Artesprix Blank of the Month Spooky Necktie

Hi my crafty friends! This is Design Team member Terra O'Brien! I have for you today a great Halloween Project using the September Blank of the Month the Artesprix Necktie. This was such a fun project to make! I love that I can use stencils with my Artesprix products to make incredible projects. There isn't much time left before Halloween is here so I thought this would be the perfect theme for my September Blank of the Month Blog. 

sublimation necktie with artesprix stamp pads

What is Artesprix Iron-on-Ink?

If you have never heard or Artesprix you are in for a treat! I am a papercrafter by nature and have heard of sublimation before but it seemed very intimidating until I found Artesprix. I love that Artesprix gives Makers the option to experience sublimation without an expensive sublimation printer to make amazing projects! Artesprix’s products, from the markers to the blanks, are so easy to use and makes it fun. The best part is your projects are lifetime permanent, once heat set, it will not wash-out, fade, crack or peel. It's magic! 

polyester satin necktie artesprix sublimation stamp pad heat tape protective paper

Materials:

Artesprix Necktie

Sublimation Stamp Pads 

Artesprix Original Sublimation Markers 10ct

Artesprix Protective Paper 

Artesprix Heat Tape

Blending Brush

Tim Holtz Moon Mask Stencil

Pencil

Heat Source: Home Iron or Heat Press. 

Copy paper or I used Bristol Smooth for blending

Step-by-Step Tutorial:

Step 1: The Artesprix Necktie blank has a lot of white space so you have a good bit of space to work with! I always like to map out the space I want to use. I took a regular piece of copy paper along with a zombie hand I have been dying (no pun intended) to use and traced my design onto my copy paper.

polyester sublimation necktie template

Step 2: I do not have any wording in my design so I do not have to worry about mirroring. I wanted the zombie hand to be coming out of the ground so I used the bottom space of the necktie for my dirt.

sublimation design with pencil for necktie

Step 3: After my design is created with pencil, I grabbed a couple of the Artesprix Original Sublimation Markers 10ct to add some color. I chose colors to compliment the zombie/Halloween theme I am going for. I used the black for the outline, red for the blood on the top half of the hand, a green for the bottom half, and the brown for my ground. 

sublimation design with artesprix stamp pad

Step 4: The markers dry fairly quickly so I did not have to wait long before adding more color. After the base of my design is finished, I grabbed my Tim Holtz Moon Mask Stencil and started mapping out where I wanted my moon to be placed. There are so many different sizes it was easy to find the right mask. Once I had that placed appropriately, I grabbed my Sublimation Black Stamp Pad  and my Blending Brush and with a very light hand I added just a little-bit of color to the moon.

sublimation design with markers and stamp pads for necktie

Pro Tip: If you are using blending brushes with your Sublimation Stamp Pads, you will want to have a separate set designated for your Sublimation Ink. 

finished artesprix design for necktie before transfer

Step 5: After your design is finished its time to tape your Artesprix Necktie down to your paper using the Artesprix Heat Safe Tape. I am always very generous with my tape because I do not want my blank to move or shift while transferring.

sublimation necktie secured to design with heat tape

Step 6: Now it is time for a very important step, making your "sublimation sandwich". Using your Artesprix Protective Paper you want to cut enough so you have one piece under your Artesprix Necktie and another piece on top. You can reuse your siliconized paper as long as nothing has transferred on to it. 

Step 7: Set your Heat Press timer for 60 seconds at 400℉ and transfer once it has reached temperature. 

sublimation design on necktie after transfer

Step 8: This is one of my favorite steps, the "peek test"! Lift up a small corner of your design, without removing any tape, to ensure the design transferred the way you wanted to. If it looks great you can peel your design off! If you think it could be brighter, lay the corner back down and re-press. 

Step 9: The BIG reveal! After you have confirmed your transfer was successful, remove your design and tape to reveal your vivid, permanent transferred design. 

This is the perfect accessory to not only add to not only accessorize with your spooky outfit, but it would also work great with a simple shirt and slacks this Halloween season. 

Thank you reading my September Blank of the Month project today! As always, this was really fun Iron-on-Ink project to make. I hope you feel inspired to create your own spooky necktie for Halloween season! This blank is only available in the Artesprix Shop for the month of September. Don’t forgot to check out more inspiration from the other design team members' on the Artesprix Blog, or you can also find more inspiration on the Artesprix Facebook Group.

Enjoy spooky season! 

Terra O'Brien

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