Using the Cricut Maker for the First Time
Boy was I excited to have an opportunity to review the Cricut Maker! And, it did NOT disappoint!
What is a Cricut Maker?
If you don’t already know what the Cricut Maker is, allow me to explain. The Cricut Maker is a smart cutting machine that allows you to make virtually any DIY project you can imagine, from 3D art to home decor, jewelry, iron-on, vinyl, paper projects, and lots more. It has the tools to cut hundreds of materials quickly and accurately, from the most delicate fabric, paper, leather and everything between. There is a huge library of designs, project ideas and patterns available through the companion app. Simply said, the Maker delivers professional cutting results that any do-it-yourselfer can achieve.
The machine is available standalone or you may purchase it with the Essentials Bundle, which includes a variety of blades, mats, and sewing tools, or with the Everything Materials Bundle which is the perfect collection of materials to allow you the freedom to explore this machines awesome capabilities.
You may choose from three color schemes too, champagne, rose and blue. Really, it’s just the top flap and touches here and there that display the color, the majority of the machine is white.
The Machine!
As I unpacked my machine, I was taken by how sleek it looks and how well organized it is, with storage compartments for tools, an easy to read/use control panel and an easy to change blade and marker holder. The tray opens up to hold the mat in place and feed it into the machine for precision cutting and there’s even a little more storage space under the tray too!Â
The great thing about the Cricut Maker is the ability to adapt blades for cutting different materials. The gear systems allows more options for cutting blades and widens the variety of materials that can be cut. Sewers will love the rotary blade for cutting out pattern pieces!
The control panel is easy to understand and reach while you are cutting so there are no awkward movements necessary!
The Software
In addition to plugging it in, I connected it via the USB cable, to my laptop (there is also a bluetooth feature which I will likely set up for my next project) and then I was ready to download the app (Design Space) onto my laptop. The app is so easy to download and setup using the instruction on the website and the booklet provided with the machine, plus the easy to follow online tutorials are excellent resources to get you started with your first project. You’ll be set up and ready to go in just minutes.
Design Space is cloud based and can be synched with all of your devices allowing access from almost anywhere. The Cricut Access Library holds a collection of both free and premium projects to choose from and you can purchase them individually or sign up for a subscription. And don’t forget to follow the blog for inspiration and up to date ideas and information.
Have you heard the old saying “the right tool for the right job”? The Cricut tools are the right tools for making the projects easy to complete with clean, professional results.
What does the Cricut Maker cut?
Paper cutting – The Cricut Maker is perfect to make your own cards, paper banners, cupcake toppers, gift tags, signs, ornaments and much more.
Fabric & Other Materials cutting – The Cricut Maker cuts a wide range of materials including vinyl, iron-on vinyl, fleece, cotton, leather, soft wood and more! See the complete list of applicable materials, or shop the product list of materials.
Let’s Test It Out!
OK, feeling confident, I decided to walk through the test project to become more familiar with my machine. This project is a blank greeting card with a cute kite and the word “smile” cut into it. It was so easy! The project provides instructions to overlay the kite with cute dotted fabric for an accent, but I like the simplicity of the drawn design, so that’s how I left it.
Here’s my finished card, isn’t it pretty?
I was eager to try another project on my own, so I chose one from the ‘Ready to Make’ collection on the app. Each project provides you with a list of materials and tools needed, skill requirements, estimated time to complete, step by step instructions and links to helpful resources. I chose a pretty lacy snowflake to cut out of card-stock. I made 12 of these beauties and will add a pretty silk ribbon to hang them on my tree this year. I couldn’t believe how quickly these snowflakes materialized, all perfectly cut so that I could just pull away the excess to create the lacy areas.
Conclusion?
Well, my conclusion is that I loved the Cricut Maker and highly recommend it to anyone who likes to create. If you are a creative person who likes to “make your own”, you will find hundreds of uses for the Maker.
I hope you’ll give the Cricut Maker a try, I think you’ll love it as much as I do and just think of all the fun and personalized projects you could make for years to come!
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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.
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