Sublimation Blanks to use with the Cricut Mug Press: Tumblers, Jars, Mugs, & More #cricutmugpress #infusibleink

Share the love!

You can put lots of other sublimation blanks and drinkware into your Cricut Mug Press! Find out what you can sublimate with your Cricut Mug Press, how it fits, and how it looks!

I love to test things, so it’ll come as no surprise to learn that I’ve been testing my Cricut Mug Press with a variety of drinkware and blanks beyond the official Cricut mugs (of course, I have created the cutest mug boxes to go with my 11 oz. and 15 oz. mugs). The two big keys to determining what you can and can’t put in the Cricut Mug Press are SUBLIMATION COATING and SIZE. For Infusible Inks to transfer properly, they need to bind with polyester or polymer surfaces. And because the Cricut Mug Press has a size limit of 3.2-3.4 inch diameter (or a circumference of 10-10.5 inches), any blank we use needs to fall within that range, give or take a little. A good Cricut Mug Press blank is one that has a poly coating (sublimation coating) and can fit inside without being too loose.

This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience (which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link I will earn a small commission but it won’t cost you a penny more)! Read my full disclosure policy.

Materials to Test the Sublimation Blanks in the Cricut Mug Press

View my Amazon shopping list with the exact items I used to test everything!

Amazon Tip: When searching for sublimation blanks on Amazon, be aware that non-sublimation blanks will show up in your search. Several times I bought items that I thought were sublimation blanks because they showed up in my search, and only later realized they were just plain blanks. I tested them anyway (and they failed). So be careful and always read the details!

Safety First: Work in a well ventilated room with an open window and/or fan moving air around. And protect both your work surface and your hands with heat resistant pads and gloves.

Here’s a description and photo of everything I’ve tried putting into my Cricut Mug Press so far. 

Let’s start with what everyone is wondering about…

Everyday Ceramic Mugs (Dollar Tree, Target, Ace, etc.)

I knew basic ceramic mugs wouldn’t work because they are lacking the poly coating we need for the Infusible Ink to bind to, but everyone asks me about them so I want to SHOW you what happens when we try. As you can see, not much happens — the ink is ghosted on there, but you can rub it right off with your fingers. 

A simple ceramic Dollar Store mug pressed with Infusible Ink on the Cricut Mug Press

  • Where I bought these mugs: Ace Hardware (my Dollar Tree had no blank mugs)
  • How they fit in the Cricut Mug Press: Fine, they are the same size as the 12 oz. Cricut mugs
  • How are they packaged? No packaging
  • How they turned out: Terrible! The Infusible Ink wipes right off because there is no poly coating. Do not waste your ink on these.

Basic Ceramic Mugs + Sublimation Coating

Okay, but what if you put your own poly coating on a basic mug? I bought some sublimation coating for mugs, ceramic, glass, etc. and tried it. It was messy and fussy, and it required I bake it in my craft-only convection oven. If you get the sublimation coating, we recommend you bake it for 15 minutes at 300 F when you cure it. Also, do yourself a favor and buy some disposable measuring cups or syringes for mixing the coating. Here’s how it turned out:

Sublimation blank made from a dollar store mug and sublimation coating, then pressed with Infusible Ink in a Cricut Mug Press

  • Where I bought these mugs: Ace Hardware + Amazon
  • How they fit in the Cricut Mug Press: Fine, they about the same size as the 12 oz. Cricut mugs
  • How are they packaged? No packaging
  • How they turned out: Not good! The coating was just not good enough. While some Infusible Ink definitely transferred, it’s splotchy and not vibrant.

