Key Takeaways
- Sublimation mug blanks at 57% off: The Cricut Beveled Mug 6-pack is the cheapest I’ve tracked since February and the obvious starter for Mug Press projects.
- Heat resistant tape under three dollars: Cricut Heat Resistant Tape is the small thing sublimation projects fail without. Stock the drawer.
- EasyPress Mat at 57% off: The 12×12 EasyPress Mat sits at bestseller rank #5 in its category for a reason.
- Heat transfer paper for both shirt colors: Light and dark fabric versions of Cricut printable HTV are both half off, which rarely happens at the same time.
- Smart Vinyl rolls 60%+ off: The 13in white permanent and removable rolls are the lowest I’ve logged in 90 days.
Welcome back to the Berry Basket. The first weekend of May is when my craft room finally gets honest with itself. The Mother’s Day projects I swore I’d start in April are now urgent, the Mug Press has a thin coat of dust on it, and I can hear my EasyPress whispering that it would like a job. If you’re in the same boat, the timing on this week’s Cricut sale is a small mercy.
What jumped out scanning the arts & crafts pool this week is how deep Cricut went on its actual sublimation and heat transfer line, not just the entry vinyl rolls. Beveled mug blanks, Infusible Ink shirt blanks, the EasyPress Mat, the heat resistant tape that no sublimation project survives without, all sitting between 50 and 72 percent off at the same time. That kind of overlap usually shows up around Prime Day, not the first week of May. Prices verified May 5, 2026.
I split the picks into the sublimation core first, then the heat transfer vinyl and printable papers that share the same workflow, and finally the mats and blades that are quietly the most useful things in the cart. If you missed last week’s arts and crafts roundup, a few of those iron on picks are still live too.
What Cricut sublimation supplies are on sale this week?
The four pieces below are the actual sublimation core: blanks to print on, a mat to press against, and the heat tape that holds everything still. If you only buy from one section, buy from this one.
Cricut Beveled Mug Blanks
This is the deal of the week if you own a Mug Press. Six 12 oz ceramic-coated blanks, dishwasher and microwave safe, designed specifically for Infusible Ink and sublimation transfers. The beveled rim is what makes the press contact clean, which is why generic blanks from random sellers tend to fail at the handle seam. At this price you can practice without flinching when one comes out wonky.
- 6-pack 12 oz ceramic-coated mugs
- Mug Press and Infusible Ink compatible
- Dishwasher and microwave safe
Cricut Infusible Ink Shirt Blank
A men’s gray Infusible Ink shirt blank in size large, the kind of thing you grab when you want a Father’s Day or anniversary project to actually look professional. The polyester blend is calibrated for Infusible Ink so the colors infuse into the fiber instead of sitting on top like HTV does. Sizing runs true to standard US men’s large in my experience.
- Men's large gray tee
- Calibrated polyester for Infusible Ink
- Color infuses into fiber not on top
Cricut Heat Resistant Tape
52 feet of heat resistant tape for under three dollars is the closest thing to a no-brainer in this roundup. You will use it on every sublimation mug, every multi-color HTV layer, and every awkwardly shaped tumbler. The roll lasts a long time if you tear short pieces, and it leaves no residue when you peel it off post-press.
- 0.75 inch by 52 feet
- No-residue removal
- Essential for sublimation and HTV layering
Cricut EasyPress Mat
The 12×12 EasyPress Mat is bestseller rank #5 in its category, which tracks. It absorbs heat evenly, protects your work surface from scorching, and gives you the firm flat base that HTV and Infusible Ink need to bond properly. A folded towel works in a pinch and ruins about one in three projects. This does not.
- 12 by 12 inch heat-resistant mat
- Bestseller rank #5 in category
- Even heat distribution for HTV and Infusible Ink
Which heat transfer vinyl rolls are worth it?
HTV shares a workflow with sublimation: same press, same mat, same tape. These two rolls cover the basics and one fun finish.
Cricut Smart Iron On White
A 13 inch by 3 foot roll of Smart Iron On in white, the workhorse color you reach for on tote bags, baby onesies, and dark t-shirts where a base layer is needed. Smart material means no cutting mat with a Maker 3 or Explore 3, which saves real time on long banner cuts. Bestseller rank #11 in its category.
- 13in x 3ft roll
- Matless cutting up to 12 feet
- Compatible with Maker 3 and Explore 3
Cricut Joy Xtra Prismatic Iron On Glitter
Joy Xtra Prismatic Iron On in Glitter Sea Sparkle, three sheets at 9.5 by 12 inches. The prismatic finish actually does shift in the light instead of just being matte glitter, and it presses cleanly without the chunky flake fallout you get from cheaper craft store glitter HTV. Good fit for Mother’s Day cards mounted onto canvas, or a daughter’s birthday tee.
- Glitter Sea Sparkle finish
- 9.5 x 12 inch sheets, 3 count
- Prismatic light shift, low fallout
Which printable transfer papers should you grab?
If you have an inkjet printer and a Cricut, printable HTV bridges the gap to full-color designs without buying a sublimation printer. Both shirt-color versions are half off this week.
Cricut Heat Transfer Paper for Light Shirts
Five sheets of printable heat transfer paper sized for light fabrics, compatible with Joy Xtra, Explore, and Maker. You print your design with an inkjet, cut on the Cricut, then iron or press onto cotton. Light shirt paper is thinner and softer to the touch than the dark version, so it’s the better pick for white tees and pastel onesies.
- 5 sheets, 8.5 x 11 inch
- Inkjet printable HTV
- Works with Joy Xtra, Explore, Maker
Cricut Heat Transfer Paper for Dark Shirts
Three sheets of dark fabric heat transfer paper, the version with the opaque white backing layer that lets your colors show on black or navy. Fewer sheets in the pack because each sheet is more expensive to make. The print comes out a touch stiffer than the light paper and that’s just physics, not a flaw.
