Do's & Don'ts of Creating a Stamped Sunflower Tumbler with Iron-on-Ink

Hello and welcome!  My name is Linh from LVHandcrafted and today I’m going to share a lot of tips & tricks when it comes to sublimating onto something rounded and curved like the amazing 12 oz Tumbler. In my video I’ll show you what I did wrong but I’ll tell you how I corrected those mistakes on the 2nd Tumbler I made. Sometimes knowing what not to do can be helpful. And if you’re seeing similar results as to the mistake I made, you’ll know how to fix it the next time you try!

**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 Sublimation Arts & Crafts Supplies? 
The word "sublimation" is a chemistry term that describes the process of a substance (like Iron-on-Ink) going from a solid state to a gaseous phase and skipping over the liquid phase. In the world of designing custom goods, sublimation offers a permanent way to transfer a design to a polyester surface. The result is a vibrant, custom designed product that is long-lasting and durable. If you’ve always wanted to try sublimation but thought you needed an expensive, specialty printer, you’re in luck because Artesprix makes it possible to sublimate without a sublimation printer!

Supplies: 
12 oz Tumbler
Iron-on-Ink Stamp Pad - Black
Acrylic Paint - Yellow, Orange, Brown, Green
Tumbler Wrap
Paint Brush
Protective Paper 
Heat Tape 
Heat Tape Dispenser
Protective Project Mat 
Heat Resistant Gloves 
Multi Purpose Cleaner.
Heat Source - Craft Express Oven
Heat gun
Copy Paper
Pencil
Scissors
Step-by-Step Tutorial: 
Step 1: If you want to do a full wrap design you can measure the circumference of the Tumbler with a ribbon at the widest part.  Then measure that stretch of ribbon and add a little extra for overlap. 

Step 2: Stamp your design onto copy paper that’s been cut to the size you measured earlier using the Black Sublimation Ink Pad.

Pro-Tip: Use a stamp positioning tool and leave your stamped image inside the stamp positioning tool. This comes in handy for Step 4.

Step 3: Paint your stamped image with Acrylic Paint.

I like using the paints because you can mix colors easier and it’s a nice viscosity for painting and moving across the paper. That makes it easier to create blends and texture as you color in your image. 

Step 4: Ink your stamp again with Iron-on-Ink Stamp Pad. This is called over-stamping and it brings back all the line details from the stamp that go covered up when we painted in the image. 

Pro Tip #2: Clean your Tumbler from debris, oils, etc. with a microfiber cloth or lint roller. 

Step 5: Tape your design, face-down, to the Tumbler making sure the design lays flat and firmly against the tumbler. Be generous with your tape as it can assist with pressure and trapping gaseous ink during the transfer process. 

Pro Tip #3: You don’t want any wrinkles or air trapped under your paper. You’ll see why at the end. Avoid this by cutting frills in your copy paper to ensure it lays flat against the surface of the Tumbler. 

Step 7: Slide the Tumbler into the Sublimation Wrap and use a heat gun to shrink the wrap tightly against the tumbler. 

Step 8: Bake your Tumbler either in a Craft Express Oven or a tumbler press at 350F for 5 minutes.
Step 9: While it’s still warm, remove the Wrap. 

Pro Tip #4: If you can see your design through the Sublimation Wrap before removing, that is a good sign that your transfer was successful.
Step 10: Wait for your Tumbler to cool before conducting the "peek test". With removing very little tape, or no tape at all, lift up a corner of the design to ensure your transfer was successful. If it was not, check the oven's temperature and repeat Step 7 with a new Sublimation Wrap. 
Step 11: If Step 10 was successful, remove the design carefully to reveal your permanent transfer.

I made this same design twice. The first time, I had a big wrinkle through this design. 

But you can see the second time I made this, I taped the design down to the Tumbler a lot more carefully and the design transferred perfectly!
If you enjoy watching process videos, here’s my tutorial video from my YT Channel.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my project on the Artesprix Blog!  If you try painting your next sublimation project or you make a tumbler, please share it in the Artesprix Iron-on-Ink Inspirational Group on Facebook, we would love to see your creations. Be sure to use the tags #Artesprix and #IrononInk so we don't miss it. If you want to learn more about me and see more projects click here: @LVHandcrafted.  

Thanks so much for checking out my project. Have a fabulous day! 
Linh Van
**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.**