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If you’re a Cricut newbie, Cricut beginner or thinking about getting a Cricut machine, this post will provide you with all the basics you need to get familiar with Cricuts and answer some questions you may have about the different Cricut machines.
Jump to Sections in this Post
- What does the Cricut machine do?
- The best Cricut machine to buy
- Is the Cricut Maker worth the extra money?
- Which Cricut machine is best for beginners?
- Do you need a computer to use your Cricut?
- Can you use the Cricut with your phone?
- Can you use Cricut without WiFi?
- The Cricut tools you need to get started
- Where to buy Cricut supplies?
- How much does Cricut Design Space cost?
- How to access Cricut Access?
- How much does Adobe Illustrator cost?
- Can you use your own svg files with Cricut Design Space and where to get svg files?
- Interested in starting your own Cricut business?
What does the Cricut machine do?
The Cricut machine is a cutting machine that can cut various materials including paper, vinyl and cardstock. I’ll go into more detail later on the types of materials that can be used with your Cricut machine. There have been various Cricut machines with the latest machine being the Cricut Joy.
The 3 machines below are the latest Cricut machines still being sold on the Cricut website and at other retailers.
- Cricut Explore 3
- Cricut Explore Air 2
- Cricut Maker 3
- Cricut Maker
- Cricut Joy
While all Cricut machines can cut, draw and score, only the Cricut Maker can engrave, deboss, wave and perf. Engraving is the process of carving designs into materials. Debossing is the process of putting depressions into materials to give them dimension. The Wavy blade allows you to add waves to a project design. Perfing is the process of adding evenly spaced lines to a project in order to create a clean tear every time.
The best Cricut machine to buy
Again, there are 3 different Cricut machines that are popular right now which are listed above. A lot of people who are interested in getting a Cricut machine want to know which Cricut machine is the best to buy. While there are many factors to consider when choosing a Cricut machine, I’ll list a few differences between the Cricut machines.
One of the most noticeable differences between the Cricut machines is the number of materials that can be used with each machine. According to Cricut, the Cricut Joy can be used with 50+ materials, the Cricut Explore Air 2 can be used with 100+ materials and the Cricut Maker can be used with 300+ materials.
To get a list of materials that can be used with your Cricut machine, sign up to my Free Resource Library at the end of this post.
Another important difference to note is that to use some of the features on your Cricut, you will need additional tools such as:
Cricut Explore Air 2: Scoring Stylus, Cricut Pens, Cricut Blades
Cricut Maker: Scoring Wheel, Cricut Pens, Cricut Blades (wavy blade, perforation blade, etc.) debossing tip, and engraving tip
When assessing which Cricut machine is best to buy, you also want to consider the cost. The Cricut Joy is the least expensive of the Cricut machines. Although it is the least expensive, it is smaller and can cut fewer materials than the other machines. The Cricut Explore Air 2 machine is the middle of the road. You can buy Explore Air 2 bundles that come with vinyl, Cricut pens, the basics tool set, extra mats, etc.
The Cricut Maker is the most expensive of the 3 Cricut machines and can be used with over 300 materials which is why many people bypass the other 2 machines.
So in all, the best Cricut machine for you depends on what you’re looking to do with the machine in regards to making projects and how much you’re willing to invest in a machine.
Is the Cricut Maker worth the extra money?
A question that Cricut beginners often ask is if the Cricut Maker is worth the extra money and what the Cricut Maker can do that the Explore Air 2 can’t.
Again, the response to this question is based on the types of projects you intend to make with your machine. If you plan to cut wood with your machine, you’ll need to invest in the Cricut Maker. If you’ll only be cutting mostly vinyl and cardstock, the Cricut Explore Air 2 should suffice. I encourage you to download the printables from my Free Resource Library that show what materials each machine can cut by signing up at the bottom of this post.
Which Cricut machine is best for beginners?
