Thanks for sharing! Lets talk a little bit about what happens when you do print-then-cut. Then click the mat you want to move it to. You can see more about how to do that here. Place the vinyl on the cutting mat with the paper backing side down. For the Explore and Maker, you can get 12 x 12 inch and 12 x 24 inch mats in all four grip strengths. NOTE: The Joy can use pens, however, they go in the same clamp as the blade. The good news is that uploading fonts to Cricut Design Space is a lot simpler than you may think. Then in addition to that, there is the EasyPress mini, which is basically a mini iron. Its connected with the Cricut Design Space, an online program that allows you to design almost any DIY or craft project you can imagine! Here are some more Design Space tutorials for beginners: Did you know that you can upload your own designs into Cricut Design Space? That means that each of the lines becomes a different cut. A spatula is amazing for getting small pieces of paper or scraps off of your mat. You can use a Cricut to cut just about anything you would typically cut with scissors or a craft knife but with a lot more speed and precision than you could ever do by hand! Home which brings you back to this screen. Update firmware you shouldnt have to use this often but can be useful if there are issues with your machine. Advanced options Now every font doesnt play perfectly with the letter spacing, so we can ungroup to letters with the advanced features. Weld:A tool within Design Space that joins overlapping shapes. This is where those patterns that you can upload will go or there are a bunch already in Design Space. Load the Infusible Ink sheet onto the Cricut cutting mat, and cut out your design with a Cricut machine. After you make a couple of projects with adhesive vinyl, try using iron-on (aka heat transfer vinyl). Click to unlock to skew the shape. It is thinner and gives you that look of leather but you can cut it with an Explore super easily. See our post here! Ive had a Cricut Explore for more than four years (check out my Cricut Explore Resources Page to learn more), but I just recently got the newest machine in the Cricut lineup, the Cricut Maker. Click here for a guide to Cricut cutting mats. There is a Cricut version of that too and it is used to hold down Infusible Ink while you press it so it doesnt move. I love the Cricut True-control craft knife. Just use it to scrape along and pick things up. Thats the one that theyre currently selling right now. If you have a Cricut Joy, you can use smart materials which are versions of vinyl and iron-on. You do use parchment paper or wax paper for layering adhesive vinyl sometimes. JPG, GIF, PNG, BMP these are all picture files that can be uploaded. At this point, Design Space may ask you to wait while it updates your machine. The benefits of an EasyPress are basically a larger surface area, no holes for steam, and more consistent heat across the entire surface. Because of the huge variety of materials that can be used, the amount of projects is almost endless. It is also on a carrier sheet face-down, however, since it is heat activated its not sticky. A rotary cutter steps that up a notch. This will take you to your canvas where you can start designing. pop up flower Mothers Day card tutorial. Posts may contain affiliate links. When we talk about cutting fabric with your Cricut Maker, it is just regular fabric. You will want to remove that to reveal the sticky part. It makes sense to start with ready made projects and work you way up. You have probably heard of leather and suede before, but have you tried faux leather? Adhesive vinyl is applied to projects like a sticker. #cricut #silhouettecameo #cutfiles #svg #svgcutfile #svgfile #htv #heattransfervinyl #cricutprojects, Are you a Cricut Maker Beginner? Just give yourself time to figure out the new interface and watch tons of tutorials online! Lets start with the price first: it retails for $399.99 but you can usually find it on sale. My hope is that you can spend one hour and really learn your Cricut machine. One is for plugging into the wall and the other is for connecting to your computer. The projects you can make with the Cricut Maker are only limited by your own imagination! You can hide as many or as few as you would like. Here are the basic steps to using a Cricut: Now, you can take your cut paper pieces or vinyl designs, and add them to your projects. Printable vinyl is one of my favorites, but they make printable fabric, printable sticker paper, and more. You can turn this on or off depending on what you are doing. Lets begin! Open up a ready-to-make project and play with moving things around a bit, try some fun colors and fonts. Need another term defined? Some dont change the look of the object at all. This is handy if you have a 1224 mat and larger material. a LOVE card using only black and white cardstock. That way, you can change settings like the quality of the print, etc before actually printing the design. (Cricut calls their line of heat transfer vinyl Iron-On vinyl but its