Basic 11 Oz. White Sublimation Mugs (Povokici)

If you can’t get hold of the 12 oz. Cricut mugs, these basic white sublimation mugs work great. I bought a 36-count box of these mugs before I could get many Cricut mugs, and they worked perfectly. Most of my early mugs were made with these sublimation mugs, in fact! The biggest problem with these is the price — they’re more expensive than the Cricut mugs! (The 36 count box of Cricut mugs are a VERY GOOD price!) The one thing these sublimation mugs have that the 12 oz. Cricut mugs do not is a BOX — each one comes in its own white box, and this could be important if you plan to gift or sell them. (Note: I tried other basic sublimation coffee mugs, but they either had beveled edges which is not ideal for the Cricut Mug Press or they didn’t have enough sublimation coating on them to make them viable, so not all sublimation mugs are the same. If you must have a 15 oz. mug, here’s a 15 oz mug I tried and was able to sublimate on fine, but note that it does have a beveled bottom)

Sublimation blank mug made with blue and red Infusible Ink transfer sheets on the Cricut Mug Press

  • Where I bought these mugs: Amazon
  • How many in the box? 36 mugs
  • How they fit in the Cricut Mug Press: Perfect — these feel the same as the 12 oz. Cricut mugs
  • How are they packaged? Individual white boxes
  • How they turned out: Great! I used nearly all of the 36 mugs I bought and saw no defects or issues with the coating. 

Colored Handle Sublimation Mugs (Many Colors)

Love those gray-rimmed and handled mugs Cricut offers, but wish you could get them in different colors? These colored-handle mugs are the solution! And cost-wise, they are comparable to Cricut’s very reasonably priced mugs. The set I got came in 12 different handle colors and had matching rims, but you can also get them with full color inside the mug. There are also some glitter mugs, but beware — they will dull your Infusible Ink colors and I don’t generally recommend them unless you’re using very dark ink colors. Do not get the solid colored ones at all, as they will make it hard to see your Infusible Ink design unless you’re only using black. 

Color-handle and rimmed sublimation mug with Infusible Ink and the Cricut Mug Press

  • Where I bought them: Amazon
  • How many in the box? 12 mugs
  • How they fit in the Cricut Mug Press: Perfect — these feel the same as the 12 oz. Cricut mugs, just with colored rims and handles
  • How are they packaged? Individual white boxes
  • How they turned out: Great! And I love the variety of colors.

Color Changing Sublimation Mugs (3 Colors)

Color changing mugs have a special glaze on the ceramic that disappears when you pour hot liquid into the mug. And because Infusible Ink is transparent, you can put designs on the color changing mugs that are invisible until the mug changes color! So fun! Tip: The darker the color changing mug, the more invisible your design before the color change.

Blue color changing mug made with red and yellow Infusible Ink transferred with the Cricut Mug Press

  • Where I bought them: Amazon
  • How many in the box? 6 mugs
  • How they fit in the Cricut Mug Press: Perfect — these feel the same as the 12 oz. Cricut mugs
  • How are they packaged? Individual white boxes
  • How they turned out: Great! The color change effect is SO cool.

Color Changing Sublimation Mugs (Black Only)

I tried another brand of color changing mugs that were black only. They worked as well as the others, but they did NOT come in their own boxes — just a big brick of stryofoam. Don’t be confused by how they say they are “white mugs” — they ARE white when heated, but they have the black heat sensitive coating on them.

Black color change mug with Infusible Ink flower transferred with the Cricut Mug Press

  • Where I bought them: Amazon
  • How many in the box? 8 mugs
  • How they fit in the Cricut Mug Press: Perfect — these feel the same as the 12 oz. Cricut mugs
  • How are they packaged? Styrofoam
  • How they turned out: Great! The color change effect is super fun.

Stainless Steel Camp Coffee Cup (PYD Life)

These double-wall 10 oz. coffee mugs are metal rather than ceramic, if you want something that won’t break. They are sublimation coated and worked well.

Metal sublimation camp mugs with Infusible Ink made on a Cricut Mug Press

  • Where I bought them: Amazon
  • How many in the box? 4
  • How they fit in the Cricut Mug Press: Great!
  • How are they packaged? Brown gift box
  • How they turned out: Excellent! Highly recommended this one.

Sublimation Stainless Steel Mason Jar with Lid and Metal Straw

Adorable white-coated metal Mason jars! They look and feel amazing. And they won’t break because they’re metal! This one is my favorite of all!

