I wasn’t exactly planning on doing a post on Cricut’s new Color Changing Vinyl. But then I gave it a try, and I am far more obsessed with it than I expected to be. Because…friends…it’s REALLY easy to work with and it’s SO DARN FUN! So here I am, breaking down everything you need to know about this fun new product and how (and why!) you should use it on your next project!

Glass water bottles covered in patterns made with Cricut Color Changing Vinyl

What Is Color Changing Vinyl?

Color Changing Vinyl is an adhesive vinyl product that can be cut into any design and applied to (most) firm, clean, smooth surfaces…just like any other vinyl.

But! When the vinyl is either heated or cooled to a certain temperature, the vinyl’s color will change, creating a gorgeous ombre effect that is actually mesmerizing to witness!

Water bottles and mugs covered in Cricut Color Changing Vinyl

Here’s what I mean!

The purple heart pattern shown on this white coffee mug was created with Heat Activated Color Changing Vinyl.

When this particular vinyl is heated to 88° F (31° C), the purple vinyl will change color. Below, I poured boiling water into the mug, and the hearts (practically instantly!) changed to turquoise!

White coffee mug with heart pattern made with purple and teal Color Changing Vinyl

Understanding Heat-Activated vs. Cold-Activated Color Changing Vinyl

Cricut’s new line of Color Changing Vinyls is broken down into two categories:

  • Cold Activated – vinyls change from light to dark when temperature goes below 50° F (10° C); the light pink, turquoise, and light blue rolls shown below on the left.
  • Heat Activated – vinyls change from dark to light when temperature goes above 88° F (31° C); the dark blue, purple, and hot pink rolls shown below on the right.
Rolls of Cricut Color Changing Vinyl

To this point, a single roll of vinyl doesn’t “go both ways.”

  • Cold activated vinyls will only change color when chilled.
  • Heat activated vinyls will only change color when warmed.

When shopping for color-changing vinyl for your project, you’ll need to pay close attention to the details on the packaging. The label will clearly indicate if it’s cold- or heat-activated and also show the color it changes to upon temperature change.

Three rolls of Cold Activated Color Changing Vinyl

Cold Activated Color Changing Vinyl

When the three colors of Cold Activated Color Changing Vinyl are first applied to a surface at “ambient” temperature, they will appear as shown below:

Glass water bottles covered in patterns made with Cricut Color Changing Vinyl

When cooled to below 50° F (10° C)…in this case, via ice water…the colors will switch as shown:

Glass water bottles covered in patterns made with Cricut Color Changing Vinyl

The vinyl will only change where the surface/vinyl is sufficiently cooled. As the surface/vinyl returns to ambient temperature, the vinyl will return to its original color!

Heat Activated Color Changing Vinyl

When the three colors of Heat Activated Color Changing Vinyl are first applied to a surface at “ambient” temperature, they will appear as shown below:

Three white mugs on a wooden cutting board with patterns made from Cricut Color Changing Vinyl

When heated to above 88° F (31° C), the colors will switch as shown below:

Three white mugs on a wooden cutting board with patterns made from Cricut Color Changing Vinyl

The vinyl will only change where the surface/vinyl is sufficiently warmed. As the warmer temperatures cool, the vinyl will return to its original color!

What Colors of Color Changing Vinyl Are Available?

The two varieties (cold-activated and heat-activated) are available in opposite pairs.

Purple & Turquoise

Below, the white mug is covered in purple heat activated vinyl and the glass bottle is done in turquoise cold activated vinyl.

Purple and teal Color Changing Vinyl on a mug and glass bottle

When warmed or cooled, the colors switch. The purple mug turns turquoise, and the turquoise water bottle turns purple!

Purple and teal Color Changing Vinyl on a mug and glass bottle

Light Turquoise & Dark Turquoise

Below, the white mug is covered in dark turquoise heat activated vinyl and the glass bottle is done in light turquoise cold activated vinyl.

Light blue and bright blue Color Changing Vinyl on a mug and glass bottle

When warmed or cooled, the colors switch. The dark turquoise mug turns light, and the light turquoise water bottle goes dark!

Light blue and bright blue Color Changing Vinyl on a mug and glass bottle

Light Pink & Dark Pink

Below, the white mug is covered in dark pink heat activated vinyl and the glass bottle is done in light pink cold activated vinyl.