the same thing.). Here are a few more buttons and their function: When you click save, you can name the project and save it. Here are the basic steps to creating a project with Infusible Ink sheets. There are several different line types in Cricut Design Space. Most of my files can be cut on both a Maker and an Explore, but these below have been specifically designed with the Maker in mind. HTV: Heat transfer vinyl, aka iron-on vinyl. I love to see what you make! Open the Cricut Design Space app and start a new project. The carriage is the part that has your clamps. Scroll all the way through for easy beginner projects! Inside the box, youll find a blade, a pen, and material samples for your first project. I totally get it. To curve text, you can just move the slider to the right or left or type anything that you want right into the box. Foil adds metallic foil in fine, medium, and bold, Select all click to select everything on the canvas, Edit from here you can cut, copy, or paste, Align choose two objects and align them with various options, Arrange move an object to the front or back, Flip flip horizontally or vertically (note that you can mirror on the mat screen), Position move the object in the x or y direction on the mat. This post may contain affiliate links. Cricut Design Space will take your uploaded images and convert them into cuttable shapes. In the DIY double-sided wood wall art with hand-lettered quote project below, I was able to reuse the Cricut transfer tape twice, and it will most likely last through a few more uses. Especially, if you dont have a protective sheet thats made for iron-on, you can use parchment paper instead. Load the cutting mat into the Cricut machine. Wood veneer is a super thin, almost as thin as paper, wood product. Please note these do not save with your project and they are for reference only. When shes not crafting, Vanessa enjoys managingDesert Spoon Food Hub, a local food nonprofit, with her mother and sister. The dial allows you to choose your paper, vinyl, iron-on light card stock, regular card stock, bonded fabric, or poster board. Lets talk about them so you know the terms. Now, did I forget a term? If you have the choice, I recommend setting up your Cricut with a desktop computer or laptop. Ive got you. Now I think I will because these tips really helped me see how quickly I can learn it and all the projects are just beautiful! Remember to Have Fun and Be Magical! Download and make this quote are here! When the cut is complete, unload the mat. Pull down the menu by clicking the lines in the upper left. Design Space is free to download and comes with many free images and fonts. The box around the outside is called registration marks. I get asked all the time if wax paper can be used in place of any of the above materials. The other term with your Cricut Joy is insert cards. This post and photos may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. If you want to print on a material, be sure to look for printable on the label. This blog is reader-supported. Lets start with grip strength. Instead of peeling the paper off the mat, flip the mat upside down and peel the mat away from the paper. Cricut offers a few beginner kits, including aBasic Tool Setand anEssential Tool Set. That way it will print the words and cut the shape. It comes in varying thicknesses. The Maker has a sensor to detect the blade. #cricut #silhouette #vinyl via @cspangenberg, This 4th of July SVG file works great with the Cricut and Silhouette Cameo for crafters to make DIY projects such as shirts, signs, mugs, and more! Name the image, add tags, and click Upload to complete. Theres a kit that you can buy from Cricut. Font box You can change your font, just by clicking on a different font. This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. Blades and mats are the other two components that are required to use your Cricut machine. However, there are white star wheels along the bar on the Explore and Maker and those can move. Cricut Design Space is a design software application that youll use to create the images that youll cut with your Cricut. This area will be blank if you are opening it for the first time. System fonts are ones that are on your computer or your electronic device. If you see other machines for sale, you might see a Cricut Expression or something for sale on Facebook Marketplace. In order to apply iron-on vinyl to your projects, youll need to press it with a heat press, household iron, or Cricut EasyPress. Basically, those are sized perfectly for your Cricut Joy so you can cut matless or without a mat. The cuts stay the same but the objects will not move around once you go to cut. Quickswap housing this housing is for all of the tips listed below. Unsubscribe at any time. If fill is set to no fill, the object will cut. When clicking those three dots, you can also hide an object. Cricut Design Space is already very smart, it will move all the shapes closer together on the cutting mat so you will end up with the least amount of waste materials. That is an older technology and not currently supported by Cricut. But you can do it! Foil sheets are used with the foil transfer tool to add a metallic shine. You can get one housing and swap out tips as needed just by pressing the plunger on the top. You can also choose to use the system dialogue. In addition to T&TC, you can also find Vanessas tutorials on numerous professional websites and publications. What is a Cricut Machine, and What Can it Do? It includes step by step tutorials on how to do things like change blades, it also includes Cricut Maker cheat sheets as well as your first project tutorial. 