Happy Cut HTV – Product Review & Project Idea
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Testing materials is part of my job and I’m always willing to try new products. So when Happy Crafters asked me to review their Happy Cut HTV, I was more than “happy” to say yes! 🙂
The marketing information for Happy Cut HTV claims that it’s a “magical” product that “applies more quickly and at a lower temperature than most (other) HTV.” So let’s put it to the test!
Before we get started, I’ll be 100% transparent and tell you that I am an affiliate for Happy Crafters. That means if you make a purchase using my links, I may make a small commission (even though the price you pay is the same). Happy Crafters provided me with this product in exchange for my review, but I received no other compensation. All opinions here are my own and I do not recommend products that I wouldn’t purchase for myself.
The Design
Happy Cut has a completely matte-finish and comes in 19 colors, including Ladybug Red – my inspiration for this project!
The base for my design was the Love Bug Folded Card (Silhouette Design Store ID 116661). (Yes, you can totally use designs meant for paper piecing in your HTV projects!!!)
I added some text using the ZP Ladybug Font (Silhouette Design Store ID 293816). Are you noticing a trend here? I guess you could say I went a little buggy!
For a little bit of extra fun, I replaced the “O” in “Love” with a copy of one of the hearts from the Love Bug Folded Card design.
Time to cut…
I first tried the Heat Transfer, Smooth preset in the Silhouette Studio software, but found it didn’t cut all the way through. I increased the force a bit, which matched the recommended settings listed on the Happy Crafters website:
Blade: 2
Force: 5
Speed: 8
With that one little tweak, the cut was perfect! The Happy Cut weeded cleanly with very little effort. I peeled away the excess by hand and only needed a weeding tool for inner areas (the hearts and the center of the letters). Even the thin lettering cut like butter.
On to the heat press!
The Happy Cut application directions list a temperature of 275 degrees Fahrenheit and a press time of 5 seconds at medium pressure. Can this really be true? The answer is YES!
I used a heat press but the lower temperature requirements mean that Happy Cut can also be applied with a standard household iron (linen heat setting). That’s great news if you’re a crafter who doesn’t want to invest in a heat press!
I pressed the base (black) layer for 2 seconds, removed the carrier sheet, pressed the top (red) layer for 4 seconds, and then removed the top carrier sheet. The results were fantastic!
For good measure, I also pressed from the back for another 4 seconds. This may or may not be necessary for other projects since my original press adhered quite well.
Now let’s try something else…
You probably noticed in the above photos that I altered my base layer to eliminate bulk. But what if you don’t want to do that? How does Happy Cut perform when layered? What about other materials? In the original project, I applied the design to a 100% cotton shirt. How does Happy Cut perform on polyester?
I decided to put these questions to the test and again I was very pleased (or should I say happy) with the results!
Happy Cut is thin so you can layer it without any bulk. The low-temperature setting was great for this 100% polyester shirt. Again, with a press of only 2 seconds on the base and 4 seconds on top, the HTV adhered well.
Like any HTV, Happy Cut can be felt on the shirt but it is definitely thinner than other brands that I’ve tried. The antennae and text portions of the design are so thin that they almost appear printed on the shirt, yet there is good coverage of color.
If you look VERY closely, you can see a bit of the black color underneath the red where it overlaps on the antennae but it’s not that noticeable looking at the design as a whole. Let’s just agree that if someone is examining your work that closely and wants to critique, they are NOT your friend!
Summary
All in all, I was very impressed with Happy Cut and believe it lives up to all its claims:
- Cuts easily
- Quick application time
- Lower application temperature, making it suitable for use with a standard home iron
- Thin and soft
- Completely matte finish
- Can be layered
- Applicable to a variety of materials
- Available in a wide variety of colors
- Economical
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I really enjoyed using this product and look forward to trying it on even more projects in the future. I’m very HAPPY to recommend Happy Cut to you and hope you’ll let me know the results when you try it. Just leave a comment below or come join me in the Silhouette Crafters by Design Facebook group!
Until next time,
Lycia is a lifelong crafter whose goal is to help others find value, confidence, and joy in whatever they create. She geeks out on using technology to supercharge craft projects with Silhouette Studio, Design Space, Glowforge, sublimation, etc.! Lycia teaches these skills and more through online tutorials and videos as well as in-person classes at both the local and national levels.