HTV on Card Stock & Cardboard:
Celebrating Holidays with Artful & Heartfelt Creations
Nothing beats the thrill of the holiday season! From the joyful singing of Jingle Bells to the graceful sway of sparkling lights and, of course- GIFTS! Who doesn’t love gifts? Unwrapping presents are genuine moments of bliss.
And now that the festivities of Christmas and New Year are almost upon us, today is the perfect time to make your holiday gift list. Whether you find satisfaction in expressing your appreciation through simple things or by grand gestures, there’s one sure way of leveling up your present, and that, our valued crafters, is by adding a personal and heartfelt Christmas card.
But sometimes, it’s tough to find a card that truly matches your personality and accurately expresses what you want to say. Add that some good cards are pretty expensive; then, you have enough recipes for a holiday dilemma. Good thing that we’ve discovered the power of Heat Transfer Vinyl and Card stock in creating personalized and unique greeting cards. So if you’re down for some holiday hacks, stick with us and let loose of your creativity with an HTV-embellished Christmas card!
Can you use HTV on Card stock?
Nope! There’s no confusion going on here. The versatility of HTV can extend even with paper products like card stock. Card stocks are at just the right durability to face the heat press and any other heating tools.
What I like about it is how simple it is to transfer vinyl designs on the surface of card stock. It doesn’t require any special procedure or additional steps to bond the two successfully. The application process is straightforward and beginner-friendly, so even if this is just your first card-making attempt, you will not have difficulty doing it.
Here’s a quick rundown of how to Apply Heat Transfer Vinyl on card stock:
- Put the design on where you want to place it.
- Set the correct temperature setting on your heating equipment
- Add a layer of a cover sheet such as a Teflon sheet or parchment paper.
- Press it depending on the recommended time for the HTV used, then peel off the carrier sheet (It’s important to check if it’s cold peel or hot peel).
- For layered designs: place your first layer, add a cover sheet, press, then peel. Repeat this until all the layers are transferred on the surface.
See? It takes no sweat to use this type of vinyl on card stock. I’m pretty sure once you get to experience it yourself, the yuletide season will not be the only holiday you’ll ever going to need this creative pairing.
So, to further ensure you’ll have only the best memories when working with this material, we will share with you this helpful secret list of the best HTV for card stock!
So, what HTV is best used for card stock?
Since what we are doing here is intended to bring a smile to someone, it’s only fitting to give them the best, which is only possible if we use the best. In the case of card stock, these are the Glitter, Holographic, and Stripflock HTV. All these three pieces of vinyl share a common denominator- thickness! This is an important quality that can guarantee you a spot-on and captivating result. Using thick Heat Transfer Vinyl can conceal minor flaws like wrinkling, which other thinner vinyl can’t hide.
Don’t get us wrong, most types of Heat Transfer Vinyl can be used on card stock, but only those three vinyl varieties can give us the optimum quality we want for our card.
Now that we know the ultimate vinyl match for card stock, the only vital information we need to know at this point is the temperature guide for each type of HTV. We happily gathered and put together a comprehensive list below so you won’t have to spend your precious time searching for it.
What temperature should HTV be on card stock?
To maximize your time, we’ve already highlighted the temperature setting for Glitter, Holographic, and Stripflock HTV.
Glitter HTV
Using Glitter HTV is a great way to bring joy to our friends and families. With the twinkling of its sparkle, you surely can capture the glee that is in the air during these times.
- Temperature: 290°F/145°C
- Pressure: Light
- Time: 30 seconds
- Peel: Cold
Holographic HTV
Bring your designs to the next level with the opulent-looking finish of Holographic HTV.
- Temperature: 290°F/145°C
- Pressure: Light
- Time: 30 seconds
- Peel: Cold
Stripflock HTV
A warm and fuzzy feeling! This is the value Stripflock HTV can add to your creation. Its raised, suede-like, and velvety texture perfectly contrasts the shine and glitter the first two HTV offer.
- Temperature: 320°F/160°C
- Pressure: Medium
- Time: 15 seconds
- Peel: Cold
If you want to try other types of vinyl, here are the recommended temperature setting for your reference. All thanks and credit to Cricut for making our lives easy with their detailed Heat Guide.
| Heat Transfer Vinyl | Temperature | Time | Pressure | Peel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Everyday Iron-on/Lite/Metallic | 280°F/ 140°C | 30secs | Light | Cold |
| Everyday Iron-on Mesh | 280°F/ 140°C | 30secs | Light | Cold |
| Express Iron-on | 300°F/ 150°C | 15secs | Firm | Cold |
| Glitter Mesh Iron-on | 290°F/ 145°C | 30secs | Light | Cold |
| Foil Iron-on | 270°F/ 130°C | 30secs | Light | Cold |
| Holographic Sparkle Iron-on | 290°F/ 145°C | 30secs | Light | Cold |
| Mosaic Iron-On | 290°F/ 145°C | 30secs | Firm | Hot |
| Iron-On Designs | 290°F/ 145°C | 30secs | Firm | Cold |
| Patterned Iron-on | 290°F/ 145°C | 30secs | Frim | Cold |
More Decorative Ideas with Cardboard
Card stock is not your only choice to showcase your flair for crafts during the most wonderful time of the year. You can also count on Cardboard in bringing your personal touch on other holiday items like gift boxes and decorative ornaments.
Can you use a Heat Press on Cardboard?
Just like card stock, you can apply vinyl decals on Cardboard using a Heat Press. Cardboard is a thicker paper-based product than Cardstock, so it shows greater durability and is more capable of withstanding high temperatures.
Another common practice you may discover when it comes to heat pressing card stock and Cardboard is how other crafters deliberately choose not to complete the recommended pressing time. It is on the basis that paper-based creations like Greeting Cards and Gift Boxes are not going to be washed like shirts. But despite the reduced press time, the Heat Transfer Vinyl adheres just fine, so I guess you can also give it a try to see it for yourself.
Can you use an iron on Cardboard?
Yes, you can apply HTV on Cardboard with the help of a home iron. Although this is not the standard tool for performing heat transfers, you can still get a good result if you fully know the tricks.
So, let me refresh your memory on some do’s and don’ts to help you successfully customize any cardboard-made product using a household iron.
- Avoid ironing board and granite countertops as your base surface. Do it on a solid and heat-resistant surface.
- Since there’s no digital display to tell you the exact temperature, you should find the closest heat setting required by your HTV.
- Do not slide your iron like how you do when ironing shirts. Instead, apply like a heat press- press and hold!
- Do mind the pressure! It is the one weakness of household iron compared to a heat press. Use your body weight to exert really good pressure.
- If some vinyl parts did not apply well, just re-set the carrier sheet and press it again.
These are some important tips that will help you use household iron stress-free! However, as the dedicated crafter that we all are, we should make an effort to learn and be skilled in using all types of heating equipment.
We may have dedicated this blog on how one can take advantage of card stock and Cardboard on these coming holidays, but the truth is there are more ways to adorn these two items than you can imagine. On birthdays, anniversaries, or any other special events in your life, you can count on the added bliss of any artful creations you can come out from the combination of HTV and Card stock/Cardboard.
Hurry! Start composing thoughtful messages now and let an HTV-adorned greeting card express what’s inside your heart. For regardless of the weather, no matter what season, there’s no better way to spread genuine happiness than by a heartfelt gesture of love.