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What is your skill level with your Cricut machine?
A Cricut machine doesn’t have to be hard to use – but it can be intimidating. Here are the best tips for those of you starting out with your Cricut Maker or Explore Air 2!
Cricut Machine Tips
When I first got my Explore Air, I was so intimidated.
It sat in the box for months, because I just didn’t know where to start.
Well, those were wasted months, because it has turned into one of my favorite hobbies.
I’m not one of those people who has every project turn out perfectly – in fact, many end in tears or just being ended prematurely because it just isn’t worth finishing!
However, I have learned a lot over the years, and I hope that this post will help those of you who are just starting out and need a little bit of extra help.
Be sure to join Cricut support group on Facebook for ideas and inspiration! There are thousands of members who are so helpful and creative!
Table of contents
- What machine should I get?
- What’s in the Box?
- Read the instructions
- Cricut Education
- Cricut Mat Care
- What mat should I use?
- What Materials Does The Cricut Explore Air Cut?
- Test cut
- Cutting with fabrics
- Writing/Drawing
- How to clean your machine
- Double-check your settings
- Keeping blades sharp
- Transfer Paper<strong>Transfer paper</strong>
- Vinyl Tips and Where to Find Vinyl
- Cricut Design Space
- Set Canvas in Design Space
- Cricut Access
- Your Own Images and Fonts
- Cricut Mystery Box
- More Cricut Support
What machine should I get?
If you are reading this, you likely already have a machine – but you may also be trying to decide which one is best for you.
There are a ton of different machines out there, but the two lines that they still actively update and promote are the Explore Air line and the Maker.
I am fortunate to own the Air, Air 2, Joy and Maker, and really, they are all amazing machines. There are things I like about the Air more than the Maker, but overall, I like the power and possibilities of the Maker.
I wrote this post – Cricut Joy versus Explore Air 2 Versus Maker: Which Should You Get?which I think will be helpful in determining the best machine for your needs.
Here are some guides that dive specificially into each machine:
- The Cricut Joy: Answers to ALL Your Questions!
- The Cricut Maker Machine: Everything You Should Know
- How to Use the Cricut Explore 2: The Beginner’s Guide
What’s in the Box?
So, what comes in the Explore Air 2 box? (if you are looking for details on the Maker, click here).
Well, that depends. If you check out the Cricut website, they have different packages available, and the more money you pay, the more you get (obviously).
However, if you were to buy the most basic option from the website right now, you will most likely find in your box:
- Explore Air
- Storage Bag
- Power and USB Cord
- Blade
- Standard Grip Cutting Mats
- Getting Started Guide
- Silver Pen
- Samples
So, you don’t get a ton of things, but it’s enough to get started. However, I do recommend buying one of the starter sets, as they do include more of accessories that I feel are necessary for success.
Here are a few items I think everyone should make sure they have when using one of these machines.
- Extra Mats (in different sizes – Buy on Cricut.com or Amazon)
- Cricut Tools Craft Basic Set – this includes scissors, scraper, tweezers, and spatula…all of which are VERY helpful (this can be purchased on Cricut or Amazon).
- There are other great tools that you can buy here.
- Extra Blades
- HP Instant Ink Subscription – if you have a qualifying HP printer, this is the BEST thing you can do – you’ll never run out of ink again for your projects, and you’ll save a bundle. You can get your first month free here.
- The Essential Tool Kit is one of my favorite tools
I’ve also written a post that goes into what you might need – depending on what kind of crafting you might do: Cricut Essentials.
Read the instructions
Maybe you all are great at reading instructions, but I am not. I’m the type of person that just jumps into something without reading all the information first.
Sometimes it works, other times, not so much.
I did that with the Explore Air when I first got it, and let’s just say, I struggled.
So, save yourself some time and frustration and read EVERYTHING that comes with your machine.
Cricut Education
There are SO many great articles and courses and videos out there – many of which are free.
Here on Clarks Condensed, we have TONS of tutorials and projects that can help you get started with your machine – click here to view all of them. You can also check out our YouTube channel here.
For an ad-free experience, you can check out our eBook, which is actually very comprehensive and available for $7.99.
And finally, there are people far more talented than I am who have created some AMAZIG online courses and communities – if you are really wanting to dive deep, check this post out to learn more – The Best Online Cricut Courses For Every Budget (personally, I’m partial to Cricut Made Easy).
Cricut Mat Care
The cutting mat is essential to success with your machine. You really need it to make sure you get a cut on just about all the materials you will use.
Without proper care, they can get messed up pretty quickly. I’ll talk about this more later but you should ALWAYS make sure you do a test cut. I’ve ruined a mat because I had the cut setting too high.
Beyond that, one tip I learned is to wipe it down with non-alcoholic baby wipes (water wipes would be perfect) after each cut. This can help keep it cleaner, stay sticky for longer, and just increase the longevity of it.
