This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Cricut. All opinions are 100% mine.
Whether you’ve already bought your machine or still on the fence, this Cricut Maker for Beginners FAQ will help you understand this awesome cutting machine better. Scroll all the way through for easy beginner projects!
I totally get it. Dropping a few hundred dollars on a Cricut Maker can be somewhat nerve-wracking.
- Will you use it enough?
- What if it doesn’t work the way you envisioned?
- Is it worth the money?
No worries! I’m here to answer all the Cricut Maker for Beginners frequently asked questions you may have. I promise you’ll feel much better at the end of this post!
What makes the Maker different from other Cricut machines?
There are a number of ways the Cricut Maker is different from the other Cricut machines. Let’s start with the price first: it retails for $399.99 but you can usually find it on sale. (For comparison, the Cricut Explore Air 2 costs $249.99.)
Now that we’ve got the price out of the way, let’s talk about what functions set the Maker apart from other Cricut machines:
- Cuts over 300 different materials including things the Explore Air 2 can’t cut like fabric, leather, chipboard, and basswood.
- Has a whole line of specialty tools that can be swapped out with the QuickSwap™ Housing.
- Can be used with over 500 different sewing patterns and quilt blocks on Design Space as well as projects made specifically for different Maker tools.
Let’s go into even more detail on each of those!
What materials can I cut with Cricut Maker?
As I mentioned above, the Maker can cut all of the materials that a Cricut Explore Air 2 can PLUS MORE! So essentially, you’re paying the $100 extra for a Maker so that you can cut all the things. Check out the Cricut Maker materials you can buy here!
Sure, you’ll probably use it to cut vinyl or paper most of the time but having the option to cut fabric or chipboard is so much fun!
Want to see a full list of materials each machine can cut? Click here to go to the Cricut site to see a side-by-side list.
What add-ons do I need to use the machine and how expensive will it be?
Of course, the Cricut Maker has tons of amazing add-ons but I’m also here to tell you that you can totally use the machine just with what comes in the box. If you’re trying to stay within a budget (and who isn’t these days?!), this will be a huge relief!
If, however, you’ve got a little extra money to spend, you’re going to love these extra add-ons. They really add a whole other dimension of fun to your machine!
- Rotary Blade + Drive Housing ($44.99) – You don’t have to purchase because it comes with your Maker! Allows you to cut fabric without any stabilizer backing. I used it to cut out all the fabric for this cute Sunburst Pillow!
- Perforation Blade ($17.99) – Creates perfect perforated lines on paper. Great for interactive greeting cards or tear-away countdowns like this Disneyland Countdown I made!
- Scoring Wheel Combo Pack ($69.99) – Includes both single and double scoring blades. An essential tool if you plan on making cardboard boxes or rosettes!
- Fine Debossing Tip ($14.99) – Make intricate debossed designs in a variety of materials with this versatile tip. Check out how I made a Debossed Leather Bookmark here!
- Wavy Blade ($17.99) – I have to admit that I use this tool the least but when I want to make fringe or something like this Back To School Tassel, the Wavy Blade is perfect!
- Engraving Tip ($24.99) – This might be my second favorite tool behind the rotary blade! From acrylic nightlights to this Engraved Metal Memo Board, the Engraving Tip is so much fun to craft with.
- Knife Blade ($45.99) – A must if you’re planning on cutting through thicker materials like basswood, chipboard, or thick leather. I used it to cut these Teacher Appreciation keychains.
Again, all of these are additional tools that fully utilize the power of your new Maker but you can still make tons of projects without them! You can always buy one at a time as you need.
Will it be easy for me to learn the software to make projects?
Whether or not you’ll be able to quickly learn Design Space depends on if you’re planning on making your own designs or just using projects found in Design Space.
If you’re going to use pre-made projects and images, Design Space is really easy to use. You’ll just click on the image to pull it onto your canvas, adjust the size, and then send to your machine.
If, however, you’re use to creating your own images in Adobe Illustrator (or something similar) and want to do so for your Maker, Design Space may take a bit to get use to. Just give yourself time to figure out the new interface and watch tons of tutorials online!
Remember, you can always create designs in another program and upload those original images into Design Space. I do this all the time with my SVG files!
What can I make with Cricut Maker?
The projects you can make with the Cricut Maker are only limited by your own imagination! Because of the huge variety of materials that can be used, the amount of projects is almost endless. Here are some of my favorites:
Hope you found this Cricut Maker for Beginners FAQ helpful. I can’t wait to see the amazing Cricut Maker creations you come up with!
Comments & Reviews
Karen says
Just about to get one which would u suggest starter friendly for a creative and planning for future business
Vanessa Brady says
If you’re not planning on cutting a wide variety of things for your future business, the Explore machine would probably work for you. If you’re looking to invest a bit on a machine that will give you more future possibilities, you can’t go wrong with the Maker!