Sublimation metal Mason Jar with Infusible Ink made on the Cricut Mug Press

  • Where I bought them: Amazon and HeatTransferWarehouse.com
  • How many in the box? 4
  • How they fit in the Cricut Mug Press: Snugly, but they do fit.
  • How are they packaged? Individually in brown gift boxes
  • How they turned out: My FAVORITE! So cute and the color is vibrant!

Sublimation Glass Mason Jar with Lid and Metal Straw

The product lists them as clear and transparent, and they are, but they still have a slightly cloudy appearance due to the sublimation coating. Note that these hollow glass items are no longer supported in the Cricut Mug Press, as it can cause heating issues.

Glass Mason Jar with Infusible Ink sublimated on a Cricut Mug Press

  • Where I bought them: Amazon
  • How many in the box? 2
  • How they fit in the Cricut Mug Press: Great
  • How are they packaged? In individual boxes
  • How they turned out: Pretty good. I mean, it’s glass and the ink is transparent, so you won’t get anything quite as vibrant, but if that’s the effect you want, they worked! 

Frosted Beer Glass

I had such high hopes for this, as did Greg. It’s labelled as a sublimation blank — but clearly it did not work with the Cricut Mug Press. Note that these hollow glass items are no longer supported in the Cricut Mug Press, as it can cause heating issues.

Frosted glass beer mug with sublimated Infusible iNk

  • Where I bought them: Amazon
  • How many in the box? 2
  • How they fit in the Cricut Mug Press: Great
  • How are they packaged? Individually in brown gift boxes
  • How they turned out: Poor. Not enough ink transferred to make these viable.

Regular Glass with Sublimation Coating

These are regular glasses I found at Target (Room Essentials brand). We applied a liquid sublimation coating to them and cured it in our craft-only convection oven to see if it would work. The coating creates a texture on the glass which is not unappealing, but is also not completely clear like a regular glass. Note that these hollow glass items are no longer supported in the Cricut Mug Press, as it can cause heating issues.

Glass with sublimation coating and Infusible Ink made with the Cricut Mug Press

  • Where I bought them: Target
  • How many in the box? 1
  • How they fit in the Cricut Mug Press: Great
  • How are they packaged? None
  • How they turned out: Surprisingly well considering these are homemade sublimation glasses.

Stainless Steel Can Cooler

I like this one because it would also make a great pencil cup or vase! And it turned out awesome!

Can cooler made with Infusible Ink on the Cricut Mug Press

  • Where I bought them: Amazon
  • How many in the box? 4
  • How they fit in the Cricut Mug Press: Great
  • How are they packaged? Individually in white gift boxes
  • How they turned out: Excellent color!

Stemless Wine Glass Tumbler with Lid (Maars Bev)

These wine tumblers have nearly straight sides and fit well in the Cricut Mug Press. They also seem like very good quality! I bought the white ones, thinking they were sublimation mugs (because they showed up in my search), but THEY WERE NOT SUBLIMATION BLANKS. Do not make my mistake. I am surprised they took any ink at all. Instead, try these 3.1 in. sublimation wine tumblers — they may be a little small, however, and I haven’t received mine yet to check.

Wine tumbler with Infusible Ink on the Cricut Mug Press

  • Where I bought them: Amazon
  • How many in the box? 1
  • How they fit in the Cricut Mug Press: Not good, and the mug press would not “work” (the LED lights did not light up)
  • How are they packaged? ?
  • How they turned out: Horrible!

Stainless Steel Ringed Tumbler – 20 oz.

This is for all of my friends who love tumblers! It sublimated beautifully and as only the top half is smooth, it works well with the Cricut Mug Press since we’re not expected to sublimate the ringed bottom anyway.

White metal tumbler with Infusible Ink made on the Cricut Mug Press

  • Where I bought them: Amazon
  • How many in the box? 1
  • How they fit in the Cricut Mug Press: Okay upside down, but a tight squeeze.
  • How are they packaged? ?
  • How they turned out: Great! Just a little fading near the bottom where the rings are.

