Hi Everyone! In this final installment we wrap up the Summer Sportswear topic with a creative project that can be used on a variety of sewing and crafting projects! Follow along as I show you how to make your own custom DIY screen printing design at home. The following tutorial uses a Cricut cutting machine to cut out the permanent vinyl product, but in reality you could use any cutting machine or even carefully cut out a design by hand!

Are you ready? Let's get started...

How to Make a Screen Print Template with Cricut Vinyl and a Speedball Screen

Ever wanted to create custom t-shirts, tote bags, or fabric panels with your own design? If you’ve got a Cricut machine and a Speedball screen printing kit, you’ve got all the tools you need to turn your creativity into wearable (or sellable) art!

Let’s walk through the step-by-step process to create a screen print template using Cricut vinyl. Think of it like building a stencil for ink to pass through—your design is the gateway, and the Speedball screen is your paintbrush.

🎨 What You’ll Need

• Cricut machine (Explore, Maker, Joy – any will do!)

• Standard grip cutting mat

• Permanent adhesive vinyl (Oracal 651 or Cricut Permanent)

• Transfer tape

• Weeding tool

• Speedball screen printing frame & squeegee 

• Speedball fabric ink (or acrylic ink if printing on paper)

• Scrap cardboard or protective board

• Your blank item (t-shirt, tote, fabric, etc.)

• Painter's tape (optional but helpful)

🖥️ Step 1: Design Your Image in Cricut Design Space

Open Cricut Design Space and:

• Upload or create your design (keep it bold and simple—fine lines can be tricky for beginners).

• Resize it to fit your screen printing frame.

• Make sure it’s set to "Cut", not "Print then Cut".

• Mirror your design if it includes text.

💡 Tip: Avoid designs with floating islands (like the center of an “O”) unless you want to painstakingly stick them in place.

✂️ Step 2: Cut the Design on Adhesive Vinyl

• Place your permanent vinyl on the Cricut mat, backing side down.

• Load the mat into the Cricut and let it cut the design.

• Once done, weed out the parts where you want the ink to go. You're creating a reverse stencil, so remove the letter interiors or design area, not the background.

🪞 Step 3: Transfer Your Design to the Speedball Screen

• Use transfer tape to lift the weeded vinyl from its backing.

• Flip your Speedball screen over so the flat side faces up (this is the bottom that will touch your fabric).

• Carefully lay the vinyl sticky side down on this underside of the screen.

• Press firmly and peel off the transfer tape.

• Make sure everything is stuck well with no air bubbles.

🧠 Think of it like putting a decal on a window—you want it clean and smooth!

🖌️ Step 4: Prep for Printing

• Place a piece of cardboard or a firm board inside your shirt or under your paper/tote.

• Lay the Speedball screen down so the vinyl side is touching your item.

• Tape off the edges of the screen if your design doesn’t fill the whole mesh (to prevent ink from going where you don’t want it).

🎯 Step 5: Time to Print!

• Scoop a line of Speedball ink along the top of the screen.

• Holding the squeegee at a 45-degree angle, pull the ink across the design with firm, even pressure.

• Do 1–2 passes max.

• Carefully lift the screen straight up to reveal your masterpiece.

👏 Boom! You just screen printed like a pro.

🧼 Step 6: Clean Everything

• Immediately wash your screen, squeegee, and tools with warm water so the ink doesn’t dry.

• You can reuse the screen multiple times with that vinyl in place, or peel it off when you're ready for your next design.

🧵 Final Thoughts

This method is perfect for short runs—say, 10 to 20 prints—and great for people who don’t want to mess with photo emulsion just yet. It's a modern-day version of old-school screen printing—like using a cookie cutter instead of hand-carving every shape!