Cricut Questions | Imamother

amother

Orchid

Mon, Jul 18 2022, 1:24 pm

eema1 wrote:

Where do you buy cardstock for it. Does it need special cardstock?

Any cardstock works. I usually use the Recollections cardstock at Michael’s.

The only time I’ve had trouble was with a different brand that left fuzz on the cutting mat, but I can’t remember what kind it was.

ruby slippers

Mon, Jul 18 2022, 1:41 pm

What else would you say is a must need to start with?

amother

Orchid

Mon, Jul 18 2022, 5:31 pm

Check out https://jennifermaker.com and https://makersgonnalearn.com for tutorials and resources. These helped me a lot, especially the beginners material. I'd start doing this even before buying a machine.

If there's a Michael's near you, get a rewards account and buy material in batches. You'll get a coupon every time you make a purchase. I used this to my advantage when buying all the stuff to get started. If not Michael's see if other crafting stores have something similiar.

Here are all the basics I can think of for getting started and actually enjoying crafting. Smile

I spent more on tools than I thought I would but it's a one-time expense. Plus, if you buy the right stuff the first time you won't waste money replacing items that didn't work well.

For paper crafts:

Get a big pack of white 12" and heavier weight letter/A4 printer paper. The printer paper can be cheaper than cardstock. I keep a supply of both and use the 12" cardstock only when I need to. I use this instead of colors for trying things out because I don't want to waste a small supply of a certain color and have to buy more.

A multipack of 12" cardstock in a wide range of colors. Over time you'll start buying more specific colors for your projects but for now you just want a variety. Don't use the Cricut cardstock, it's not practical or cost-effective.

A case like this to put all that paper in!

The basic Cricut tool set. I especially like having dedicated scissors that stay with the Cricut and are too small for people to be tempted to use for random things around the house then lose (or dull, if you have good fabric scissors you know what I mean!). If you get the Explorer, get the essentials set since it also has the scoring stylus (for the maker I'd skip it because the scoring wheel is better). You can buy cheaper sets on Amazon but I don't know the quality.

The Cricut scoring stylus (for Explorer) or scoring wheel (for Maker). I use the scoring wheel a lot for 3D paper crafts and cards. This was the first thing I regretted not buying right away!

Adhesive. I use double-sided sticky tape when I can because it's easy and doesn't warp. They're called "glue runners" and you can get them in very narrow widths for intricate layered work. If you prefer glue ask someone at your crafts store for a recommendation that won't warp cardstock.

Nicapa light grip mats. I found it frustrating to wait while a mat was in the cutter, then weed, then start a new mat, wait, etc. If you have multiple mats you can feed a new one into the machine as soon as the previous is done and start removing the paper while the next mat is being cut. It made a huge difference in how I felt while working! These mats work fine and are much much cheaper than Cricut's.

For vinyl:

The Cricut comes with a sample pack of vinyl and transfer tape so you can try out a few things right away. Hint: you can reuse transfer tape a few times. Always use transfer tape!

The basic tool set from Cricut and a knife. I use a knife when weeding to slice off sections of vinyl. If you're working with A LOT of vinyl consider the TrueControl tool. It comes with a variety of tips including knife. I have this and use the knife and hooked tool a lot. You can get this instead of the basic kit and buy a burnishing tool (hard squeegee thing) separately. In a pinch you could use a credit card or something else that has a hard plastic edge.

Unlike cardstock, I don't recommend buying a variety of vinyl. Figure out what you need for each project then buy it with an eye to using it for future projects, too. The Cricut vinyl is expensive, so check out the earlier posts.

One exception: I needed to make a large number of white labels, so I bought the Cricut smart vinyl roll just for convenience because I was already not looking forward to that project. Smile

ruby slippers

Mon, Jul 18 2022, 6:14 pm

Thanks Orchid, I truly appreciate the time and valuable information you put here!

amother

Mon, Jul 18 2022, 6:24 pm

amother [ Orchid ] wrote:

Wow, this was incredibly helpful!!
Everyone on here has been!
Thank you!

gande

Mon, Jul 18 2022, 6:30 pm

I buy standard colors to have in stock and then buy supplies per project because it can get out of hand quickly. certain colors you will never use again and it will be waste of money and place.