Powder Coat Tumbler with Tapered Bottom

Bought these by accident — they are NOT sublimation ready. I am surprised they took ink. The powder coating must have a little polymer in it. The color is not vibrant and the Infusible Ink transfer sheets had to be soaked off with water.

Powder coated tumbler with Infusible Ink

  • Where I bought them: Amazon
  • How many in the box? 12
  • How they fit in the Cricut Mug Press: Okay if you put it in upside down.
  • How are they packaged? ?
  • How they turned out: Better than expected, but these are not intended for sublimation

Powder Coat Tumbler with Straight Sides

Bought these by accident — they are NOT sublimation ready. Some ink transferred, but very unreliably.

Powder coated tumbler with Infusible INk

  • Where I bought them: Amazon
  • How many in the box? 6
  • How they fit in the Cricut Mug Press: Good.
  • How are they packaged? ?
  • How they turned out: Fail

Walmart Water Bottle (Mainstays)

I saw someone sublimate these water bottles from Walmart and I decided to try it. But they are too narrow for the Cricut Mug Press and I couldn’t get a good contact to properly sublimate these. Also, these are not actually sublimation blanks. But, hey, fun to experiment!

Walmart water bottle sublimated with Infusible Ink on the Cricut Mug Press

  • Where I bought them: Walmart
  • How many in the box? 1
  • How they fit in the Cricut Mug Press: Too loose, would not auto-press
  • How are they packaged? No packaging
  • How they turned out: Not great, maybe okay?

Walmart Wine Tumbler (TAL)

I saw someone sublimate these wine tumblers from Walmart! My Walmart was completely out, but one of my team members (Courtney) found them and tried them for us! Again, these are not actually sublimation blanks. And they have to be angled funny in the Cricut Mug Press. But as you can see, some ink did transfer.

Walmart wine tumbler with pink powder coating and Infusible INk

  • Where I bought them: Walmart
  • How many in the box? 1
  • How they fit in the Cricut Mug Press: Wrong shape, would not auto-press, you have to lean it against one side
  • How are they packaged? No packaging
  • How they turned out: Not great, maybe okay?

Stainless Steel Sublimation “Coke Can” Water Bottle with Straw

These are narrow “can-like” metal water bottles. The edges are bevelled. The biggest issue is that the can is too narrow at only 3 inches diameter. I was able to get Infusible Ink to transfer to one side of the can by pushing it up against it and leaving it in the press for about five minutes, but that’s about it. I do NOT recommend this blank due to its size. And the bee didn’t transfer at all!

Sublimation "coke can" with Infusible Ink made on the Cricut Mug Press

  • Where I bought them: Amazon
  • How many in the box? 2
  • How they fit in the Cricut Mug Press: Poor, they are too narrow (only 3″) and the heat plates do not touch the full circumference of the bottle
  • How are they packaged? Individual boxes
  • How they turned out: Not great

Sublimation Aluminum Water Bottle

Like the cans described above, these are too narrow at only 3 inches in diameter. And the heat plates could not make contact with the full bottle. If you try them, be sure to unscrew and remove the plastic top before you put them in the mug press. While it turned out, I do not recommend this blank.

Sublimation water bottle with blue Infusible Ink

  • Where I bought them: Amazon
  • How many in the box? 5
  • How they fit in the Cricut Mug Press: Poor, they are too narrow (only 3″) and the heat plates do not touch the full circumference of the bottle
  • How are they packaged? Individual boxes
  • How they turned out: Fine, but you can only do one side

Stainless Steel Sublimation Skinny Tumbler

One more experiment because everyone asked for it … the skinny tumbler. Alas, it is just too narrow for the mug press. I was able to sublimate the Infusible Ink by resting the side with the design against the heat plates for a few minutes, and flipping it over to do the other half, but it could not use the auto features of the Cricut Mug Press.

