Have you ever used a textured heat transfer vinyl material before? It is a super simple way to give your designs a little something extra - and we all love a little something extra! Our flock HTV, which is a textured iron on material, is no exception. It is incredibly soft, touchably fuzzy and it is actually much thinner than you would think. Add it to a shirt and you’ll see how good it feels and how hard it is to stop running your fingers over it all day - not in a weird way, of course!😂 It is just so. dang. soft!

The look and feel of flock aren't the only things that make this product a must have. Find out what else makes this material a necessity in your iron on collection, how to use it and a few tips & tricks to ensure you’re getting the most out of your flock!

Our Favorite Flock Features 

Flock is something special. We have a few basic colors that can be used endlessly throughout your heat transfer vinyl projects. 

Easy to Weed - Even the Most Intricate Designs 

You would think a textured material like flock would give you a hard time when it comes to cutting, weeding and applying - but fortunately that is not the case. I cut this material on the same setting I use for our matte iron-on and it always weeds beautifully. Whether you are using it as the background for a lot of layers or you’re cutting out an extremely intricate piece like the butterfly below, you can always count on flock being easy to weed.

 

(For the American Flag butterfly, I used black flock, royal blue and red liquid metallic and white matte HTV.)

Additionally, even the smallest pieces stay adhered to the carrier sheet, making weeding even easier. That actually brings me to a quick note about the carrier sheet for flock HTV. You will notice that once you weed out the negative pieces, some fuzz will remain on your carrier sheet. Don’t worry, that will not transfer to your garment when you press or iron it. 


The Best Base for Layering

Do you have a project that has a lot of layers to line up? I suggest incorporating flock into the design. It has very minimal - if any shrinkage - when it gets heated up a lot so you don’t have to stress about gaps in your designs. I like to use it as my base and then add my other materials to it. You can layer it with more flock, or with other iron on materials that can be layered like matte, glitter & patterned. 

Check out how I did that below:


The Subtle Soft Texture 

When looking at designs straight on you can’t really see that flock is textured, but you can definitely feel it! This suede-like material is super soft making it a great choice for pajamas, kids clothes, blankets and really anything else you want to add some dimension and texture to. It is similar to embroidery, but with an HTV cutter, you can create any size and any design you want with flock. 

Using Flock HTV 


If you’re ready to give flock a try, be sure you mirror your design on your cutter’s software and that you place the material with the shiny (carrier sheet) side down on your mat. If this is the first time using flock, you should do a test cut but we recommend using the same cut setting you use for matte heat transfer vinyl. 

Align your design on your garment of choice and get ready to press. The carrier sheet for flock is not very sticky once you weed out the pieces you do not need so, you can keep it in place with heat safe tape if you’re worried about any slippage when pressing. 

How to Apply Flock HTV with a Heat Press 

  1. Set your heat press between 305-310º
  2. Place your design where you want it, and cover it with a Teflon sheet or a piece of parchment paper.
  3. Press your design for 10 seconds. 
  4. Allow the design to cool completely before you remove the carrier sheet. 
  5. Reveal your soft & fuzzy design! 
  6. Note- If you have a design with multiple pieces or layers, press your first layers for just a few seconds. Do a full press for 10 seconds on the last layer.

How to Apply Flock HTV with an Iron

  1. Turn your home iron to the hottest setting - that is usually the cotton setting. Make sure you DO NOT USE STEAM!
  2. Center your design on your garment and cover it with a Teflon sheet or a piece of parchment paper. 
  3. Use firm pressure and iron your design for 20 seconds. If the design is bigger than the iron, iron the design in sections for 15-20 seconds to adhere the entire design. Try not to slide the iron back and forth, use it more like a press. 
  4. Allow your design to cool completely before removing the carrier sheet. 
  5. Reveal your finished design!

Flock is a super fun material, and with one use you’ll see why I always keep it my craft supplies. If you have any questions about flock, or any of our other products, join our iCraft Vinyl group to hear from our customers, get inspiration and to stay updated on our daily sales. 

Join here: https://bit.ly/3y7Mwas

Happy Crafting!