The craft God’s have smiled upon us! We have been given the gift of partnering with Cricut and trying out the Cricut Maker!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.
Everything we make, we make with our hands. Now we’ll have an extra set of help when coming up with all our crafty creations! The Cricut Maker is an electronic cutting machine. It works like a printer-create the image or design on the computer and then send it to the machine to cut!
We’ve wanted one for the longest time but we really didn’t know much about it and how advanced Cricut has become over the years.
Starting with a Cricut may seem a little intimidating but it was incredibly easy to get started! We’re sharing 10 things we wish we knew about the Cricut for any newbies or anyone who’s been thinking about taking the leap…and we hope you do!
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There is a whole Cricut maker community!
That’s right! You’re not alone on this Cricut journey! There are tons of tutorials, help videos, tips and tricks and amazing inspiration all over the web! Cricut even has a live help chat service and a toll free number if you ever get stuck!
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The Cricut Maker cuts more than paper!
It can cut over a hundred different materials. Cardstock, vinyl, iron-on, fabric, foil, canvas, aluminum, denim, felt…even chip board and balsa wood (which we’re so excited to try)!
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Cricut projects are easy to design!
Cricut comes with easy to follow Design Space software. They have tons of free artwork, fonts and pre-made project templates. If you’ve ever worked with Canva, PicMonkey or even used clip art from back in the day, you’ll be able to start getting into the groove and create something amazing.
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You can upload your own images!
Cricut Design Space walks you through uploading images step-by-step. Upload your business logo or your favorite art work!
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The Cricut Maker can write!
Our penmanship stinks! Now we have our own Bob Cratchit to create gorgeous handwriting in a variety of styles and thicknesses.
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Everything has a grid!
Not only does Design Space have a grid but all the materials have a grid, keeping it easy to keep all your projects straight and in line.
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The Cricut Maker can work with multiple devices!
They have an easy to navigate app with bluetooth wireless technology. You can create and connect with your computer, mobile phone or tablet…which is perfect for our one computer household.
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You can start off slow with accessories!
If you’re feeling overwhelmed with the amount of product Cricut has to offer, don’t feel like you need to buy everything at once. Cricut has great bundles and tools but start slow and put everything else on your Christmas list.
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It’s easily movable!
We live in a one bedroom apart without the craft room of our dreams. Even though the machine looks big, it’s very compact and easy to move. You can store it on a shelf and bring it out when you’re ready to make!
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It’s so easy!
Cricut literally holds your hand and leads you through every step. There are a lot of tips and tricks you will learn over time but it will guide you through every moment and project. It will even double check to make sure all the tools and materials are correct for each specific craft! It’s like cruise control for crafting.
We can’t stop thinking about all the new things we can create and how it’s going to cut our crafting time in half!
Our First Cricut Maker Craft-Cat Daddy Enamel Mugs
A little known fact about us is that that years ago, we used to put up vinyls professionally at The Javits Center here in NYC. THAT was a stressful job, but there’s something so satisfying peeling back that transfer tape!
When we found out that you could make your own vinyls with the Cricut Maker, we knew it had to be our first project! We had put up plenty of vinyls, but never made our own before.
We knew we wanted our first project to involve something with our cat, yes we’ve become those people. Before we got started we watched a handful of Cricut vinyl tutorials and they all recommended to start with a simple project.
Cricut Design Space has a ton of fonts and images, it was easy to pull from those and make our own customized image.
We made these personalize cat daddy enamel mugs in a few easy steps!
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Create design on Cricut Design Space.
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Cut out vinyl square to size.
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Place on adhesive mat and load the machine and watch the Cricut do it’s magic.
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Unload and peel away extra vinyl.
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Weed away any left over smaller pieces of vinyl.
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Stick transfer tape onto vinyl design and press down firmly.
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Wipe down mug with alcohol and let dry.
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Gently peel up transfer tape with vinyl, position onto mug, smooth and rub.
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Peel off transfer tape leaving vinyl letters on mug.
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Admire your work!
We absolutely LOVE how they turned out and how effortless the process was!
Caffeinated cat daddies!
Meow!
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As always, we only share things that we use ourselves and truly recommend!
6 comments
What a seriously awesome product! I want to make all the crafts with it! I can’t wait to see more DIY’s using it!
Aww thanks Stephy!! Come over and craft with us!
Always wondered about these machines but never looked into it, (partly because my craft closet is overflowing, but we won’t discuss that further), so I clicked on your link and read this article. I’m afraid to admit I now want one! I’m highly regretting not considering it seriously ( I do admit it crossed my mind), when JoAnns was offering a coupon useable on them. ?. Well, there’s always Santa ?. Thanks, I really enjoyed this!
Aw thanks! Yea, it’s a big step but so far, totally worth it! Hope you make it on the nice list! Haha
Your mugs are adorable and they sure seem to match your personalities! I got a Cricut Air Explore 2 last year and I love it. I’ve been eyeing the Maker, but can’t really justify the cost of it. I would love to work with some of the materials that can be used with the Maker though. For now, I’ll stick with the one I have. Your list of things to know is helpful.
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