Light pink and bright pink Color Changing Vinyl on a mug and glass bottle

When warmed or cooled, the colors switch. The dark pink mug turns light, and the light pink water bottle goes dark!

Light pink and bright pink Color Changing Vinyl on a mug and glass bottle

Color Changing Vinyl In Action!

A little confused about which vinyls change to which colors at which temperatures? Here’s a short (and fun!) video of the color changing in real time.

Below is this full tutorial on video. (Video not loading for you? You can watch it here!)

Supplies Needed

Here is what you’ll need for most projects made with color changing vinyl:

Which Cricut Machines Can Cut Color Changing Vinyl?

All of them!

Color Changing Vinyl currently only comes in 12×24″ rolls. As such, it must be placed on a mat for cutting with ANY Cricut machine (or other craft cutters such as a Silhouette).

NOTE: Color Changing Vinyl is not “Smart” at this time, so a mat IS required for cutting, even on Cricut Explore 3, Cricut Maker 3, or Cricut Joy.

Pink Color Changing Vinyl on a blue cutting mat being loaded into Cricut machine

How to Use Color Changing Vinyl

Creating a project with color changing vinyl is practically identical to any other vinyl project. (Learn more: Your Complete Guide to Cutting Vinyl with a Cricut)

Still, I’ll outline the process below and highlight a few things to know when working with this new material!

Glass water bottles covered in pink and blue patterns made with Cricut Color Changing Vinyl

Start by creating a design in Cricut Design Space. If you’d like to use my exact patterns, find them HERE.

When ready, click the green “Make It” button and select “Heat/Cold Color Changing Vinyl” from the Materials Menu for your cut settings.

Cricut Design Space Screenshot

When you un-package the vinyl, you’ll notice right away that it’s especially glossy and a bit thicker/firmer than standard adhesive vinyl.

Light pink Cold Activated Color Changing Vinyl on a white work table

Additionally, when you first pull out the Heat Activated Vinyl (only), you may notice that it’s immediately responsive to the heat of your hands! Don’t worry! As soon as you stop touching it, the variation returns to uniform coloring.

NOTE: My hand temperature didn’t affect the vinyl once it was applied to my mug, only when it was unrolled on my mat/work surface.

Hands on top of pink heat activated Color Changing Vinyl

To cut out your project:

  • Load the Color Changing Vinyl onto a mat and feed it into your Cricut machine.
  • Press the flashing Go/Cricut button to start your machine cutting.
  • Once the cutting is complete, unload the mat from your machine.
Cricut Maker 3 cutting Color Changing Vinyl

Keep your vinyl on the mat for this next step in order to keep it nice and flat. Then use a weeding tool to weed away all the excess vinyl around your design. I personally found that this new vinyl cuts beautifully and weeded away effortlessly!

Hands weeding pink Color Changing Vinyl

This vinyl has really good cutting characteristics…cutting cleanly and holding its shape nicely instead of tearing, clinging, or sticking to itself.

Mermaid Scales pattern weeded from Color Changing Vinyl

In fact, if you’re making a single, simple, continuous design, you can likely peel it up off the white paper backing and move it to your final project with just your fingers.

However, if you have a disconnected, intricate design or one with very precise spacing that would be difficult to achieve manually, you’ll want to use transfer tape.

  • Cut a piece of transfer tape to cover the entirety of your vinyl design.
  • Peel the paper backing off the transfer tape.
  • Place the transfer tape, sticky side down, onto your vinyl design.
  • Burnish vigorously with a scraper.
Color Changing Vinyl mermaid scales pattern covered in transfer tape

Next, peel away just an inch or two of white paper backing from the vinyl+transfer tape combination and trim it off.

NOTE: The thicker, glossier nature of this particular vinyl makes it much easier to get off the white paper backing!

Vinyl mermaid scales pattern with paper backing trimmed off

Carefully place the exposed edge of the vinyl+transfer tape combination onto your project surface, ensuring you have everything lined up exactly as you desire.

Color Changing Vinyl mermaid scales pattern applied to glass water bottle

Once the leading edge is in place, carefully remove the remaining white paper backing from the rest of the vinyl+transfer tape combination.

Removing white paper backing from Color Changing Vinyl mermaid scales pattern

Slowly smooth the rest of the vinyl+transfer tape combination onto your project surface, ensuring there are no bubbles or wrinkles in the transfer tape. Again, use a scraper to rub the vinyl+transfer tape combination onto the surface in order to get the vinyl to adhere.

