The Beginners Guide to Maximizing Your Investment in a Cricut Maker

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

The Cricut Maker is the ultimate machine for crafters of all levels, from beginner to pro. Read what additional tools you might need and tips you should know about to make the most of your investment!

So you decided to invest in a Cricut Maker. Excellent choice 😀

But you’re a little unsure of just what this crafting beast can do.

Or maybe you’re intimidated by all of the possibilities the Maker has opened up to your crafting arsenal.

If you want to get the most out of your investment, which trust me you do, you need to know just what your Maker is capable of.

What makes the Maker different than other Cricut machines?

In my opinion, the biggest difference between the Maker and other Cricut machines like the Explore Air 2 or Cricut Joy is quite simple.

Do you want the opportunity to cut a vast array of other more heavy duty material such as leather, chipboard, or even delicate material like crepe paper?

Or are you happy with being able to cut most commonly used materials like vinyl and cardstock?

The difference between machines is that the Maker is the only one equipped with the Adaptive Tool System™.

This allows the Maker to control the direction of the blade and adds up to 10X more cutting force. The Adaptive Tool System can control your tools to cut from side-to-side, move up and down, and lift and turn.

What materials can the Cricut Maker cut?

It’s almost overwhelming the amount of materials that the Maker can cut. I personally counted all the materials listed on Cricut’s site and I stopped counting at 100!

Where the Maker gets the upper edge (get it? lol) over other machines is with the introduction of the Knife Blade and Rotary Blade.

These allow the machine to cut both more heavy duty materials and fragile material like non-bonded fabrics or even tissue paper.

Knife Blade: $45.99

• Balsa Wood
• Basswood
• Cricut Chipboard
• Craft Foam
• Leather
• Matboard

Rotary Blade: included with Maker

• Fabric
• Canvas
• Lace
• Crepe Paper
• Tulle
• Burlap
• Faux Fur
• Felt
• Suede
• Fleece
• Mulberry Paper
• Organza
• Tissue Paper
• Velvet

On top of being able to cut all of these materials, the Maker can also score/perforate/deboss/engrave!

Keep reading to learn more about that.

What add-ons do I need to use the Cricut Maker and how expensive will it be?

Not only does the Maker excel in being able to cut more material than any other Cricut machine, it also opens the door to so many other DIY and crafting techniques such as engraving and debossing.

This will of course require you to purchase a few add-on tools in order to accomplish everything the Maker can do.

You will be able to use the Cricut Maker straight out of the box for most average projects.

Your Cricut Maker will come with:

• Rotary Blade + Drive Housing
• Premium Fine Point Blade + Housing
• Fine Point Pen
• 12″ x 12″ Fabric Grip Mat
• 12″ x 12″ Light Grip Mat
• Sample materials

This will cover most average vinyl, sewing, and cardstock projects.

If you want to take your Maker to the next level, and let’s be honest that’s probably why you bought it in the first place, you’ll want to invest in a few other add-ons.

What are these techniques that I speak of?

Engraving: the process or art of cutting or carving a design on a hard surface

Debossing: pressing (a design) into the surface of an object so that it is indented

Perforating: a small hole or row of small holes punched in a sheet of paper, e.g. of postage stamps, so that a part can be torn off easily

Scoring: the process of making a crease so it will fold easier

Cricut introduced QuickSwap housing to allow crafters to quickly swap between scoring, debossing, engraving, and more.

This means that once you purchase the QuickSwap housing (which you can buy separate or included with a tip) you can buy the other tips on their own.

• QuickSwap™ Housing: $29.99
• Engraving Tip or Debossing Tip: $27.99
• Single Scoring Wheel Tip, Wavy Blade Tip, Perforation Blade Tip: $32.99
• Engraving Tip + QuickSwap™ Housing: $48.99
• Fine Debossing Tip + QuickSwap™ Housing: $48.99
• Basic Perforation Blade + QuickSwap™ Housing: $54.99
• Wavy Blade + QuickSwap™ Housing: $54.99
• QuickSwap™ Tools Everything Bundle (includes Single Scoring Wheel Tip, Double Scoring Wheel Tip, Engraving Tip, Perforation Blade Tip, Debossing Tip & QuickSwap Housing): $139.99

What kind of DIY projects can I make with the Maker?

Because of its versatility and strength, the Cricut Maker opens up a whole other world of DIY possibilities compared to any other Cricut machine.

Besides being able to personalize and customize just about anything you can imagine with vinyl, the Maker makes DIYing so many things incredibly easy!

Home Decor:

• Wall Art
• Pillows
• Accented Furniture
• Lamps
• Clocks
• Planters
• Wreaths
• Coasters

Parties and Events:

• Invitations
• Cupcake Toppers & Holders
• Banners
• Favor Boxes
• Cake Toppers
• Napkin Rings

Fashion and Accessories:

• Headbands
• Bracelets
• Earrings
• Clutches
• Bags

And these ideas are just the tip of the giant Cricut Maker iceberg!

Is a Cricut Maker Worth It?

If after reading all of the incredible possibilities the Maker opens your crafting world up to you’re still wondering if the Cricut Maker is really worth the investment, I’m here to tell you…

YES. 1000% yes.

If you are a serious crafter who wants to take your skills to the next level, and at the same time make your crafting easier, don’t waste one more minute.

Get yourself a Cricut Maker!