- 3 sheets, 8.5 x 11 inch
- Opaque backing for dark fabrics
- Inkjet printable HTV
Smart Vinyl and printable sticker paper
Two adhesive vinyl picks for the projects that don’t involve heat. The white permanent roll is the most-used color in the Cricut catalog, and the printable sticker paper unlocks waterproof inkjet stickers without leaving the house.
Cricut Smart Permanent Vinyl White
White Smart Permanent Vinyl, 13 inches wide by 3 feet long. Bestseller rank #11 in its category and the lowest price I’ve tracked in 90 days. Permanent vinyl is what you want for tumblers, mugs that get hand-washed, and outdoor signage. The matless cutting up to 12 feet means you can run a whole car decal in one pass.
- 13in x 3ft white roll
- Matless cutting up to 12 feet
- Lowest price tracked in 90 days
Cricut Vinyl Sticker Paper
Twelve clear printable vinyl sticker sheets, 8.5 by 11 inches, designed for inkjet printers. You print, then cut on a Maker, Explore, or Joy Xtra to make custom stickers without ordering them. Clear backing means the sticker disappears around your design, which looks much more polished than white-edged kiss-cuts.
- 12 clear sheets, 8.5 x 11 inch
- Inkjet printable sticker vinyl
- Compatible with Maker, Explore, Joy Xtra
What tools and mats are worth grabbing?
The boring stuff that makes everything else work better. A fabric mat for cutting felt and t-shirt cotton, and a five pack of fine point blades that you should buy before yours dulls.
Cricut Fabric Grip Mat
The 12×24 Pink Fabric Grip Mat is the right tool when you cut felt, fleece, or bonded cotton, all of which Mother’s Day projects love. The grip is stronger than the blue StandardGrip but tuned so fabric peels off without stretching. It outlasts the StrongGrip when used as intended for fabric only.
- 12 x 24 inch pink mat
- Tuned grip for felt, fleece, cotton
- Reusable with protective film
Cricut Fine Point Replacement Blades
A five pack of Premium Fine Point replacement blades for Maker and Explore machines. Most people wait too long to swap their blade and then blame the machine for tearing vinyl. At fifty percent off you can stock the drawer and replace at the first sign of drag. Alloy steel, cuts light to mid-weight materials.
- 5 pack alloy steel blades
- Premium fine-point design
- Compatible with Maker and Explore machines
Frequently asked questions
What Cricut supplies do you actually need for sublimation?
The minimum kit is a heat press or EasyPress, a heat-safe mat, sublimation-compatible blanks like the Cricut beveled mugs or Infusible Ink shirt blanks, heat resistant tape, and a sublimation print source which is either Infusible Ink sheets or a sublimation printer with paper. Cricut sells the blanks, mats, and tape natively, which is why this week’s sale is unusually well-rounded.
Can the Cricut Maker cut Smart Vinyl?
Yes, but only the Maker 3 and Explore 3 support the matless cutting feature that makes Smart Vinyl useful. Original Maker and Explore Air 2 machines can technically cut Smart Vinyl on a mat, but you lose the long-cut advantage. The 13 inch white roll in this roundup is built for Maker 3 and Explore 3.
Is Cricut heat transfer paper the same as sublimation paper?
No. Heat transfer paper, like the Cricut printable HTV in this post, uses inkjet ink that bonds to fabric through a polymer layer pressed onto the shirt. Sublimation paper uses dye that turns to gas and infuses into polyester fibers. Both work with a Cricut workflow, but sublimation requires a dedicated sublimation printer and polyester or poly-coated blanks.
How long does heat resistant tape last?
The 52 foot Cricut roll lasts most home crafters six months to a year if you tear short two inch pieces for each project. Store it away from heat and direct sunlight so the adhesive does not cure on the roll. It leaves no residue at press temperatures up to about 400 degrees.
Are these prices the lowest of the year?
For the EasyPress Mat, beveled mug blanks, and 13 inch Smart Vinyl rolls, yes, these match or beat the lows I tracked over the last 90 days. The heat transfer paper sits at its typical sale price, which appears every six to eight weeks. Prices verified May 5, 2026.
The Cricut sale this week runs from 50 percent off on the tools and printable papers up to 72 percent on the basic iron-on rolls, with the meaningful sublimation pieces clustered between 53 and 65 percent off. The starting prices are the real Cricut MSRPs I track every month, not inflated reference numbers, which is the part that matters. A Mug Press starter kit built from this list runs cheaper than the same blanks bought separately at Michaels with a 40 percent coupon, and I checked.
The standout for me is the beveled mug 6-pack at 57 percent off. Sublimation mugs are the project most people quit on because they buy generic blanks that fail at the seam, and these are the ones the Mug Press is actually engineered around. The EasyPress Mat is the second pick I’d grab. The one I’d skip unless you specifically need it is the dark fabric heat transfer paper at three sheets, which is fine but not the screaming deal the light version is.
Looking ahead, Cricut almost always discounts the actual machines closer to mid-May for Mother’s Day, so if you’ve been waiting on a Mug Press or Joy Xtra, hold one more week before pulling the trigger on a bundle. The supplies in this roundup though, those I’d grab now. They don’t get cheaper between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, and if you’re planning anything for graduation season the sublimation blanks tend to thin out fast in the second half of May. You can browse all deals if you want to see what else is moving this week.



![Cricut EasyPress Mat, Protective Heat-Resistant Mat for Heat Press Machines and HTV and Iron On Projects, [12" x 12"] (2004475)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41FNKJcKcfL._SL160_.jpg)







