For Christmas, I received the Cricut Mug Press and a set of sublimation mug blanks. Yes, I know it’s the end of February, but I wanted to do a sort of unboxing with you guys. (yes, I was biting at the bits to use it!) The thing is, I had to get the printer, set it up, and all that good stuff before I could use the mug press. Now that I am all set up, I’m ready to do my unboxing and reveal my Cricut Mug Press!
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What Comes With the Cricut Mug Press
Ever since I first heard about the Cricut Mug Press, I’ve wanted one. I always thought they were so cool. And how cool would it be to put printed images on coffee cups, right? Well, I finally decided to put the Cricut Mug Press on my Christmas list that I give to my husband. And he got me one!! Yes, I was beyond excited for it.
While I did open the box before now, I didn’t take anything out of it. I wanted to share that with you! Honestly, not much comes in the box, but not much is really needed. Inside the Cricut Mug Press box is the Mug press, the power cord, a USB cord, and a little paper work.
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Setting Up the Cricut Mug Press
Now that you have everything out of the box, it’s time to activate your Cricut Mug Press. This is actually a very easy process, but the instructions aren’t 100% clear. Yes, it says to activate it, but so does the Cricut Easy Press, but you don’t have to activate it to use it 🤷♀️. Apparently you do with this one. Lesson Learned.
To activate your Cricut Mug Press, connect the power cord to the back of your machine, plug it in, and turn it on. Your power button light should now be blinking orange (ish). Go to www.cricut.com/setup and follow the online directions. Make sure you have your USB cable handy; you are going to need it.
Using The Cricut Mug Press For The First Time
Now that the Cricut Mug Press is activated and ready to be used, I can make my two coffee cups. I’m making one for me and one for my mom. I’ve decided to use sublimation for my cups; infusible ink can be used as well. I created the designs for my cup in Canva, which made it so much easier to do.
The first thing you need to do is make sure your Cricut Mug Press is on. A solid orange light means that it is heating up. It will beep when it is ready and the light will turn green. While the it is heating up, get your mugs ready. Be very careful if you plan to use a lint roller (I don’t recommend it), because the paper can get stuck to the cup. And it’s not easy to get off.
To get the mugs ready, you will need to place your image on the mug and attach it using heat transfer tape to hold it in place (make sure there’s no lint on the mug first). Then place your butcher paper around the mug and secure it with heat resistant tape. Now you wait for the Mug Press to complete the heating process.
Once you hear the beep and see the green power button, it’s time to put one mug in. Push the handle down and wait about five or six minutes. The Cricut Mug Press will beep when it is done. Make sure you have your heat resistant gloves on before you try to handle the mug. Those mugs are going to be very hot. Place the mug on your Cricut EasyPress Mat to cool off.
While the first mug was cooling off, I placed the second mug in the Mug Press and started the process over again. I waited another five or six minutes and took the mug out when I heard the beep. At this point, the butcher paper was coming off the first mug. Of course, I took that as a sign that it was time to reveal the image under it.
The End Result
I have to say that I was completely nervous about taking the paper off the mug. But when I revealed the first mug, I wanted to cry. The first one was the mug I made for my mom. It had pictures of all her great grand-babies (my grand-babies). And it looked perfect! And the one I made for myself was awesome!
It’s the Start of a Beautiful Relationship
Knowing what I know now, I wish I had gotten the Cricut Mug Press when they first came out. They are so easy to use and the end result is amazing! I would love to see what you have created with your Cricut Mug Press! Comment below and share your success stories!
Have a blessed day and remember to keep crafting your best life!