Can you iron HTV on crochet? I tested it so you don’t have to! See what worked and how it could save you time on your next crochet project.

I hear all the time that you’re not supposed to iron acrylic yarn, but as an experimental crochet designer, I had to find out for myself. So I tested heat transfer vinyl (HTV) on two crochet swatches, one cotton and one acrylic.

This crafty experiment started while I was designing a line of Spooky Crochet Cuddle Cats (coming soon 🎉). I noticed how crochet the skeleton was a little time consuming because of all the color changes, and thought vinyl would be so much quicker.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: “You can’t iron acrylic yarn, it’s plastic, it’ll melt!” But I iron my polyester clothes, which are also plastic, and they don’t melt. My curiosity got the best of me, and I had to try it out for myself.

If you’d rather watch this experiment than read about it, you can check out the full video on YouTube below.

Here is what I did.

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Materials Used:

• I Love This Yarn
• I Love This Cotton
• G (4.00mm) Hook
• Cricut Maker
• J and J Packaging HTV
• Printable HTV
• Foam Mats for blocking

For the sake of consistency (the key to any good science experiment), I used the same shade of green for both types of yarn.

The cotton square was 18 st x 19 rows.
The acrylic square was 16 st x 17 rows.

After making the four squares, I blocked them so they were even and flat. To block my squares, I sprayed them with water and pinned them to a foam mat.

I used my Cricut Maker to cut both kinds of HTV. I went with a simple letter “A” for my decal. It had lots of curves and edges which made it a great test subject.

I mostly followed the instructions for pressing each type of vinyl using a hand iron.

The J and J vinyl is a traditional HTV with transfer tape. I made sure to mirror the “A” cut from this vinyl before cutting it out.

I started with one of my cotton squares and the J and J HTV.

I laid the decal on the square, covered it with a protective sheet, and ironed it according to the instructions. After letting it cool, I began carefully removing the transfer tape.

This part was a little tricky. The transfer tape was super sticky and did not want to let go of the yarn or the vinyl. After giving it one more press under the iron and letting it fully cool (again), I was able to carefully remove the transfer tape.

It turned out pretty good! The crochet itself looked unharmed and the “A” was fully secure onto the square.

Next, the Printable HTV onto a cotton square.

This vinyl is not attached to a clear transfer sheet, like the J and J vinyl, so placement can be a little finicky. It’s not too bad when the decal is all one piece, but if it were in multiple pieces I think it would be pretty difficult. 

I warmed up my square, laid down the decal, covered it with a protective sheet and pressed it with my iron. I was very impressed by how well this HTV did! It stuck to the crochet easily and had a very smooth, even finish. 

Comparing the two cotton squares, both HTV brands stuck well and looked nice but the Printable HTV was much smoother. 

On to the acrylic squares!

Starting with the Printable HTV, the first thing I noticed when I removed the protective sheet was that the square looked smooshed and melty. It was not a good look.

The vinyl applied well but it had more creases than it did on the cotton square.

Next I pressed the J and J HTV. After it cooled completely, I started to remove the clear transfer backing. It seemed like the acrylic yarn was sticking to the backing more than the cotton yarn did.

Eventually, I was able to get it off without damaging the vinyl, and somehow, the J and J HTV looked less creased on the acrylic yarn than the Printable Vinyl. With the cotton yarn, it was the opposite.

Overall, the experiment went pretty well and both vinyls stuck to their squares. The cotton ones turned out great and didn’t get damaged by the iron. I can’t say the same for the acrylic squares.

I wouldn’t recommend ironing HTV onto crocheted pieces made with acrylic yarn, unless you’re intentionally going for a look that’s a little smooshed and melted.

Ironing printable HTV onto cotton yarn, though, has real potential. The only hiccup is lining up designs made with multiple pieces.

I’m sure there’s a gentle transfer tape out there that could help, but then you risk damaging the vinyl during the removal process.

I’m thinking about designing a one-piece bones decal and testing how it irons onto a Cuddle Cat. If it works out, I’ll definitely share the results over on Instagram.

Thanks so much for following along on my “iron HTV on crochet” journey. I hope you found this experiment helpful or at least interesting. If you decide to try it out yourself, I’d love to see what you come up with. Tag me @acraftyconcept so I can cheer you on.

Happy Crocheting!