Skinny tumbler made of metal with a white coating and Infusible INk

  • Where I bought them: Amazon
  • How many in the box? 1
  • How they fit in the Cricut Mug Press: Poor, they are too narrow (only 3″) and the heat plates do not touch the full circumference of the bottle
  • How are they packaged? ?
  • How they turned out: Surprisingly good

16 oz. Clear Glass Sublimation Beer Stein

  • Where I bought them: CoastalBusiness.com
  • How many in the box? 2 or 24
  • How they fit in the Cricut Mug Press: Not yet sure … they haven’t arrived yet
  • How are they packaged? Not yet sure
  • How they turned out: Not yet sure, but I believe they will work!

14 oz. Stainless Steel Pilsner Tumbler

  • Where I bought them: HeatTransferWarehouse.com
  • How many in the box? 1
  • How they fit in the Cricut Mug Press: Not yet sure … they haven’t arrived yet
  • How are they packaged? Not yet sure
  • How they turned out: Not yet sure, but I believe they will work as they are the right size

Sublimation Travel Mug

  • Where I bought them: Amazon
  • How many in the box? 2
  • How they fit in the Cricut Mug Press: Excellent!
  • How are they packaged? Not yet sure
  • How they turned out: Not yet sure, but I believe they will work!

Stemless Wine Glass Tumblers

The ones I thought would work did not, so I’ve got new ones on order: 3.1 in. sublimation wine tumblers — they may be a little small, however, and I haven’t received mine yet to check.

  • Where I bought them: Amazon
  • How many in the box? 6
  • How they fit in the Cricut Mug Press: Not yet sure
  • How are they packaged? Not yet sure
  • How they turned out: Not yet sure

 

 

General Advice on Using Cricut Mug Press Sublimation Blanks

The size matters a LOT. Too big and it won’t fit, too small and the mug press’s heat plates won’t make contact. Your best best is blanks with a diameter of 3.2-3.4 inches or a circumference of 10-10.7 inches.

Be sure to remove all plastic before pressing — sublimation mugs will let you pull off or screw off plastic components.

Wear heat-resistant gloves to pull items out without handles.

When in doubt, always test first!

Trim your transfer sheet to make it easier to position on your blank.

Secure your design to your blank with the Cricut heat-resistant tape so it doesn’t move around or slip. Some blanks have a rougher surface that your liner just won’t want to stick to.

When pressing is done, be careful not to let the design shift across the surface of the blank or you may get ghosting.

Let the design cool before removing it, as it will be very hot.

 

Get my free SVG designs for your Cricut Mug Press Projects!


If you make a mug, tumbler, jar, or water bottle with your Cricut Mug Press, please share a photo in my helpful Cricut Facebook group or tag me on social media with #jennifermaker.

Love,

JenniferMaker.com

Want to remember this? Save the Cricut Mug Press Blank Guide to your favorite Pinterest board!

Sublimation Blanks to use with the Cricut Mug Press: Tumblers, Jars, Mugs, & More #cricutmugpress #infusibleink

Similar Posts

38 Comments

    1. Hi Ora! I have only just begun to cover sublimation. This blog post goes over various sublimation blanks to use with your Cricut Mug Press. Sublimation blanks are polyester coated.

  1. Jennifer, I looked for the stainless steel mason jar with lid and straw that you said was your favorite, and it only has a silver color not the white. Did you do something to it? These are SO cute! I would like to make these for my grandkids!!

    1. Beth, please find where I talk about them in this blog post and you will find two links, one for Amazon and the other for HeatTrasferWarehouse.

  2. This amazing and beyond thorough! Have you (or do you plan on) trying nonCricut sublimation paper? I know that you can buy printed designs or print your own. I’ve been reaearching sublimation but the oven thing had me reconsidering but this makes it seem so much easier!

  3. Jennifer, thank you for posting this! I’ve been looking forward to it. I clicked the link for the white metal mason jars, but it goes to silver only, with no option for the white. Is it the correct link? I’ve search Amazon & Google, but no luck, Help! They are so pretty and I can’t wait to make some!

