What is a Cricut machine and what does it do? I'm answering all your most frequently asked Cricut questions in this blog post and video!
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My Cricut machines are some of my favourite tools in my craft arsenal, and I get lots of questions about Cricuts whenever I feature one in a DIY blog post or a video.
Today, I'm sharing all about the Cricut: what it is, how it works, which Cricut you should purchase, and so much more!
Watch my YouTube video to learn all about the Cricut and how to use it:
What is a Cricut machine?
A Cricut is a cutting machine that can cut several different materials for your craft projects like paper, vinyl, and cardstock. Some Cricut machines can even cut thin wood, leather, fabric and more.
How Cricut machines work
You can connect a Cricut to your computer wirelessly, create or download designs onto your computer, and them send them to your Cricut for cutting. Cricut has software called Design Space (available for Windows, MAC & smart phone) that allows you to create and import designs to cut with your machine. The Cricut houses a tiny blade (or rotary cutter, or pen, or scoring tool) inside. Once you have a design ready to cut in Design Space, you can fasten your desired material onto a 12 inch wide cutting mat, send your design from your computer to your Cricut wirelessly, and then load your material into your machine. With the press of a button, your project will begin cutting. Click here for a quick overview on the Cricut website about the Cricut machine experience.
Can Cricut cut fabric, wood, and leather?
Yes, along with paper, vinyl & cardstock some Cricut machines can cut materials like fabric, leather and even wood! Read on to see which machines can cut thicker or more delicate materials.
Which Cricut should I buy?
There are currently three types of Cricut machines on the market: Cricut Explore Air 2, Cricut Maker and Cricut Joy (this one just came out). Choosing which machine to buy will depend on what types of project you'd like to make. All machines come with Cricut's free Design Space software.
Cricut Explore Air 2
This is the machine that I'd recommend purchasing for most projects. It's Cricut's most popular machine, and it will cover most materials you'll use for a wide variety of DIY projects like vinyl, paper, cardstock and chipboard. You can cut over 100 materials with this machine, and you can use 4 tools for cutting, writing and scoring. Shop the Cricut Explore Air 2 here.
Cricut Maker
This machine does everything the Cricut Explore Air 2 does, with the addition of being able to cut thicker or more delicate materials like leather, thin woods and fabrics. You can cut over 300 materials with this machine, and you can use over 12 tools for cutting, writing, scoring and other pro-level effects. I'd recommend this machine if you want to venture into more complicated projects and experiment with a wider range of materials. Shop the Cricut Maker here.
Cricut Joy
The newest Cricut machine, Cricut Joy, is a more compact machine than the other two for quick, everyday DIY projects. It can only cut materials up to 5.5 inches wide, but you can purchase material that is very long (up to 20 feet). It cuts over 50 materials, and can use 2 tools for cutting and writing. I'd recommend this machine if you want to spend less and create simple projects like vinyl signs, cards and small iron-on designs. Shop the Cricut Joy here.
Who sells Cricut machines?
You can buy Cricuts directly from Cricut's website (here), or Amazon is another good place to purchase the machines and accessories. Click here to shop Cricut on Amazon. Major craft retailers like Michaels and JOANN also stock Cricut machines and supplies.
Are Cricut machines hard to use?
Cricut machines come with a thorough online manual and there are a lot of other Cricut resources online, so they are fairly easy to learn how to use. Design Space and the Cricut machine itself are both designed to be very user-friendly, and you don't need lots of graphic design experience to use them (though it does help if you want to create your own designs from scratch). There's a library of images and designs in Cricut's Design Space that are simple to import as a new project. Some are free, and some can be purchased at a low cost.
Cricut How-To Videos
Watching video tutorials is a wonderful way to learn how to use a Cricut. I have many Cricut video tutorials on my YouTube channel, and you can find them here. You can also find all of my blog posts with Cricut DIYs and inspiration right here. You can also find many helpful video tutorials on Cricut's website here.
Are Cricut machines worth it?
If you love to craft - especially with paper and vinyl - a Cricut machine is a good investment. It will make your cut projects look crisp and professional, and once you are confident using it, your crafts will be much quicker to create. There are also may ways you can make money with your Cricut like selling custom t-shirts, mugs, decals etc. online or at craft fairs. I have definitely used my Cricut machines a lot, and continue to get more and more ideas on things I could create with them!
Tell me: Would you ever buy a Cricut? If you have one, what do you use it for?
