Hi friends! I’m back with another fun and easy sublimation tutorial—and this one’s perfect for teacher appreciation, back-to-school season or anytime you want a quick project that makes a big impact. Today we’re sublimating lip balm holders using a free school-themed design I created just for you! You can grab it by signing up for my newsletter. Let’s get started!
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links, at no additional cost to you.
How to Sublimate Lip Balm Holders
These neoprene keychains are a great way to use up scrap sublimation prints, make adorable gifts, or stock your craft booth. Plus, they press up beautifully with bold, vibrant color.
Let’s jump right in and make some magic!
Supplies You’ll Need:
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Lip balm holder sublimation blanks (neoprene material)
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Butcher paper or parchment paper
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Lint roller
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My free school-themed PDF design (available via newsletter signup!)
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Scissors (optional)
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Heat-resistant gloves (optional but helpful)
Step 1: Prepare Your Blank
Start by giving your lip balm holder a quick once-over with a lint roller. Even though neoprene is pretty smooth, little fibers or dust can still interfere with your transfer.
Make sure your surface is clean, flat, and heat-safe. If your blanks come with a keyring already attached, you can either leave it on (just be careful) or remove it temporarily before pressing.
Step 2: Print Your Design
Open my design in your favorite software for printing, making sure the image is mirrored before printing.
Don’t skip mirroring! Sublimation designs must be mirrored so that they appear correctly when transferred onto the blank.
Print it on your sublimation paper using your sublimation printer.
Step 3: Trim and Tape Your Design
Cut the design in half, you will be sublimating both sides separately.
Lay the lip balm holder faced-down on the design, aligning it to make sure it’s centered. Use heat-resistant tape to secure it in place. A couple small pieces at the top and bottom should do the trick.
Step 4: Time to Press!
Here’s the press setup I use for neoprene lip balm holders:
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Temperature: 385°F
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Time: 50 seconds
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Pressure: Medium
Layer your pressing surface like this:
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Butcher paper on the bottom to protect your press
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Lip balm holder with design taped on, print side up
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Butcher paper on top to protect the press from ink bleed
Press for 50 seconds with medium pressure. Neoprene is thick enough to withstand the heat, but always make sure your press is evenly distributing pressure to avoid ghosting.
When time’s up, open the press carefully—neoprene gets hot, so I recommend using heat-resistant gloves when handling your project. Move the holder to a heat-safe surface.
Step 5: Peel and Reveal!
Gently remove the heat tape and sublimation paper. This is the best part—your design will now be permanently infused into the neoprene, vibrant and full of detail!
Wait until the front is completely cooled and repeat the steps above to do the other side, making sure to protect the already-pressed side with butcher paper to prevent reactivation or ink transfer.
Optional: Add Lip Balm and Accessorize
Now that your holder is fully sublimated, you can slide in a tube of your favorite lip balm and attach it to your keys, purse, or backpack. These also make great:
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Teacher gifts
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Party favors
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School staff appreciation goodies
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Craft fair booth items
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Stocking stuffers or holiday set add-ons
The keychain clip makes it easy to carry, and they’re so fun to personalize with different designs, names, or school mascots.
Grab Your Free School-Themed Design
To make this tutorial even easier, I created a school-themed sublimation design just for you! It’s sized perfectly for lip balm holders.
Sign up for my newsletter to grab the free PDF and stay updated with new project ideas, freebies, and exclusive crafting content. I’m always sharing tutorials like this one to help you create beautiful, personalized projects with ease.
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Sublimating on lip balm holders is one of the fastest and most satisfying ways to make something cute and useful. I love that this project doesn’t require a ton of time, materials, or setup—just your sublimation basics and a little bit of creativity.
I created a video showing how to press these along with some other items I gifted for Teacher Appreciation Week, check it out!
Whether you’re gifting for teacher appreciation week, back to school or looking for an easy product to sell, or just want to make your own stash of pretty keychains, lip balm holders are a go-to!
Happy crafting, and I can’t wait to see what you create with your free design!
Want more ideas for Teacher Appreciation Week? Check these out…
PIN FOR LATER!
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