You can use a paper clip to pick up tiny pieces of leftovers that are hard to get, as well as a lint roller.
If you are hoping to make your mat sticky again, here are two pieces of advice:
- Good ol’ soap and water: This really does seem to work! My mat was starting to feel a little less sticky, so I just gave it a good cleaning with soap and water, and it seemed to revive itself.
- Krylon Repositionable Adhesive: I have not actually used this, but I’ve heard that it can help make a mat sticky again.
What mat should I use?
There are currently four different mats:
- Blue - LightGrip (Cricut / Amazon)
- Green - StandardGrip (Cricut / Amazon)
- Purple - StrongGrip (Cricut / Amazon)
- Pink - FabricGrip (Cricut / Amazon)
The pink mat is specifically designed for the Maker and is to be used with fabric.
The blue is for materials that stick rather easily and won't slide around.
The purple is for thicker materials that have a harder time staying put (such as balsa wood, chipboard, etc.)
In general, my rule of thumb is this - the thicker the material, the stronger the grip.
What Materials Does The Cricut Explore Air Cut?
It uts SO many things - the sky is really the limit. The first thing that probably comes to mind is vinyl - which is definitely a big one (and there are TONS of different kinds of vinyl as well).
However, that's just barely scraping the surface. There are over 100 different materials you can use, but here are some of the top materials listed on the website:
- Paper - Standard, Cardstock, Vellum, Poster Board
- Vinyl - Standard, Premium, Dry Erase, Chalkboard
- Iron-On - Heat-Transfer Vinyl (HTV)
- Craft Materials - Washi Tape, Craft Foam, Glitter Paper
- Upcycled Materials - Chipboard, Cereal Boxes, Aluminum Cans
- Fabric - Felt, Denim, Polyester, Burlap, Canvas
- Plastic - Stencil, Window Acetate, Silicone
- Thick Materials - Leather, Balsa Wood, Magnet Materials (check out this tutorial on how to cut wood with your Cricut machine)
You can purchase many compatible cutting materials straight from their website. You can use things that aren't Cricut branded, but I always know that if I use something from the site, it will definitely work.
Make sure that you read our post on 50+ Unique Cricut Projects to find out all the different ways you can use your machine!
Test cut
Always do a test cut - especially if you are cutting with a new material. I'll be the first to admit that sometimes I'm lazy in this, and I almost always regret it when I see my material isn't being cut all the way through.
It takes just a few seconds for a test cut to be done, and it can help to ensure that you won't have to do extra cuts or that the pressure of the cut is so much that it will cut into the mat.
Cutting with fabrics
I've found cutting with fabrics to be somewhat tricky - there's some trial in error involved. For instance, for Oliver's birthday, I made him a shirt with fabric that I cut from the machine. It worked pretty well.
However, I tried to cut some flannel the other day, and it was a disaster. It was pulling all over the place, and it cut fine in some areas but horribly in the others.
I've found that the secret is to use something like heat and bond to make the fabric a little thicker. If you aren't going to be bonding it to something, you can at least attach it to some interfacing.
The flannel, I had chosen to use a spray adhesive, but I wish I had just used Heat 'n Bond I feel that it would have made it a stiffer surface, and it wouldn't have gotten pulled around as much. Test cuts are super important when cutting with fabric!
UPDATE: The Maker cuts fabric BEAUTIFULLY - make sure you check out our post about the Cricut Maker and Fabric for more details 🙂
Writing/Drawing
One of the fun features is that you can draw with it - this can be fun for signs, cards, etc.
Cricut has their own markers that work well with the machine, so I do recommend picking up a set of those. However, don't feel like you can't use anything else. Anything else that will fit can work. Sharpies are a popular option.
Be sure to read this post on how to write with Explore Air to get you started!
How to clean your machine
As with any kind of machine, it's crucial that you clean it to keep it working in tip top condition. This a great video that shows you how to clean your machine:
Non-alcoholic Baby wipes are a great option for cleaning both the machine and the wipes
Double-check your settings
Always make sure you have your machine set to cut the right kind of material! You can do this by changing the knob on the machine, or you can do it manually within the software.
Within the Design Space software, it will give you settings for TONS of different cutting materials - far more than are on the knob on the machine. It gets pretty specific with the material. I also like that you can adjust the settings in there, just in case the machine isn't cutting the material exactly the way you want it to. a
Keeping blades sharp
Blades will dull over time - and it's usually a slow transition. I remember when I finally replaced my blade on my old machine, and I didn't realize how bad it had gotten.