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! So it always asks for your material and the Cricut Joy does that as well. Here are a few things you need to know after you click make it. Luckily, there were many pretty colors in the pack, and I ended up using a second sheet. Cricut cutting mats come in 4 different strengths each for different types of materials. these 21 inspiring craft rooms and workshops for creative people! The larger heat press is sometimes preferred by those running a T-shirt business. But you do need to do a few special things including mirroring. Iron-on vinyl is a special type of craft vinyl with a heat-activated adhesive. ), Cute Octopus SVG + 14 Free Ocean Cut Files, Personalized Ice Cooler with Your Cricut + Ice Cooler SVG Files. There is some error, however, so be sure to leave yourself plenty of room. Want to clean your mats and extend the life? Read this post for a detailed comparison of all current Cricut models:Cricut Comparison: Which Cricut Machine is the Best for You? Open up an internet browser window, and go to cricut.com/setup. Want to see a full list of materials each machine can cut? NOTE: The Joy is Bluetooth only and cannot be connected with a cord. How to Weld Text and Images in Cricut Design Space, How to Use Flatten in Cricut Design Space, How to use Contour in Cricut Design Space, How to Upload Images to Cricut Design Space, How to Upload Fonts to Cricut Design Space. A blank or a substrate is what you put your material onto. Theyre premade cards with inserts and there are specific designs in Cricut Design Space that you can use with these to make cards in minutes. (And What Can I Do With It?). Ive even cut it with my Joy. Up at the top, you have undo and redo. Your FREE Cricut Maker for Beginners Starter Guide. What are the differences between an iron, heat press, and EasyPress? Infusible ink is made exclusively by Cricut and comes in sheets and also pens and markers. First up, we have blades that can be used on both the Explore and the Maker. Here are two of my favorites for the Cricut Maker: Cricut Design Space cheat sheets by Lorrie and Cricut cutting mat cheat sheet by Jennifer. Infusible ink is a way to do that for the average crafter, without all of that expensive equipment. If your machine didnt come with cutting mats, you might want to buy some extra mats. If, however, youre 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. In the world of Cricut crafting, there are two main categories of vinyl: adhesive vinyl and heat transfer vinyl. Learn how to use the Cricut Maker, find your first Cricut Maker project to make and grab some Cricut Maker Cheat Sheets. Like any software program, it takes a while to learn and fully master. This is amazing for extending the life of your mat. The next machine up is the Cricut Explore Air 2. Create your design in Cricut Design Space. I cant wait to see the amazing Cricut Maker creations you come up with! Click here for a complete guide to Cricut blades. Then they move independently of one another. When were talking about vinyl, iron-on, and Infusible Ink, you might hear the term weeding. I recommend flattening words to an object like a square. Copyright 2022, Hey, Let's Make Stuff. A Joy works on Bluetooth only. Click and drag layers to the same color to easily make things cut on the same mat. (Joy machines must use Bluetooth.). If you click the text button, you can type any text that you would like and it opens up font options across the top. There are three different machines on the market right now. The answer is no. Here are a few of the best Cricut projects for beginners: Before you can start crafting, youll need to set up your new machine. As you saw in the section above, the first part of the setup process is downloading and installing the Design Space software. If you click projects here, you get the same screen as on that first screen above. The opinions and text are all mine. So this is referred to as a Teflon sheet or iron-on protective sheet. It is similar to the boxes that something like a frozen pizza from the grocery store would come in. Here are the steps to set up a new Cricut. Then, weed the excess Infusible Ink from the design. Cant watch the video or missed something important? 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. So thats what your Explore or Maker will look for with its sensor, so it knows exactly where to cut. I would not use wax paper for anything where theres heat. And I have an entire video on how to do that here. When you pick shapes, you can actually draw right in Cricut Design Space with a variety of shapes and even add score lines. