FREE MONTHLY CRICUT LESSONS!!
Every month in our monthly craft newsletter (you can sign up on the homepage!) we learn more about our Cricut machines! We are taking things slow as to not overwhelm anyone and we are starting from the very beginning. We're talking BEFORE even getting your Cricut machine! If your anything like us, you do a lot of research on expensive purchases before hand, so I did my fair share of research on each Cricut machine before finally purchasing one. That's where this first lesson comes in. Part 1 is for anyone who is either in the market for a Cricut machine or looking to upgrade and get a bigger, better machine!
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Table of Contents
Part 1- The Basics (What is a Cricut, What can it do, & Where can you get one?)
PART 1-THE BASICS
Each month, we will be learning new things about our Cricut machines, in hopes of one day mastering them & eventually knowing every single thing about them!
Let's dive right in!
What exactly is a "Cricut" machine & what can it exactly do?
What is a Cricut?
A Cricut is a cutting machine that can cut a wide variety of different materials, such as paper, card stock, adhesive vinyl, and heat transfer vinyl.
You can use a Cricut to cut just about anything you would typically cut with scissors or a craft knife – but with a lot more speed and precision than you could ever do by hand!
How does a Cricut work?
You can think of a Cricut machine like a printer – but instead of printing an image onto a piece of paper, it cuts a shape out of a sheet of paper or vinyl.
When you open up a Cricut machine, you’ll see a small blade that moves around on a carriage to cut the design you’ve chosen. The fine-point blade is like a miniature X-acto knife that can cut even the most delicate and intricate shapes
What types of materials can Cricut cut?
Cricut machines can cut such a wide variety of materials, it would be hard to list them all. In fact, since the Cricut community is constantly testing new materials, you can expect this list to grow over time.
Some of the most popular types of materials a Cricut machine can cut:
aluminum foil
butcher paper
cardstock
chalkboard vinyl
construction paper
copy paper
cardboard
craft foam
iron-on vinyl
faux leather
felt
glitter cardstock
glitter vinyl
Infusible Ink sheets
magnetic sheet
natural wood veneer
parchment paper
permanent vinyl
printable sticker paper
removable vinyl
smart materials
Each of the current Cricut models can cut a slightly different selection of materials. ·The Cricut Explore 3 can cut more than 100 materials – including cardstock, vinyl, iron-on vinyl, glitter paper & bonded fabric. ·The Cricut Maker 3 cut more than 300 types of materials, including paper, vinyl, fabric, paper, wood, and leather. ·The Cricut Joy cut more than 50 materials, including paper, vinyl, iron-on, and some thin faux leather materials. A note on material brands: You do not need to buy Cricut brand materials. I’ve used and loved some Cricut products, but I’ve also had success with Oracal brand vinyl which you can purchase using our links below! SOURCE: https://sarahmaker.com/cricut-for-beginners/
Here are some comparison charts of the
most popular Cricut machines!
Here are some other Cricut cheat sheets for the basics!
Go to Blog post "Cricut Cheat Sheets" for even more cheat sheets!
Next, let’s discuss the best deals on Cricut machines right now: (POSTED FEB 2022) Please note: Bundles and prices may vary. Check each of these companies websites by clicking their names for the specifics/rules of each deal! All these prices were checked right before posting, but are subject to change, so check them out to find the best deals! Tip: Many different crafters also offer “discount codes” for Cricut & other popular stores, just google “Cricut coupon codes”. Please note that most coupon codes can’t be used on most of the machines itself. BEST DEALS ON CRICUT MACHINES RIGHT NOW BY MODEL:
JOY-
Michaels- $129
Walmart-$129
BUNDLE (machine + materials)-$159
Amazon-$129
EXPLORE AIR 2-
Michaels-$199
Walmart-$174
Amazon-$179
Cricut.com-$249
BUNDLE (Machine + materials)
MAKER-
Joanne’s-$249
Walmart-$249
Cricut.com-$279 BUNDLE (Machine + “Everything Materials” Bundle)
Kohl’s-$299 BUNDLE (Machine & “Everyday Crafter” Bundle PLUS get $60 in KOHLS CASH)