-square to ensure it was straight. 

Then, I placed the decorated cardstock over the traced area on the potholder (white sublimatable surface touching my design) and secured it with heat-resistant tape.

Be sure to use enough tape to prevent any shifting during the heat press process. Ghosting might be appropriate for a Halloween design, but I want clean, crisp lines for this project!

Step 5: Create Your Sublimation Sandwich

Make a “sublimation sandwich” with protective paper on the bottom, your potholder with the design facing up in the middle, and another layer of protective paper on top. This protects your heat press from any transferred ink.

Make your sandwich like this:

1. Protective paper on the bottom (bottom bun)

2. Your blank with taped design (the blank is the burger, the design in the cheese)

3. And another layer of the protective paper on top. (top bun)

Step 6: Transfer the Design

For this project, I used a clamshell heat press. With the sandwich assembled, place it in the press and close it at the recommended temperature and time.  You can find the time and temperature for all Artesprix blanks on the product page on the Artesprix website.  For my project, it was 400℉ for 60 seconds.

Step 7: The Peek Test

Before removing any tape, peel back a small part of your design to ensure the transfer was successful.

Step 8: Reveal and Enjoy

Remember, the protective paper will likely have some ink on it, so don’t reuse it for your next project. Peel back the paper to reveal your new Halloween potholder!

Final Thoughts

I’m so pleased with how this potholder turned out! The bats are delightfully spooky, and the mirrored sentiment came out perfectly. This project was a fun way to mix up my usual crafting routine and try some new techniques with Artesprix Iron-On Ink.

Thanks for crafting with me today! If you don’t have Artesprix Iron-On Ink in your toolkit yet, head over to the Artesprix Shop and check out their starter kit, which includes several blanks to get you started.

I’d love to see your creations using Artesprix Iron-On Ink. Share your Artesprix projects with us by using #debbiejscraftingcorner, #Artesprix and #IrononInk or post it to the Artesprix Facebook Group and to my Crafting with Debbie Facebook Group!

Because if I can make it, You Can Too!

~ Big Hugs, Debbie J

Want to see more Artesprix Projects? Check these out!