I recommend having different blades for different kinds of materials that you cut frequently - so one that is only for fabric, one for vinyl, etc. Then you could have another blade for materials that you don't use as frequently. Here are the different blades that are available:
- Fine Point Blade (Cricut / Amazon)
- Deep Cut Blade (Cricut / Amazon)
- Bonded Fabric Blade (Cricut / Amazon)
- Rotary Blade (Cricut / Amazon)
- Knife Blade (Cricut / Amazon)
You should also clean out the housing for the blade after each use. This can get gunky very easily. I've found that using compressed air is pretty easy to use.
Transfer Paper
Transfer Paper is essential for many projects - specifically for use with vinyl. However, you can use transfer paper more than once - so make sure you don't throw it out!
Make sure you cut the transfer paper down to the size you need to eliminate excess waste. If you don't want to pay for the Transfer Paper, you can actually just use regular ol' contact paper. It might save you a few bucks!
Vinyl Tips and Where to Find Vinyl
I think when people think of cutting machines, they think of vinyl. I know that's the first thing that comes to mind for me! So, I figure it's worth mentioning a few tips for cutting with vinyl.
First off, it's important to understand that there are MANY different kinds of vinyl - interior, exterior, heat transfer, matte, gloss, glittered...SO many. It's important to look at what kind you are using in order to cut it correctly.
For instance, when I first started using heat transfer vinyl, it took me FOREVER to figure out what side was supposed to be cut (haha, pathetic, I know!).
When you are getting ready to cut the vinyl, make sure you line it up with the edge of the mat and fills the entire mat. I always have issues when I try to cut out the exact size and place it in the exact right spot on the mat. Just fill-up the whole space!
Once the vinyl is cut, I recommend cutting away excess vinyl before you remove it from the mat. If you don't do this, you risk pulling up vinyl that hasn't been cut.
When you do the transfer to the transfer paper, it's easiest to do this while it's still on the mat.
Start simple - vinyl does have a learning curve, and it can be easy to become frustrated with.
You can find vinyl a lot of different places. I bought a huge pack of vinyl from Amazon for cheap, and while it did the job, I didn't feel like it was the highest quality. I really love using the Vinyl straight from the website or from Expressions Vinyl.
Here is a tutorial I've done on using Iron-on Vinyl (read more details here).
Cricut Design Space
This is where all the magic happens. Design Space is available to use through their web-based program or through a mobile app. You do need Internet access to use it, but it's where you'll create all your designs.
You can come up with your own designs, or you can use pre-designed templates. I love that you can use the mobile app anywhere - it's so convenient when you are laying in bed or sitting in the car.
I recommend signing in and getting to know the system first before you get started. There is a learning curve, but I don't feel like it's too difficult to pick up fairly quickly. Here is a screenshot of the screen on the web platform:
Set Canvas in Design Space
This is one of my favorite features of Design Space - it has tons of templates for SO many different projects. You just select the project, and then it overlays it in your design screen so you can make sure you get the sizing correctly.
For instance, when I made Oliver's birthday onesie, I went under pajamas, and it pulled up a onesie so I could design right over the top of it. It's very helpful for visual learners.
Cricut Access
If you are a serious user and you want to have access to their entire library or images and fonts, I think that this is well worth the investment. They have several different plans ranging from $7.99-$9.99.
You can find out which Cricut Access Plan is right for you in this post!
You get access to over 30,000 images, 370 fonts, thousands of project ideas, and you get 10% off all purchases from Cricut.com.
Your Own Images and Fonts
You can use your own images and fonts in Design Space. To use your own font, just install a font that you've purchased or downloaded online to your computer. Restart Design Space, and it should show up in your fonts.
With images, on the left side of the Design Space platform, there is an option that says "Upload Images." You use this to upload the image that you want to cut - super easy.
You can upload most .jpg, .bmp, .png, .gif, .svg, and .dxf files and convert them into cuttable files. Etsy has lots of really great cut files that are inexpensive and great for any occasion!
I also am a big fan of SoFontsy.com and Design-Bundles.net.
You can check out this post on how to upload images to Cricut Design Space for more help!
Cricut Mystery Box
This is one of my favorite things that Cricut does! Each month, they create a "mystery box" of products - it's usually $29.99 to 39.99, and it's filled with supplies and cartridges that are valued well beyond that. If you are someone who just loves to create and you aren't looking for specific materials, this is a great value. It makes for a great gift, too!.
You can learn all about the Cricut Mystery Box in this post.
More Cricut Support
We have various Facebook groups where you can get support from us and other Cricut fans. Be sure to signup for one of these groups below:
- Cricut Support Group (this is our largest group!)
- Cricut Joy Creating
- Makers Gonna Make - Cricut Help
d sabel says
Hi, just found your site. Got a cricut while home during this covid pandemic. Your tutorial on the heated vinyl was really informative and easy to follow. I think I will try that next, thank so much for posting it!!
Katie says
I am so glad it was helpful! Thanks for joining the Cricut family on Clarks Condensed!
heidi says
I have had my machine three years,,,in the box, too overwhelming! What is transfer paper and what is it’s use? How does one do a test cut? where do i go to find answers to things like that, Thanks!!
