Express Your Love for Formula 1 with Stylish DIY Shirts

Women’s White V-neck

Target A New Day (Size S) – $6

This was the lowest quality shirt I worked with for this project. I would recommend a different brand or color at Target since this was a little thin!

Women’s Black Cropped T-shirt

Old Navy (Size XL) – $16.99

I normally wear a size Small, but since this was originally a fitted cropped shirt, I purchased an X-Large for loose and full length fit. Super soft and stylish!

Formula 1 Font

I used this Free Formula 1 Font from Smithographic.

This is not the official Formula 1 Font, but it is super close and looked great in the designs.

Cost: Free

Instructions for Cricut:

1. Download the font to your computer
2. Open the file and install onto your computer
3. Re-start or open Cricut Design Space
4. The new font should be available under the Font dropdown and is ready to use!

Race Car Image

I found this awesome race car outline image on Adobe Stock. Adobe stock is awesome because once you have a license, you can use the image in any creative product!

Cost: A subscription is $29.99/month, but I used a free 30 day trial.

Instructions for Cricut:

1. Upload a .png or .jpg to Cricut
2. Make sure to remove the background, and mark any areas to keep if needed.
3. (Optional) if you’d like to use a different color for the actual car and its track underneath – I uploaded the design more than once, using the erase tool to manipulate my upload.

For the navy blue shirt with the year and track outline, I took inspiration from F1 race logos. This was a super cool design, but I would not recommend for beginners.

Due to the thin lines, it was difficult to cut, weed, and iron smoothly. I had some issues and had to re-do parts of the design and ironing to make sure everything was smooth. If you’re up for the challenge, best of luck!

1. To determine the size of the designs, I like to print a tester using scrap paper. This step ensures that my designs have thick enough lines, and that I have the right size before I cut the actual vinyl.
2. Organize your design by color.
   • For example, if you are making more than one shirt, you can cut all of the white vinyl for all the shirts at one time. You’ll just need to make sure they are all the same color in design space.
3. When arranging the designs, I like to group and use the “attach” feature when there are multiple lines of text or pieces in the same color together.
   • For example, (shown on right) I grouped and attached all of the parts in black, so the spacing would be preserved for the next step.
4. When you “Make this design,” make the appropriate selections for mat vs. no mat.
5. When arranging the design, don’t put them too close! I like to maximize space by moving things closer, but keep in mind that you may have to cut some pieces apart if they are part of different shirt designs.
6. Important: Select mirror option!
7. Make sure shiny side is down! Select Smart Iron On or Everyday Iron On and load your vinyl.
   • If you are using a mat, make sure to use a squeegee or something similar to get the vinyl stuck on the mat without bubbles.
8. Press Go and cut!
9. After finished cutting, you’ll want to “weed” the design. Before or after weeding, make sure to cut the pieces apart.
   • I like to cut before using a paper cutter and scissors. I recommend a paper cutter where possible to keep lines straight and make it easier to transfer to the shirt!

After cutting and weeding, you get to iron and make the magic happen!

Update 2024: If you have a heat press, I recommend using for this project. I’ve recently discovered how much more evenly and consistently they transfer vinyl and HIGHLY recommend. If you don’t have, no worries. A traditional home iron is what I used. Just make sure the steam function is off!

1. Iron your t-shirt first.
2. Arrange the pieces on the shirt in desired location.
   • To help make things straight/aligned, you can use a washable marker. I don’t use, but instead use the mat as a straight edge.
   • I make sure the mat is straight by using the armpit of the shirt as a guide. Then I use a ruler to make sure the distance between the edge of the straight edge (mat) and plastic backing of vinyl is the same across the entire piece.
3. Heat your iron to Cotton setting.
4. Iron the pieces of vinyl one color at a time. You may need to hold the iron on the vinyl for at least 10 seconds before releasing.
5. Remove the plastic backing once everything is ironed + sealed.
   • Let the vinyl/backing cool before trying to remove! If you try to remove the plastic, and the vinyl starts to peel up, place back down and iron again.
6. Repeat with all other colors.
   • Once the plastic is removed, make sure not to touch the hot iron directly to the vinyl on the shirt to prevent movement or mistakes.
   • Parchment paper is a great barrier to make sure your hot iron doesn’t directly touch vinyl that’s already been applied.
7. Once everything is set and plastic is removed, I like to go over the top again with the iron to make sure everything is extra sealed.
   • Make sure to use a piece of fabric or parchment paper in between the shirt/vinyl and iron. If you don’t, the vinyl could get stuck to the iron and move around!
8. If you mess anything up, you can remove the vinyl and try again
   • A great guide for helping remove vinyl at Cut, Cut, Craft here!