DIY Personalized Koozies

DIY personalized koozies are fun to create and make awesome gifts! Follow this easy, step-by-step tutorial to make your own.

Thank you to Cricut for sponsoring this post.

Hey friends! Today's DIY project is easy and fun (aren't those the best kind)?! I created these DIY personalized koozies for my dear friend, Megan, who I've been friends with since college. We went to the beach together this year, and while we were there I realized 1) Joe and I own exactly 1 koozie (weird, I know) and 2) most koozies we saw on the beach just aren't cute. So, as I was brainstorming ideas for her birthday gift, I decided I would make her some cute and girly koozies just for her. After seeing how well they turned out, I can assure you that I'll be making some for me and Joe soon, too! Read on to learn how to make some of your very own.

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DIY Personalized Koozies Tutorial

Materials Needed:

Blank koozies
Cricut cutting machine (I used my Cricut Maker, but any cutting machine will work for this project. You can read all about my comparison of Cricut vs. Silhouette machines in this post.)
Cricut Iron On
Cricut EasyPress
Blanket or towel
Scissors
Weeding tool
Optional (but REALLY helpful for weeding the glitter iron on) is the Cricut BrightPad

Steps:

If you’d like a video overview of this project, click below.

1) Measure the area of your koozie that you want to apply your design to.

2) Create your designs in Cricut Design Space. You can access the pineapple and flamingo cut files that I used by clicking here. The monogram font is one I had installed on my computer (it's called Monogram Full Circle–I have no idea where I got it).

3) Cut and weed your designs. I used my Cricut BrightPad to weed my gold glitter iron-on and it made it SO much easier to see the cut lines.

4) Use your Cricut EasyPress to apply your designs to your koozies. I set my temperature to 330⁰F and my timer to 17 seconds, and that worked like a charm for me! Be sure to protect your table with a folded towel or blanket before using your EasyPress.

Now, I have to tell you that I had previously given up on iron-on projects. I ruined way too many shirts and wasted far too much material to keep trying. But when I learned that household irons (which is what I had been using) have incredibly uneven heat distribution, I began to understand why my iron-on results had been so varied. I was super intrigued by the EasyPress because of the larger surface area (9″x9″) and the evenly heated plate, but I'll admit I was skeptical because of my terrible results in the past. But it has NOT let me down once.

I used to start to peel up the plastic layer only to realize that the iron-on wasn't sticking, so I'd have to go over it AGAIN. And more than once I wound up burning the fabric as a result. That hasn't happen at all with my EasyPress. Now I think I may become an iron-on addict.

It's easy to use. Just place your design on your koozie.

Then use the EasyPress guide to set the appropriate temperature for your iron-on material AND your fabric, set your timer and press the go button when you are ready. Press down with medium pressure and hold the EasyPress still–no need to move it around. The EasyPress It beeps when the timer runs out–no more setting timers or counting out loud. And I personally love that it's compact. I just don't have the room (or desire) for a bulky heat press machine.

If you are layering any vinyl, like I did with the flamingo's wing, just repeat the process until you are done!

That's it! How cute are these DIY personalized koozies? They'd make fabulous bridesmaids or groomsman gifts, for sure, but they are also perfect for anyone in your life who likes their drinks cold!