Most important hack is Sheitel pins. You can weed the best with them. You don’t need a cutter just use scissors.

gr82no

Mon, Jul 18 2022, 6:37 pm

What does a Cricut machine do?
I heard you can personalize stuff with it but it seems like much more?

amother

Mon, Jul 18 2022, 6:41 pm

Can someone explain how exactly the cricut cuts EXACTLY where you want it to on the mat? If I want to cut a heart the size of a dime, on a teeny tiny piece of leftover scrap thats the size of a dime, is that possible?
Am I correct that I would position the scrap on the mat following the grid lines, and then put the heart on design space on the exact same grid line on the computer?
Us that how it works or am I confused?
How easy is it to reuse scrap?

amother

Mon, Jul 18 2022, 6:42 pm

gande wrote:

Most important hack is Sheitel pins. You can weed the best with them. You don’t need a cutter just use scissors.

Cool tip! Thank you!

amother

Orchid

Mon, Jul 18 2022, 6:53 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Very easy to reuse scrap. You are right that you put the paper on the map at the right position, but it's important to note that the position is where it's shown on the mat preview after you click the "make" button, NOT where you put it on the Design Space canvas.

Select the mat in preview. Look at where the heart is in the grid, then put your scrap on the mat in the same location.

By default it will put the heart in the top left, but you can move objects around if you need to. For example, maybe you have a bunch of small things to cut on an L-shaped scrap. Put the scrap on the mat, then drag objects around so that they're all within the scrap.

amother

Mon, Jul 18 2022, 7:12 pm

amother [ Orchid ] wrote:

Such a clear explanation, thank you!

amother

Mon, Jul 18 2022, 9:04 pm

Would anyone know from experience, what the hardest material a Cricut Explorer Air 2 is able to cut? I keep reading it can cut "over 100 materials" but id like to know if its possible to cut something stiff enough to make a proper sign. Thicker than cardstock...

amother

Orchid

Tue, Jul 19 2022, 1:31 am

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Here’s a list: https://help.cricut.com/hc/en-.....hine-

amother

Tue, Jul 19 2022, 8:17 am

amother [ Orchid ] wrote:

Here’s a list: https://help.cricut.com/hc/en-.....hine-

Thanks!

amother

Orchid

Thu, Jul 21 2022, 4:26 pm

gr82no wrote:

What does a Cricut machine do?
I heard you can personalize stuff with it but it seems like much more?

It’s basically a machine that can cut a variety of materials very precisely. The highest end model can also engrave acrylics, emboss paper, cut pieces of fabric, and cut thicker materials. I use it to make vinyl labels, personalize tshirts, and cut intricate paper designs. I have a friend that was really into personalized welcome mats for a while and she used it to make stencils for designs to paint on. There’s so much you can do!

You can do all of the same things by hand but it takes so much longer and you need to practice to build up the skill to be able able to cut so precisely. The Cricut cuts in a few minutes what would take me hours or days to so by hand.

amother

Navyblue

Mon, Nov 21 2022, 7:46 pm

Bumping this up as I'm interested in buying it for chanukah. My girls are ages 12 and 16. My 16 yr old would love it she's crafty.
It's very expensive for me so wondering which one makes sense to buy.

It's for fun only
Thanks for your help!

ChutzPAh

Mon, Nov 21 2022, 8:18 pm

amother Navyblue wrote:

I remember they had great deals on them last Black Friday so you can probably find this year too.

seeker

Mon, Nov 21 2022, 9:53 pm

ChutzPAh wrote:

I remember they had great deals on them last Black Friday so you can probably find this year too.

Yes but when the sales start it's a little late to start trying to figure out which one is good to buy so I'm echoing the question of what to look for in upcoming sales. Also for crafty teens.