How to Use Cricut Hat Press for Beginners
Learn exactly how to set up and use the Cricut Hat Press with this detailed step-by-step guide with sample projects for all types of hats.
HATS!
Yes, you can now make hats using the Cricut Hat Press.
You are thinking – “but I could already do it with my EasyPress Mini or even my EasyPress 2!”
To be honest, wasn’t that also while desperately trying to make sure that you don’t burn yourself?
Here is Cricut’s answer – the Cricut Hat Press.
***This post is sponsored by Cricut. Thank you for supporting the brands that make it possible to bring you new projects***
***This post contains referral or affiliate links. It is a way for this site to earn advertising fees by advertising or linking to certain products and/or services. Please read my full disclosure here ***
What Is the Cricut Hat Press?
The Cricut Hat Press is a heat press specifically designed to help make custom hats. Cricut has researched and created a complete suite of products that help make custom hats a breeze and so much fun!
This includes the hat form, strong heat-resistant tape, and even Infusible Ink compatible blanks!
The best part – you can customize any type of hat – baseball cap, visors, bucket hats, etc.
Features of the Cricut Hat Press
The Hat Press is specifically engineered to help apply heat transfers to hats and includes a bunch of features that make it easy to do so.
Curved Heat Plate
Hats are curved.
The heat press to apply transfer to the hats should be curved too.
The curved heat plate on the Cricut hat press is perfect to apply even heat to any hat. The curvature is created especially for hats and applies the heat needed for the large curved surface.
Temperature Control
The hat press has 3 temperature settings, much like the EasyPress mini:
- Low (for sensitive base materials, 255-295 F)
- Medium (for most base materials, 300-355F)
- High (for infusible ink, 360-400F)
The hat press can be controlled via the Cricut Heat app to achieve the required temperature or you can manually control it as well.
Hat Pressing Form
The hat pressing form provides a firm pressing surface for the hat blank.
It is specially engineered to eliminate moisture and direct heat onto the project. This is achieved by using walnut shells around a firm core.
Bluetooth Compatible
Being able to control the Hat Press with the Cricut Heat app is the best part!
You don’t have to worry about the required settings or about remembering the sequence of steps and materials.
The Cricut Heat app guides you step-by-step through how to make your project.
Safety Features
Just like all the other Ciruct heat transfer tools, the Cricut Hat Press also includes the basic safety features:
- Auto-off capability – the Hat Press automatically shuts off after 13 minutes of inactivity with a warning beep 30 seconds before that.
- Safety base – the Hat Press comes with an insulated safety base that helps protect the work surface from extreme heat.
Cricut Hat Press vs Easypress Mini for DIY Hats
Before the release of the Cricut hat press, it was possible to make hats using the Cricut EasyPress Mini.
However, the Cricut hat press makes the entire process safer, more efficient, and reliable.
- The curved large heat plate helps provide even heat to a large transfer as opposed to the small flat heat plate of the EasyPress Mini.
- There is no hat form for the EasyPress Mini. You have to hold something insulated underneath to help press the design while making sure you don’t get burned. It can be really hard to keep the curvature.
The Cricut EasyPress Mini is great for small projects but the Cricut hat press is specifically made to be able to make hats.
What’s in the Box
The Cricut hat press comes with all the material you need to get started with using it to make your own custom hats. It has:
- The Hat press with the safety base
- The hat pressing form
- A sample roll of strong heat-resistant tape
- Safety instructions
The hat pressing form does contain walnut shells so be aware of that in case of any allergies.
How to Set up the Cricut Hatpress
Setting up the Cricut hat press is very easy out of the box.
Step 1: Download Cricut Heat App
The Cricut Heat app is available for free in the Apple app store and Google Play. Sign in using your Cricut Design Space login.
You need the Cricut Heat app in order to activate your machine.
However, once activated, you can use it with or without the app, Although, once you start using it with the app, you will never go back!
Step 2: Activate the Machine
- Plugin the hat press and press the power button.
- The Cricut Heat app will find the machine. Hit set up on the Cricut Heat App and complete the set up.
That is it!
The Cricut hat press is set up and ready to be used.
