How to Make Hats with the Cricut Hat Press

What’s more fun than customizing your apparel, including Hats?? Come learn How to Make Hats with the Cricut Has Press! You’ll learn all about the Cricut Hat Press and how it’s so helpful when customizing hats with Iron On/HTV or Infusible Ink!

This post was sponsored by Cricut. All thoughts and opinions are 100% mine.

Several books on the left side of the picture standing up. Next to the books standing, are a couple books laying down. On top of them is a black and white trucker that says Book Freak on it. Then on the right of the picture is another black and white trucker hat that says Cool Kids Read Books.

Hey friends! Today I am super excited to teach you all about the Cricut Hat Press and how to use it to customize hats! I have customized shirts, bags, decor for parties, but never a hat! Cricut just keeps making our lives easier and easier when it comes to customizing apparel! So, let’s get to business!

What is the Cricut Hat Press?

The Cricut Hat Press is at Heat Press, specifically designed to perfectly fit the size and curvature of a hat. It comes with Cricut’s amazing standard of heat press heat distribution, where the heat is evenly distributed across the entire heat plate unlike a standard home iron.

The Hat Press is corded and comes with a Safety Base for you to store your Hat Press in when it’s not being used and is hot.

The Cricut Hat Press unboxed. In the background is the box that the Cricut Hat Press comes in. In front of the box is the actual Hat Press, Heat Resistant Tape, Welcome Packet and Hat Form.

What comes in the box?

Hat Press
Safety Base
Hat Form
Strong Grip Heat Tape
Start Guide
Instruction Manual
Safety and Warranty Information
Iron-on Design

What makes the Cricut Hat Press different then an EasyPress?

The size and shape of the Cricut Hat Press is what sets it apart from the EasyPress . It is curved to be able to go around the hat and perfectly transfer your design!

But, in my opinion, what makes the biggest difference is the Hat Form. The Hat Form is made from the same material as the EasyPress Mat, which makes it so all the heat distributes to the transfer of your HTV, Sublimation or Infusible Ink design!

The Cricut Hat Press base, with the Hat Press next to it showing the heat plate and how it is curved to fit around a hat.

What accessories do you need with the Cricut Hat Press?

There aren’t a lot of accessories that you have to have! But, aside from having a cutting machine cutting machine to cut your design with, you really only need two things!

Hat Blanks for the Cricut Hat Press

Of course you’re going to need some hat blanks to customize with your new Cricut Hat Press! You can use any hat that fits on the Hat Form. But if you’re going to be using Infusible Ink or Sublimation, then you’ll need to make sure you purchase hats that support that.

Cricut offers two hat types: Black and White Trucker Hat and a Canvas Gray Ball Cap. Both hat types support HTV, Infusible Ink and Sublimation.

Strong Grip Heat Tape

There is a new Heat Tape that Cricut launched with the Hat Press, the Strong Grip Heat Tape. It is formulated to work better around rounded corners. To make it easy to tell the difference from the original Heat Tape, it’s purple in color vs blue. Your box does come with a small roll of it, but if you’re going to be making hats often, then you’ll want to purchase a full sized roll.

A black and white trucker hat on the Hat Form and to the right of it is the Cricut Hat Press.

How to use the Cricut Hat Press

There are two buttons on the side of the Hat Press. The bottom button is the Power Button and the Temperature Button. To power it on, you just press the power button. To set the temperature, press the power button, until the temperature you want is indicated by the 3 bars below. The bars represent low, medium and high. If there are no bars lit up, then the Hat Press is on standby. When the lights are orange, that means the Hat Press is heating the temperature that you chose. The green buttons mean that it is heated and ready to go!

When you press the top button, the timer will begin. You set the timer, within the Cricut Heat app.

A side view of the Cricut Hat Press, showing the different buttons and lights.

To set the time, open the Cricut Heat App and power on your Hat Press. (Note: If you haven’t registered or activated your Hat Press, then follow the instructions in your welcome packet to do that.)

Click New Project.
Select the material you plan on transferring.
Select the blank it is going to be applied to.

Once the project is set up, then hit ‘Next’ in the top right hand corner.
It will then give you a preview of your project. Then select “send Settings to Hat Press’ at the bottom.
It will then start your Hat Press preheating. It will show you the time it will take to preheat. Once it’s preheated it will beep and you can start the timers and your design transfers by either pressing the top/timer button.

HOW TO MAKE A CUSTOMIZED HAT

Items Need:

Instructions:

Prep your design for the hat

You’ll design within Cricut Design Space on your computer, tablet or phone! Each individual design is suggested to not exceed 2.25 inches high by 4.25 inches wide. This is so that the Hat Press can apply heat to the entire design at once, ensuring a perfect transfer. Cricut also suggests that you leave at least ½ inch are below your design above the bill of the hat.

You can design your own, use a pre-made design within Cricut Design Space or these fun Reader themed designs that I’m cutting today!

Cut your design

A black Cricut Explore Air 2 cutting black Infusible Ink with a craft storage shelf in the background.

Once your design is sized and ready to go, make sure your machine is selected in the top right hand corner drop down and then hit ‘MAKE IT’, which is also in the top right hand corner.

Prepare your Iron On on a Standard Grip Mat. Always place the shiny side DOWN when cutting Iron On.

Follow all the prompts within design space, until you get to the preview screen. At this time, make sure you click on each mat preview and Mirror the image! When cutting Iron On, you will always Mirror the image!

Cut and weed your designs.

Press your design on the hat

A black and white trucker hat with an Iron On design cut and taped onto it. To the left is the Cricut Heat Press.

Once your design is weeded, then place your design on the hat and use the Strong Grip Heat Tape to tape your design in place.

Using the instructions I shared above, go into your Heat App and set up your project. You can also manually use the Hat Press by using the buttons on the side.

A black and white trucker hat on the Hat Press hat form, with a hand holding the Hat Press on the hat.

Follow all the time and heat instructions that were prompted in the Heat App and then allow your design to cool before removing the clear film and tape. If any of the design is lifting on the edges, apply 5-10 more seconds of additional heat and allow it to cool again.

Three customized hats. On the left the hat says Book Freak. The middle hat says Readers gonna read and the right hat says Cool Kids Read Books.

Several books on the left side of the picture standing up. To the right is a black and white trucker that says Book Freak on it.

And that’s it! So simple and easy!! What is the first hat you’re going to make??

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*Disclaimer* Official allergy statement from Cricut: Cricut Hat Press includes a Hat Pressing Form that contains walnut shells. Cricut has applicable ALLERGY WARNING information posted on our product details page, outer packaging, internal shrink-wrapping of the Hat Pressing Form, and permanently affixed on the care instructions label on the Hat Pressing Form itself. While we do not currently believe that hats are unsafe to wear after heat pressing using the Hat Pressing Form, we highly recommend you consult with your allergy specialist if you have any concerns about the severity of any allergies. In case of any irritation, immediately wash skin with soap and water; if irritation persists, seek immediate medical attention.