What to Know Before Buying a Cricut Machine

by admin June 9, 2020

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Cricut. All opinions are 100% mine.

What to Know Before Buying a Cricut Machine

Are you thinking of buying a Cricut Machine!? I love my Cricut Machines (yes I have all 3) and use them all the time. I've been using my Cricut for 4 years now and have learned so much. I know it can feel overwhelming to jump into learning a new machine, so let me help put you at ease.

Yes, I work with Cricut and get machines, products and accessories at no cost...but I love Cricut. I love their company, the people that run it, and the good that they do. I love the empowerment that they help people to feel when using their products. They are the good. Affiliate links included.

Here's common questions before buying a Cricut Machine:

What machine is the right choice?

What are the differences between the Cricut machines?

What additional items are needed to use the machine to the fullest?

Can I turn my Cricut Machine into a home business?

1: Which Cricut Machine is the Right Choice?

Let's talk about the current machines. The Cricut Maker, Cricut Explore Air 2 and Cricut Joy.

Obviously cost is a main factor for most people. The Maker has the most bells and whistles and costs $399 at retail, although sales are common. The Explore air 2 is the same size format as the Maker, and costs $249 retail, again with fairly common sale prices. Finally the Joy is $179, it's budget friendly and space saving.

If money isn't an issue for you, just get the Cricut Maker and get creating!

Okay, so now that costs out in the open...ask yourself what you want to do with your Cricut machine. Are you interested in making t-shirts with iron-on vinyl. Do you love to sew and would love your machine to cut out patterns and fabric? Do you want to cut paper to make giant flowers or handmade cards?

Check out this post for 100 things you can make to sell with your Cricut and see what kind of projects interest you.

If I was to buy a machine today, I would go big and buy the Cricut Maker. It has adaptive tool technology that allows you to use the different cutting, scoring, knife blade tips and more. It has 10X the power that makes it capable of cutting thin pieces of wood and thick chipboard.

2: What are the Differences between Cricut Machines?

Here's the details about each of the machines taken from the Cricut website. They are all incredible machines, just check out these comparisons and then links to my posts that spotlight the machine a little more.

Cricut Maker:

The ultimate in professional-level cutting performance and versatility
Cuts 300+ materials, from the most delicate fabric and paper to matboard and leather
Rotary Blade for cutting virtually any fabric without backer
500+ digital sewing patterns and quilt blocks available from Simplicity®, Riley Blake™, and more (sold separately)
Compatible with Knife Blade for thicker materials up to 2.4 mm (sold separately)
Compatible with QuickSwap™ tools to quickly switch between scoring, engraving, debossing, and other decorative effects (sold separately)
Compatible with Washable Fabric Pen for marking pattern pieces (sold separately)
Adaptive Tool System™ for professional-level cutting performance and expandability
Bluetooth® wireless technology
Fast Mode for up to 2X faster cutting and writing
Upload and use your own images and fonts for free
Design Space® software for iOS, Android™, Windows®, and Mac®

Cricut Maker Knife Blade DIY Letterboard

Top 5 Amazing Crafts made with the Cricut Maker

Cricut Explore Air 2:

This DIY speed machine combines time-saving performance and class-leading simplicity
Cuts 100 materials – everything from cardstock, vinyl, and iron-on to a range of specialty materials
Fine-Point Blade for cutting a wide variety of popular craft materials
Fast Mode for up to 2X faster cutting and writing(1)
Bluetooth® wireless technology
Compatible with Scoring Stylus and Deep-Point Blade (sold separately)
Double tool holder to keep blade and pen always at the ready
Design Space® software for iOS, Android™, Windows®, and Mac®
Upload and use your own images and fonts for free
Compatible with Cricut cartridges

5 Things I love about my Cricut Explore Air 2

Cricut Explore Air 2: Questions and Answers

Getting Started with your Cricut Explore Air 2

5 ways to make money with a Cricut

Cricut Joy:

Weighing in at only 3.9 lbs (1.75 kg), this smart little cutting and writing machine makes it easy to personalize almost anything
Cuts 50+ materials, including iron-on, cardstock, vinyl, paper, and Smart Materials™ – super-easy, super-long cuts without a cutting mat
Draws any shape and writes in a variety of styles
Cuts individual shapes up to 4 ft long or makes repeated cuts up to 20 ft long*
Fits in a cubby, packs away easily, sets up instantly
Perfect companion to full-size Cricut smart cutting machines
Upload and use your own images and fonts for free
Bluetooth® wireless technology
Design Space® software for iOS, Android™, Windows®, and Mac®

How to use the Card Making Mat with Cricut Joy

Handmade Gifts Made with the Cricut Joy

3: What Additional Items are Needed to use my Machine to the Fullest?

Yes, this is the bottomless pit! Okay, back to question 1...once you decide what you want to make with your machine, this question is a bit easier.

I recommend getting a bundle to start. It typically comes with iron-on and adhesive vinyl, a variety of mats, transfer tape, Cricut hand tools, etc. This way you can try a few things out and see how you like them.

If you get the Cricut Maker, get the Tool Organizer, it's amazing!

Here's some more product add-on details: 10 Cricut Products Holiday Gift Guide

***Cricut Machines are designed with you in mind. This said, they are very user friendly and the learning curve is at a great place. So, you might only want to start with paper...but it's possible that you will master paper the first week you have your machine and you'll want to grow. So, getting a machine that can grow with you is pretty nice!***

Here's what you'll need to get started if you want to focus on:

4: Can I turn my Cricut Machine into a Home Business?

The answer is YES!

Lots of people have successful side hustles using their machines! I believe that my Cricut Machines should pay for themselves, so even I like to sell a few things here and there. I have a full post on making money with your Cricut Explore Air 2, but all the ideas apply to all machines.

100 Crafts to make with the Cricut to Sell!