Katie says
Transfer paper/tape is a sticky material that is similar to contact paper. It helps to easily move vinyl to the blank you are using. A test cut isn’t super easy with Cricut, but you can just add a small item to your design and put it on a separate mat and do a test cut with just that mat with your material. Our Cricut Support Group on Facebook is a great place to get answers!
Cyndie says
Hi. I bought my Cricut 2nd Hand last summer and, at that time, only registered it. I now want to make labels saying “PEACE” to apply to white tree ornaments. Your tutorial above has helped me get ready for this endeavor including knowing what vinyl, transfer tape, mat, & tools to purchase. My one question, so far, is what blade to purchase. Thanks for any thoughts you can share.
Katie says
Hello! I’m glad this was helpful. I would recommend getting the fine point blade for that project. The next blade I would get is the deep cut blade.
Barbara says
What is the Cricut Design Space?
Katie says
It’s Cricut’s online platform to create designs to be cut with the Explore Air or Maker 🙂 You can find it design.cricut.com
traquell says
Awesome tutorial for a creative but not so tech savvy person like me! It makes me more confident and eager to get started! Thank you so much!!
Katie says
I’m so glad!
Cindy Force says
I hope someone can help me! I down loaded a file and actually got it to my design space, however the problem is the file has three items on the one page and I don’t need two of them. So it looks like this … large castle, set of two mickey heads, two set of retro mickey retro heads. I only want the last ones but don’t know how to separate the last two so I can use them only. How do I do this? Thank you!!!!!
Katie says
Have you tried ungrouping the images?
elaine says
I have an Embroidery Machine with lots of purchased and free fonts, can I use these with the cricut?
Katie says
Yep! As long as they are installed on your computer, you can use them with Design Space!
ruth a evans says
i am struggled with my cricut my blade is dragged i have taking it out and try wipe it clean and it still does it this cricut confuss me so much and i want to learn but i have read all the lesson on my laptop please help me i want to make things with but i am not a compoter with the language thank you not dont understand the language for my laptop
Debby Morgan says
Why is my cricut telling me to print my design. It has been uploaded and is showing on the computer, but then scans my printed picture and cuts it. I have tried using blue tooth an wired.
Katie says
Are you doing print and cut?
renee presley says
I got my Explore Air 2 for Christmas.. This by far the best tutorial EVAH… I was a little overwhelmed… Thanks for dumbing it down for ME… I am now ready to conquer the CRICUT! Thanks for ALL the links too. You rock and I THANK YOU.
Katie says
Oh thank you so much! I am so glad you enjoyed this post. That means so much to me for your comments.
Angie Cox says
I absolutely love that you put links for us to purchase the products you were suggesting! That makes it so easy. Thank you for putting in the extra time to do that.
-Angie
Katie says
Thank you for saying that, Angie. I appreciate it! And I’m so glad it was helpful to you.
Leticia says
Hello Mrs. Katie,
Thank you for very helpful information on the Cricut Air. I want to use your information as a teaching tool. Where I live there isn’t a craft store that sells or have items for a Cricut if you want anything Cricut supplies you have to drive one hour away. I want to bring the Cricut product to my town. In doing so I will teach how to use a Cricut this way the only hobbie/craft store in town will bring the Cricut and hire me to teach how to use it. Sorry for so long of a qestion, can I use your information to teach?
Thank you, Peace, Mrs. Leticia Forbes
Katie says
So sorry for just seeing this. You are welcome to use it!
Tina says
Thank you for this helpful information. I want to purchase a Cricut for creating canvas signs with stained wood around it, coasters and maybe an occasional shirt. What’s my best option and what do I need to make sure a machine has?
Katie says
Hmm are you wanting to create the coasters yourself? Or just put vinyl ont hem?
MARY HELFMANN says
Hi Katie, I have to admit I’ve had my Cricut Expressions 2 for a few years originally wanted to do glass etching on the bottom of dishes, casseroles, etc. But doing this requires a mirror image and I believe that’s why I stopped using my Cricut. I’m retired now and have more time to play around with it. Are you able to tell me if the Expressions 2 can do a mirror image? Thanks so much the great post, very helpful!!
Katie says
The Explore AIr 2 does do a mirror image 🙂
Jessica Kirkendall says
I’m brand new to the Cricut world. I’ve been doing some research before buying my first machine. I’ve decided to go with the Cricut Maker. I plan to utilize the knife blade primarily since leather work is my main hobby. My struggle is trying to find out what additional items will be most helpful at the beginning. Do you have a list of mats, tools, etc that don’t already come with the maker you would suggest? Thanks in advance!
Katie says
Yes! This might be helpful to you 🙂 https://www.clarkscondensed.com/diy/cricut/cricut-accessories/