Color Changing Vinyl mermaid scales pattern wrapped around glass water bottle

Working slowly, peel away the transfer tape (on diagonal and at an 180° angle) to reveal your beautiful color-changing design!

Hands peeling away transfer tape from Color Changing Vinyl mermaid scales pattern on glass water bottle

Repeat with additional colors, patterns, and surfaces, as desired!

Glass water bottles shown alongside Cold Activated Color Changing Vinyl
Water bottles and mugs covered in Cricut Color Changing Vinyl

FAQs About Cricut’s Color Changing Vinyl

How Do You Know If The Vinyl is Hot or Cold Activated?

The packing on the vinyl itself indicates whether it’s hot or cold color-changing. Unlike other Cricut vinyls, it’s not printed on the back of the vinyl. Although I like to un-box my vinyls for storage, this is a product you will want to keep in its packaging.

What Surfaces Can Color Changing Vinyl Be Applied To?

While this vinyl can technically be applied to most clean, solid, flat surfaces (just like other vinyls), to see the effect you’ll want to save it for items that are regularly exposed to either hot or cold temperatures.

As such, it’s the perfect vinyl to use on glasses, mugs, water bottles, bowls, serving dishes, party ware, water dispensers, coffee cups, etc.

Hand peeling away transfer tape from Mermaid scallop pattern on a white mug

Does the Vinyl Change Color ONLY Via Liquids?

No! The vinyl itself is sensitive to temperature change. So as long as the vinyl is heated or cooled (via liquids, sunlight, a warm day, refrigerator, freezer, your hands), it will change color.

Hands on top of purple heat activated Color Changing Vinyl

If you run the Heat Activated Vinyl under running hot water, it will change…temporarily. Once you remove the heat source, it will change back.

The color will “stay” changed for a longer period of time if the surface it’s applied to is changed as well. On the mugs below, I didn’t pour hot water all the way to the top. But the entire mug warmed (as a result of boiling water) so all the vinyl decals changed colors too!

Three white mugs on a wooden cutting board with patterns made from Cricut Color Changing Vinyl

Does It Work On “Double Walled” Containers?

Not really. Again, the vinyl itself OR the surface has to change temperature in order for the color to change.

Since insulated or “double walled” vessels are designed to maintain a neutral temperature on the outside, a vinyl decal will not change based solely on the liquids inside.

That said, if you were to take your insulated coffee mug to the bus stop on a snowy morning, a cold-activated decal would (uniformly) change color because of the air temperature.

How Fast Does the Color Change?

Practically instantly.

How Fast Does the Color Return to Normal?

Again, this depends on the temperature of the surface it’s applied to.

Vinyl…not applied to any surface…will change back instantly.

But when on a hot coffee mug, the color will slooooowly return to normal just as the mug’s surface temperature returns to normal.

Is the Vinyl Removable?

Although Cricut’s color shift vinyl is denoted as having “permanent adhesive,” I was able to successfully peel the decals off my mugs and bottles.

Can Color Changing Vinyl Be Used on Fabric?

This particular Color Changing Vinyl is not intended to be used on fabrics, as it is not iron-on/heat transfer vinyl (HTV). If you’re wanting to make cotton shirts, towels, totes, etc, I recommend checking out Cricut’s new line of UV-activated iron-on.

Is the Vinyl Dishwasher Safe?

Honestly, I was a bit skeptical on this one. But I put the purple heart coffee mug into the dishwasher and it came out perfectly fine! The thick, glossy vinyl did not peel off, and the color changing still works great!

At this time, I cannot speak to repeated runs through a dishwasher. In general though, it’s always safer to hand wash vessels with vinyl designs on them.

Pink and purple patterns on white mugs created with heat activated Color Changing Vinyl
Glass water bottles covered in patterns made with Cricut Color Changing Vinyl

I’m pretty obsessed with this latest vinyl from Cricut, but you know who loves it even more? My kids! They cannot stop filling, dumping, and refilling these mugs and glasses simply to watch the colors change back and forth. Soooo…I currently have lidded plastic cups in my Amazon cart so I can make them their own set (and I can stop worrying about all the glass!)

Whether you have special occasions coming up (e.g., birthdays, team events, holidays) or just want to add some fun and whimsy to water bottles, ice cream bowls, or more…this is a REALLY fun product to use! I hope you give it a try!

See You Soon!
Megan