If you are a beginner you should evaluate what types of Cricut projects you’ll be making most often. If you’re unsure of the types of projects you’ll be making, take a look at my blog post A-Z list of Cricut projects to make and sell.
As stated before, if you’ll mostly be cutting vinyl and paper, the Cricut Explore Air 2 would be the best Cricut machine for you. If you plan to cut wood occasionally or want to engrave or perforate projects, then the Cricut Maker would be the best Cricut machine for you.
Do you need a computer to use your Cricut?
Cricut Design Space can be used on a traditional desktop computer as well as laptops, iPads, Android smartphones and iPhones. Cricut Design Space cannot be used with Chromebooks, or Unix/Linux Computers.
Can you use the Cricut with your phone?
Yes, you can use Cricut Design Space with your smartphone. Cricut has an app that lets you connect your Cricut machine to Bluetooth. The Cricut app is free to use except if you include paid fonts or images in your design. Cricut will show you which fonts and images are free and which ones are paid.
Can you use Cricut without WiFi?
With the transition of Cricut Design Space to the Desktop version, you can now design and cut without an internet connection.
The Cricut tools you need to get started
The bare minimum you need to get started with your Cricut machine is the basic tool set, cardstock and vinyl. The basic tool set includes tweezers, weeder, micro-tip scissors, spatula, and scraper.
Other Cricut products you may need include:
- Cricut Bright Pad
- Cricut EasyPress – if you want to make heat transfer vinyl projects
- Printer – if you want to use the print then cut feature, this best if you want to make stickers
Where to buy Cricut supplies?
Most major retailers and craft stores sell Cricut supplies including Hobby Lobby, Michaels, Walmart, Target and Joann Fabric. You can also find Cricut supplies on Amazon. Check out my blog post on Where To Buy The Best Blanks For Cricut Projects.
How much does Cricut Design Space cost?
Cricut Design Space is a free software that allows you to create and edit svg files and determine your preferences for cutting, scoring, writing and so much more with your Cricut machine. There are features in Design Space such as fonts, images and Cricut Access that you have to pay for.
If you want to test out Design Space without purchasing a Cricut first you can download the software here.
How to access Cricut Access?
You can get to Cricut Access by opening Cricut Design Space, clicking the three horizontal bars in the top left corner and clicking the Cricut Access button. If you subscribe to Cricut Access, you can look through the different files that are available. If you don’t subscribe to Cricut Access, you’ll be prompted to sign up.
You can also get to Cricut Access by going to the Cricut website, clicking the Shop button, and then click the Cricut Access button.
Cricut Access has 3 pricing plans:
- Monthly – $9.99 per month plus tax (billed monthly)
- Annual – $7.99 per month plus tax (billed annually)
- Premium – $9.99 per month plus tax (billed annually).
You can cancel Cricut Access at any time. Cricut does offer a free 30 day trial to Cricut Access.
How much does Adobe Illustrator cost?
I use Adobe Illustrator to create the majority of my svg files. Adobe is perfect for creating designs from scratch or merging and combining components of different svg files. I subscribe to Adobe Creative Cloud for $29.99 per month as of the writing of this blog post. This is an amazing deal because I get access to tons of Adobe products including Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Premiere Pro, Acrobat, Lightroom, in addition to several other programs.
Can you use your own svg files with Cricut Design Space and where to get svg files?
Yes you can use your own svg files with Cricut Design Space. You can buy svg files from Etsy, Creative Market or other places and you can create them yourself. I wrote a blog post on Where To Find SVG Files For Your Cricut Machine.
Interested in starting your own Cricut business?
If you’re interested in starting your own Cricut business, read my blog post on the Different Types Of Cricut Businesses To Start and sign up to my Cricut business email list. When you sign up to my email list you will get tips on how to make money with your Cricut machine, where to buy the best supplies, how to price your products and so much more.
I hope you enjoyed this blog post on Getting Started With Your Cricut Machine. Be sure to save this post to your Pinterest boards and share it with others who may find it useful!