    1. Isabel, locate the section on the jars you are looking for. There you will see two listings, one through Amazon and the other through HeatTransferWarehouse. I just checked for another reader and they are linked correctly.

  4. Yes Ora, you need sublimation ink. You can’t use regular ink. I use the Epson eco tank 2750 for smaller projects & for larger projects, I use the Epson 7820. You CANNOT mix regular ink with sublimation ink, it WILL NOT work. You have to use sublimation ink only. If you buy a printer that comes pre filled, that won’t work either. Eco tank is best because you just buy the sublimation ink & fill the tank up yourself. I hope this was helpful.

  5. Hi Jennifer,
    Will you be posting a video regarding adding several colors onto a mug to press in the Cricuit Mug Press?

    1. Hi Britney, I have not but if they have sublimation tumblers, they should work similar to my others here.

  6. After reading this, I was wondering if you could use the wrap that you used in your first video when testing the different sublimation presses, for the thinner or skinnier tumblers? I don’t know if it would fit in the Cricut, but it might make it a little more bulky so it could press. The wrap that works in the oven. Just a thought.

  7. First of all, THANK YOU! This is extremely helpful and super informative. I hate to bother you but a quick question…SUBLIMATION ALUMINUM WATER BOTTLE…I see where you said you can only print one side as too narrow. Can you not put it back in and do the other side? I feel you would have done that if possible but wanted to double check. TIA! 🙂

    1. Hi Christin! You do run the risk of burning your already pressed design. I haven’t even tried it due to this risk.

  8. Hi Jennifer! I just received the Cricut mug press as a gift and I am very excited! I was curious if you or your subscribers have found a source for sublimation blanks in Canada. Amazon Canada has the white mugs but not the other products you mention. I did find a 2pk of Navy handled mugs for about $50 CDN. I really enjoy your videos and always learn something!

  9. Hi Jennifer
    I’m new and getting as much information I can, my question is, can “everyday iron-on” be used with the Cricut Mug Press.

    1. Hi Carolyn! No, you will only want to use infusible ink or sublimation paper, you need a special sublimation printer to use sublimation paper.

  10. I made my first three mugs and they came out great. I was wondering if it would work to put something in the bottom of the cup on the inside. So when you drank all your coffee you could see a cute saying. Have you tried this. Do you think it would work?

    1. Hi Nancy! I have not tried this but I do not believe it would work as the bottom plate of the mug press is not intended for pressing designs onto mugs with and I do not know the safety of the infusible ink when coming into contact with someone like that. You would need to reach out to Cricut for further research.

  11. I saw there is a thing called Shrink Wrap sublimation sleeves that you can print and then put around a mug or tumbler and then use a heat gun to adhere it to the product. Can you use these shrink wraps in the mug press?

  12. Oooops. I got excited and ordered submilation tumblers that are only 3 inches in diameter. Could I just add extra layers of butcher paper for a tight fit? Do you think the heat would make it through the extra paper well enough?

  13. Have you tried the wine tumblers yet that you had on order? I am curious how they turned out? I tried a non sublimation one and it was a fail (I am not surprised) with faded colors in areas.

    1. We have not had time to test out the wine tumblers yet, but are hoping to get to them soon, Stephanie! 🙂

  14. Hi, I am curious about putting all these different items in the mug press. Will it void the warranty. I had my press for only a week and only used Cricut mugs and it stopped working. They are replacing it but I am nervous to try any other than the Cricut mugs. I also am dissapointed that it has not been shipped when I made contact with them 4 days ago.

    1. I am so sorry to hear about your mug press! I definitely suggest you reach out to Cricut directly regarding warranty questions as they will be able to provide you the most accurate answers!

  15. can you share the link for the sublimation paper templates you print on for each of these items? Cricut’s print then cut feature wont allow me to use the ones I found online.

    1. No, Rene, you can’t use Print then Cut to make these mugs! You have to use Cricut Infusible Ink sheets! We talk about how to create great mugs with the Cricut Mug Press in this tutorial about Layered Infusible Ink Mugs! 🙂

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.