If you have ever worked with clear vinyl, you know that, no matter how hard you try to keep it flat, it can get wrinkled. I’ll show you how to fix those wrinkles with an iron!
This cute little pup, part of the Bark Buddies set, can be used for quilts, pillows, and zip bags.
Sammy, our Goldendoodle, loves his travel bag. Although he doesn't seem to be too pleased I'm taking his picture rather than actually traveling with his "travel" bag. The vinyl window lets us see exactly what is inside.
When you make a bag with a vinyl window like this, it's going to be wrinkled by the time you get it turned right side out. That’s how I came up with this tip. It will also work with waterproofed and laminated fabric as well as vinyl that has been folded.
The I-Spy Bag
I got the pattern for the I-Spy bag by Sarah Lawson from her company, called Sew Sweetness. It's part of her Season 1 Minikins collection. I liked the fact that it has a clear vinyl panel on the back, which originally was the front but I wanted to add embroidery so the "back" became the "front". Since there's vinyl on the back, you can see the contents of the bag without having to unzip and dig through. The wrinkles happen when turning the bag right side out.
Eliminating Wrinkles in Clear Vinyl
If it's a nice warm, sunny day you can just lay the vinyl out flat and let the sun heat it up. The vinyl becomes pliable and the wrinkles fall right out.
Another option is to take the paper that came with your vinyl and use it as a pressing cloth. Set your iron at a nylon setting, place the paper completely over the vinyl, and iron. Do not use steam.
If the wrinkles are still there, you can raise the heat a notch or two but I wouldn't go up a whole lot. Otherwise, you'll create wrinkles in the vinyl and it will melt.
You can also use an ordinary piece of scrap fabric as a pressing cloth.
Because this bag is flat, you may be able to use a press cloth right on it, but not all bags are flat.
You can also crank your iron up to a high setting, like around cotton, and move it around your ironing surface. Get it nice and hot then take your bag, put your hands inside, and put the vinyl side down next to the warm surface of that ironing board.
Use your fingers to press those wrinkles out to get a nice smooth surface.
A good old-fashioned hairdryer, set on high, also gets wrinkles smoothed out. Don’t get the dryer too close or it will melt the vinyl. Another idea is, when you're actually turning the bag right side out, have a friend or husband use a hairdryer as you are turning, to keep wrinkles smooth.
See the entire How to Iron Vinyl video here.
May your day be blessed with perfect stitches and GlitterFlex!!
Bonnie Welsh - October 16, 2019
Sandy—So glad you liked it! =)
Bonnie Welsh - October 16, 2019
Dawndy—So glad you’re picking up a hint or two along the way. I love sharing tips when I run across something. There’s always something new to learn with this hobby which keeps it interesting!
Sandy Anderson - October 16, 2019
Love this tip!
Dawndy - September 24, 2019
Thanks for your response. Glad you thought about jar quilts. I know someone who made one. Thanks for all your teaching. Really learn lots.
Bonnie Welsh - September 22, 2019
Laura—You’re most welcome. For fobs, you might want something stiffer such as marine vinyl.
Laura Bekin - September 21, 2019
Thanks for the tip. I like the zip bag, maybe I will try it. Will I be able to use your glitter flex on fobs?
Bonnie Welsh - September 21, 2019
Dawndy—I would think it could be washed. I would test to see what method works best for coasters as I’ve not tried vinyl on coasters before. I’ve seen several “jar” quilts with clear vinyl on them though. I’m guessing those were washed and dried with cool to warm heat.
Dawndy - September 20, 2019
Can it be washed? I’m thinking about putting vinyl on some coasters I’m making to sell. If customer washes the coasters, will they have to air dry them or press them??
Bonnie Welsh - September 17, 2019
Joan—You’re most welcome! =)
Joan Nye - September 17, 2019
Thank you for the info. I have with trial and error smoothed out plastic. This seems quite easy this way.
Bonnie Welsh - September 16, 2019
Robin—There’s always more than one way to accomplish something. Do whatever method works best for you! =)
ROBIN L FARLEY - September 16, 2019
Great tips! Thank you i knew some of these but I never thought about a hair dryer and I wasn’t sure of the iron setting either so thank you so much!
Bonnie Welsh - September 16, 2019
Marie—You’re most welcome! =)
Marie Davis - September 16, 2019
Thanks Bonnie for this wonderful and clever idea. Have a great day.