Hi friends! Are you wanting to dabble with Sublimation but you’re not sure you want to invest in all the sublimation equipment? Then I have a hack for you! I’m excited to share how you can sublimate a Tumbler with a heat gun. Yep, it’s true! So let’s get started with this fun hack!
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How to Sublimate a Tumbler with a Heat Gun
Sublimation is an amazing process that can yield amazing finished projects. But it also can be overwhelming with all the sublimation tools out there. Sublimation tumbler presses, mug presses, and even sublimation ovens! So much information to collect before you pull the trigger on an investment. Sure, there are some very good deals on high-quality sublimation tools, and trust me, I have several of them myself. But nothing beats the price of this sublimation hack!
When I opened my new heat gun from PYD Life and saw how high-powered it was, I knew I needed to try to sublimate with it. You can see my first experiment below…
Needless to say, I was super impressed! So what’s the trick? First off, I recommend using A-Sub brand sublimation paper with your sublimation printer. Print your design, cut it to size then wrap it tightly around your substrate with heat-resistant tape. Be sure to use a heat-resistant glove and mat to protect your hands and your surfaces because believe me, this heat gun gets HOT! The key is to heat until you see the ink show through. I apply heat to the tumblers in sections so that I make sure to heat the entire tumbler and not miss any spots.
To recap, this is what you will need:
Don’t have a printer? That’s ok because I tested if I can sublimate with Infusible Ink Transfer Sheets and my Cricut Joy! See my results below…
Not only can you sublimate with Infusible Ink Transfer Sheets, but of course you can sublimate with prints from your sublimation printer. Here are a few more examples of stainless steel tumblers that I sublimated with just a heat gun!
This tumbler was a Glitter Stainless Steel Tumbler and it worked just as well as the plain stainless steel tumblers. Of course, all tumblers have to be sublimation ready. This process won’t work with just regular tumblers.
This hack is also great for odd-shaped tumblers like the cola bottle below…
@michellespartyplanit Let’s sublimate a @Craft Express cola bottle with a heat gun! I’m loving this 3D flowers design! #sublimation #crafttok #tutorial #howto #crafttiktok #tumbler #asmr ♬ original sound – Michelle | Cricut & Crafts
This tumbler is my favorite so far, I created it with images from Creative Fabrica in Canva. Get the files here to create your own!
@michellespartyplanit Let’s sublimate a comic pop art tumbler using a heat gun! Tape really well and heat until you see the ink coming through the paper. Super easy and an affordable way to sublimate stainless steel sublimation tumblers! #crafttok #crafttiktok #howto #tutorial #sublimation #tumbler #heatgun @PYD Life Blanks #pydlife @A-SUB Paper ♬ Cupid Twin Ver. (FIFTY FIFTY) – Sped Up Version
What do you think? Will you try sublimating with a heat gun? If you do, be sure to tag me on social @michellespartyplanit. I’d love to see your creations. Stay tuned, I will be trying other substrates soon!
Need more sublimation projects? Check these out!
HOW TO SUBLIMATE A FATHER’S DAY MUG WITH CRICUT
HOW TO SUBLIMATE A GLITTER DRAWSTRING BACKPACK
SUBLIMATION OVEN OR CRICUT MUG PRESS – WHICH IS BEST?
Happy Crafting!
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