Make Your Own Lab Week Button with Sublimation, Show Your Spirit with Artesprix!
Artesprix Design TeamButton, Stamp Pads
Hi Everyone! Sarah here with a project that transforms a button pin sublimation blank into a custom badge reel. In case you didn’t know, I am a medical laboratory scientist. Every year in April, we celebrate Medical Laboratory Professionals Week. We go all out with games, decorations, trivia, and more! I thought it would be fun to add some flair by making a customized badge reel for Lab Week.
**This post may contain affiliate links. That means that I may receive compensation if you purchase through the links I have provided. The price you pay for the product or service is not higher, but I may get compensated.**
What are Artesprix Sublimation Arts & Crafts Supplies?
Artesprix has produced specially formulated products that permanently transfer a design you create onto a polyester or polyester coated substrate (the blank) through a mechanism called sublimation. Sublimation is a chemical process in which the combination of heat and pressure allows the solid form of the design to turn into a gas and permanently integrate into your project so it won’t peel or fade. What’s great is that along with the Artesprix sublimation arts and craft supplies such as Sublimation Markers, Paints, and Inks, you can easily utilize items you may already have such as stamps, stencils, and electronic cutting machines for quick and easy projects.
Supplies:
Sublimation Stamps - Block Alphabet
Gina K Designs Graceful Snowflake Stencil
Finger daubers or small ink blending brushes
Copy/Printer paper
Low tack tape
Pencil
Heat Source
Heat Protective Gloves
Step-by-Step Tutorial:
Step 1: Trace a button blank onto a piece of copy paper with pencil as pencil won’t transfer during the heat process.
Step 2: Place the snowflake mandala stencil centered onto the traced circle and secure with low tack tape.
Step 3: Use finger daubers and Sublimation Ink Pads of your choice to ink blend onto the stencil.
Pro Tip: Use the Artesprix Multi-Purpose Cleaner to clean off your stencil.
Step 4: Place stamps from the Sublimation Block Alphabet Stamp Set around the curve of the circle to spell “LAB WEEK.” I used an “F” as a placeholder for the 2nd E to get the correct spacing. Pick up the stamps with an Acrylic Stamp Block.
Pro Tip 2: The Artesprix Block Alphabet stamps are designed so you don’t have to do mirror stamping for sublimation! To check that the letters are in the correct orientation, flip the acrylic block so the stamps face you. If you can read everything, then they are positioned correctly.
Step 5: Ink up the stamps using Black Sublimation Ink. Press down the stamps onto the ink blended design. Take another acrylic block to stamp the second “E” in “WEEK.”
Step 6: Trim down the design so it’s a bit bigger than the blank and secure with heat tape.
Pro Tip 3: Although there are 2 sides to the button, only the shiny white side is the substrate you can sublimate. Secure the shiny side facing the design. The side designed for the adhesive pin has "scratch marks" on it, so you can tell the difference.
Step 7: I opted to make a “Sublimation Taco.” In between a folded piece of Sublimation Paper (your taco shell), place your secured blank and design. The design should be the cheese on top of your taco filling blank.
Step 8: On a sturdy surface, press the design for 75 seconds at 400℉.
Step 9: Using heat protective gloves, peel back a corner to do a “peek test.” If the design is vibrant on your blank, it successfully sublimated. If not, place the corner back down and press again. This only works if you don’t move the tape out of place.
Step 10: Let the blank cool completely; then secure it onto a badge reel! I used hook and loop fastener so I can change out the design if I want.
The Lab Week badge reel will be so fun to wear! It’s also such an easy project that I can make one for each of my coworkers. Just as Medical Laboratory Professionals are the science behind the medicine, Artesprix Iron-on-Ink is the science behind the art!
If you feel inspired, be sure to share your sublimation projects on the Artesprix Iron-on-Ink Inspirational Group on Facebook. Also use the hashtags #Artesprix and #IrononInk on your socials so we can see what you’re creating! Finally, check out the Artesprix Blog for more tutorials and inspiration. To see more of my creations, visit me @apapermoment.
Have a great day!
Sarah Goulet
**This post may contain affiliate links. That means that I may receive compensation if you purchase through the links I have provided. The price you pay for the product or service is not higher, but I may get compensated.**