PIN ME:
Hi, I have a Cricut but have been very disappointed in that I live in Australia and as such can’t purchase anything from design space as they don’t have provisions say like PayPal to do so. I have had my Cricut for 2 years now and have only just been able to obtain a particular blade from our craft dealer (a big chain) as there is never much to chose from. Cricut keep saying they are hoping to open here but still haven’t. Please don’t misunderstand, I love the machnine but it makes it, as a beginner, very frustrating.
Thanks for sharing Julie - as a fellow Aussie just tyring to learn what I might buy that tips me to look at other options than the Cricut.
It's not what I would make with it, its what wouldn't I make with it?? Lol.
I'm crazy into wood signs this year.
The big "Welcome Summer" or "HOME" signs and heartwarming sayings for the wall.
Thanks for all the videos!
I watched the video and loved all your great ideas. I can't wait to start crafting for the holidays. Thanks.
Thanks for all the info. It was very helpful 🙂
Your site is so ridiculously loaded with ads I couldn't even read your content!! Refuse to scroll past all of them. Give it up.
Hi Julie,
Fast forward to January 2021 are/have you had any more luck re supplies? Am thinking of purchasing but if getting extras etc is problematic I’m not sure I want to outlay the money 🤔
Cheers
So is it useless for us to buy one in Australia ?
Hi Sophie, We're from Canada and I see the comment above about having difficulty buying Cricut supplies in Australia, so I'm not sure but I have found Cricut support to be really helpful, so perhaps reach out to them directly to see what's available in your country.
Thank you Sarah will do xxx
Want to know so much more.
Check out Christina's YouTube Channel, Here's a great video that talks about the difference machines: https://youtu.be/kJB2-4jpIZM
Can I use Cricut to make tags for my jewelry that I make and sell?? That would have my business name and contact info on it, and a border design??
You sure could!
Great. I want it.
Wonderful article. I looked for an article and jus t found yours by chance and it was a big help as I am thinking of buying one.
Hi!! Thank you so much for your review/blog about the Cricut machines. This was soooooo helpful and answered every question I could every possibly have!!
I’m trying to decide which machine to purchase. I obviously want to use vinyl, paper and card stock but I also would like to cut fabric for adding an Appliqué to masks. Which would be a better purchase for me? Thank you
For fabric, the maker is your best bet! If you weren't cutting fabric, you could do the rest of it with the Air 2 🙂
Thank you so much! In your opinion, is there a retailer that is more reliable than others?
Can the Cricut be used to print on acetate or cut acetate (clear thin plastic)? I’m working with resin and would like to custom print or cut clear /printed acetate to set into resin? `I believe that one of the machines is able to etch vinyl which would be interesting too.
Hi and thanks for the great info! I'm wondering...if I find a tile design that I like could I creat a matching stencil with the Cricut? Thx again🤗
Yes, you could! Christina made a stencil for a door mat in this post but it would be a similar process: https://thediymommy.com/how-to-make-a-door-mat-with-a-cricut/
I have always wanted to buy one of these but never knew which one was best. My 11 year also has wanted me to buy one for a few years but I find them a little expensive for our budget. It is definitely on my Christmas/ birthday list
Just bought my daughter a new Cricut machine. Excited to see what we can do with it.
Ideal to be a craft mommy! Want to have one.
I would love to play with one!
I absolutely love this machine. I would make labels for my pantry, craft room etc... Signs for every occasion and then I would tackle my Mom and Sisters home...lol...now I just need to find it in South Africa...
Oh my goodness this is on my wishlist ! I’d make shirts, seasonal labels and prints, art, baby labels the endless possibilities!
This was a very helpful article .I'm thinking I could definitely find uses for it. I assume you would buy different blades for different materials. Thank you for sharing this info!
I make g-tube pads for my grandson, by hand, and the shapes suck so badly for him. I use 2 layers of cotton and 1 layer flannel and roughly 3x3. Could I use a Cricut to cut the cloth, and if so, which one would be best?
The cricut maker is best for fabric 🙂
Very detailed information! No wordy, no confufions. Thanks for your sharing!
Thanks for this informative video! And nice to see a fellow Canadian doing it! 🙂 I have been interested in what the heck the buzz is all about with the Cricut, so this was helpful. My question is regarding transfers that go on t-shirts and other to-be-washed fabric items. In the 90's, local organizations went a bit mad with making their own tshirts with iron-on transfers. Sadly, the designs only lasted about three washes max. I love designing on shirts (I've done a few on Zazzle) but I would never want to give or sell a design that wasn't going to last. Is the Cricut that much better than the old iron-ons?
You explained everything I needed to know. Thank you