What is a Cricut Machine? Use It To Get Organized

My Cricut Maker machine has become a bit of a conversation piece. People who visit me are not always into DIY and crafting, so they have no idea what this contraption is.

But they are curious.

The most basic explanation is as follows:

A Cricut is a precision cutting and writing/calligraphy machine. You can use it to create papercrafts and to cut vinyl stickers and lettering, as well as iron on decals.

Sometimes it is mistakenly referred to as a “Cricket” Machine but the correct spelling is “Cricut” which I think is a pun as it includes the word “cut”.

Mostly, this machine is used for making crafts or even for creating items to sell on sites like Etsy.

I, personally, have a love/hate relationship with DIY and crafts so I often use my Cricut to help me with organizing and productivity.

For example, I used the Cricut to cut vinyl decals (pictured below) for the light and fan switches in my home, so I don’t have to guess which one is which. My friends like them so much that they have asked me to make some for them as well.

What Is A Cricut Machine Used For?

One question that people always ask is this – what can you make with a Cricut?

The precision cutting, writing/calligraphy craft speak is a little too general for many.

They want a more concrete explanation.

What can you actually do with it?

Well, there is so much that a Cricut can do – it is just up to your imagination and the time you want to put into creating projects and learning the software that drives the machine, Cricut Design Space.

Precision Cutting

What it does is make really clean, sharp, and intricate cuts – much better than what you can achieve manually with scissors. Think of a really detailed snowflake cutout, the Cricut machine accomplishes this with ease.

It also cuts a large variety of materials, depending upon the model of machine that you have. Some machines will cut everything from paper and cardboard to vinyl and fabric.

Beautiful Writing

If you swap out the blade with a Cricut pen/marker then you can use your Cricut machine to write in calligraphy. Think personalized wedding invitations, thank you cards, holiday greetings, and birthday cards.

Examples of Projects You Can Make

You can create:

• Paper crafts like greeting cards, gift tags, and paper flowers
• stencils
• labels and stickers
• scrapbook pages and layouts
• iron on t-shirts
• Custom containers like boxes, bags, and envelopes
• ornaments
• personalized items

I know that I am barely touching the surface here – because there are so many possibilities.

Cricut Models

Cricut is always innovating and coming out with new models of their machines. My machine is one of the original Cricut Maker models. This can cut paper, cardboard, vinyl, and fabric. And with the right accessories, it can also engrave thin metals and even do foil transfers.

The most current model is the Cricut Maker 4, and you can either get the machine on it’s own or purchase a bundle that includes useful accessories.

There are also 2 smaller more personal sized cutting machines called the Cricut Joy 2 and the Cricut Joy Xtra.

Cricut also makes bigger machines but I think that these are more suited towards commercial use.

How To Use A Cricut

All the Cricut models have different capabilities and different limitations, so be sure to research these to make sure the model you choose is best for your needs.

But, essentially, to create things on a Cricut machine you need to use the free Cricut Design Space app. Using the app you create a design that you want to print or cut with your machine.

Design Space includes many free shapes, fonts, and designs but if you want more of a selection youcan also purchase something called a Cricut Access subscription which gives you more fonts and designs to choose from.

Then you connect your machine to Cricut Design Space using bluetooth, load in your material, and hit the “go” button. The machine will print or cut the design from your material.

One thing to note is that there is a learning curve with the Cricut Design Space app and it will take some time to learn.

Do You Need A Computer to Use A Cricut?

The answer is no – you don’t need a computer – but you do need a compatible electronic device of some kind.

There are Cricut Design Space Apps for the iPad, iPhone, and Android that you can use.

However, I personally find it easier to do my designing on a computer (I use a Mac).

Some of My Cricut Projects

These days, I mostly use my Cricut machine to make labels like the ones on the bins that I used to organize my craft supplies and the ones that I used to organize my paper bags.

However, I did create some really cute Valentine’s Day projects in the past including these simple Valentine’s Day cards that were so easy to make. You can even use the Cricut machine to cut the pages of the DIY Scrapbook project that I made here.

Cricut Tips

As far as tips go, I just have a couple.

First, if you hear of people talking about Cricut cartridges, you will not need these with the newer machines. These were used to access design graphics before Cricut Design Space came to be.

Second, one of the accessories that you need to use with your Cricut machine is a special mat that you adhere your material to before feeding into the machine. Over time, these mats can accumulate residue from the materials that you use. In this post I talk about how I clean my pink Cricut mat that is generally used for fabrics, but you can use the same ideas to clean other mat colors as well.

Finally, this is how to remove Cricut permanent vinyl from the tube that it comes in. You see, the vinyl tends to stick to the plastic tube but this is a really easy method to get it out. It may seem like a silly tip, but I have received much gratitude from so many people who were having such a hard time with it.

A Cricut Machine Can Be a Useful Organizing Tool

As you can see, a Cricut cutting machine is not just for crafts.

It is a useful organizing tile that you can use to create helpful and pretty labels that you help you find the things you need.