Materials Needed to Use the Cricut Hatpress
In order to use the hat press and make projects, you need a few basic materials:
- The Cricut hat press
- Hat press form (included with the hat press)
- Strong Heat resistant tape
- Hat blank (Cricut has Infusible ink compatible grey and trucker hat blanks)
- Butcher paper (if using infusible ink)
How to Use the Cricut Hatpress
Let’s apply an infusible ink design to the trucker hat. Transferring an Iron-on will follow similar steps.
Step 1 – Prepare the Design
- Cut the design on your Cricut machine. I cut a bee design in watercolor infusible ink transfer sheet.
- Weed out the design.
Step 2 – Set up the Hat
- Open the back buckle of the hat
- Fold out the sweatband
- Put the hat onto the hat form
- Tighten/close the back of the hat
- Use a lint roller to clean the hat
Step 3: Pick Settings
Inside the app:
- Hit “start new project“
- Pick the transfer material from a long list of available cricut materials including Smart materials and Infusible ink.
In this case I picked Infusible Ink Transfer Sheet. - Pick the blank you are applying to. In this case, it is a Cricut trucker hat.
- Hit “send settings to heat press“
Step 4 – Apply the Design
- Follow the app to Pre-heat the base.
- Place the design on the hat where you would like to transfer.
- Apply Strong heat resistant tape all around the design. This is very important as it keeps the design from moving during the transfer.
- Apply a layer of butcher paper on top of the design
- Apply heat using the hat press.
Applying design with the help of the Cricut Heat app makes using this hat press super easy!
- You can pick the exact heat transfer and base material in the app.
- The app tells you step by step exactly how to proceed.
- Once you hit the “play” button, the app automatically counts down the timer for you.
Note: The hat press can be used in a manual mode with the Cricut heat guide to set up the temperature but once you try out the app, you will never go back.
that’s it!
Follow the on-screen instructions to peel back the liner and enjoy the hat!
Making Iron-on Hats
Making hats with iron-on heat transfer uses pretty much the same process:
- Cut and weed design
- Put hat on hat form.
- Tape design to hat form using strong heat resistant tape.
- Use the Cricut Heat app and follow the instructions.
Tips for Using the Cricut Hat Press
As with any tool or machine, there are a few tips you want to remember to achieve the best transfer possible:
- Don’t fear the seams. The designs can be applied over seams with no problem.c
- Smoothen the design on to the hat so there are no air bubbles between the design and hat and the hat and the hat form.
- To get a smooth design on the hat, start by applying the strong heat-resistant tape on one end and the continue to the other.
- Add a few relief cuts on the liner around the design to help it smooth over the curve.
- Do not apply infusible ink design to the bill of the Cricut blanks. If you using Iron-on, use extreme caution.
- Be careful to avoid the eyelet holes on the caps.
How Much Does the Cricut Hat Press Cost?
Cricut Hat Press will be available for purchase in the US starting on March 13.
It costs $149 USD.
What Type of Hats Work With the Hat Press
Literally any type of hat works with the hat press as long as it fits over the hat press form – ball caps, trucker hats, visors, bucket hats… you name it.
I had a lot of fun experimenting with the various types of hats.
The only hats that don’t work are smaller kids-sized hats.
Cricut Hat Press Review
The Positives
- The entire suite of products – the hat press, hat form, strong heat-resistant tape and hat blanks – all work really well together to help make custom hats super easy and efficient.
- BlueTooth connectivity and the Cricut Heat app to control the hat press make the entire process easy and efficient. It took me less than 5 minutes to make a custom hat once I had the design cut and ready.
- The color is really beautiful and ties in perfectly with the new EasyPress 3 and the Cricut Maker 3.
The Negatives
Not negatives about the product, but a few additions to the family in the future would definitely be awesome!
- Capability to make smaller hats (for kids) – currently only adult sized hats fit on the hat form.
- More colors in the infusible ink compatible hat blanks would be awesome!
Are you excited to make lots of custom hats?
Related Posts
Anika's goal is to inspire and empower beginners with woodworking, DIY, home improvement, and home decor ideas.
She wants everyone to unlock their creative potential and experience the feeling that comes with making something. Nothing feels better better than seeing something and saying "I can make that!"