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel! Weeding is just the act of using weeding tools, tweezers, or your hands to remove any excess from the carrier sheet. So you need to make sure you have the right blade in your machine before you start cutting. When you get your mat, there will be a clear protective cover on the front. through these links, which help me continue to offer original tutorials and free printables! Get your daily inspiration at The Country Chic Cottage for your Cricut machine and more! I love creating craft tutorials that are quick, easy, and fun to make! Once attached, the button changes to detach so you can always undo this action. The Explore has a button on the left to open the machine while the Maker and Joy you just pull the flap to open. When I made this custom canvas tote bag with glitter iron-on vinyl, it was only my second Cricut Maker project. Love how your project turned out! This Cricut Maker course for Beginners can help! It is perfect to put on top if youre layering iron-on. Click here if you want to learn more about working with this material. Use the included USB cord to connect the machine to your computer, or pair it via Bluetooth. But the EasyPress, I find is perfect for home crafters and is actually what I recommend and what I use most often. After the vinyl design is cut, peel off the paper backing and apply it to your projects with a little pressure (not heat). There are gray rollers on both ends of all machines and these cannot be moved. But Cricut makes felt and its thin enough and the right texture to cut with an Explore. I remember what its like to be a Cricut newbie. Inside you will also see roller bars with some rollers along them. Theres also a faux suede that you can try as well. If you have any additional questions, feel free to join myFacebook Group for Cricut Crafts. Iron-on vinyl also has two layers: the vinyl itself and a plastic carrier sheet. But it can tell the difference between the rotary blade and knife blade. A note on material brands: You do not need to buy Cricut brand materials to be successful. Then click weld to make one piece that cuts all at one time. She recenlty made me a ballerina made from paper, she got the idea on pinterest and i was so touched! Well cover the basics of how Cricut machines work and what supplies you need to make your first project. One side of the freezer paper, when you iron it, adheres to your fabric just enough so you can stencil with it. Sublimation is a process with a printer and its pretty expensive to get into. Well, I was feeling the same way just a few months ago. I keep freezer paper in my kitchen because it makes a great stencil. Not sure where to get started with your Cricut Maker? It comes in a variety of types, including removable and permanent adhesive vinyl. Yes, we are getting a Cricut next, so excited! The cartridge is an older technology and you can link your cartridges to your Maker or Joy by calling Cricut. Like scoring is represented by a dashed line and foil a gold line. If you are going to do vinyl projects, pick up a scraper. Cricut Maker Vs. Cricut Explore: Everything You Need To Know! Now when you have an EasyPress, you might also want to consider an EasyPress mat. Flatten any object to make it a print then cut. When the cut is complete, unload the mat. Ive always wanted to get one but I feel like its so overwhelming! Press the Go button to begin cutting. If you have a Cricut Maker, you can purchase additional Cricut blades and tools that will allow you to make different types of projects. If youre not planning on cutting a wide variety of things for your future business, the Explore machine would probably work for you. What are the different Cricut machines? Your new Cricut machine will come with a few supplies and tools that youll need to get started. In this article I want to share with you 8 essential tips and tricks learned through my exciting first 4 months, plus a few of my favorite Cricut Maker beginner project ideas which you can start creating right away. If you would like to see a big comparison between the three machines, you can click here. On this page you will find all sorts of resources for you to learn to use the Cricut Maker, as well as tons of projects you can create at home! I recommend only cutting genuine leather if you have a Maker, because it is a little tougher to cut. When you open up a Cricut machine, youll see a small blade that moves around on a carriage to cut the design youve chosen. Again, it cant be undone so make sure everything is together correctly. Cardstock comes in a wide variety of colors, finishes, and so much more. These options are as follows: The only other option on the left is shapes. Try our free 7 day course instead by clicking here! Cricut makes its own line of blanks that are compatible with Infusible Ink. Be sure to pick the same color for those items you want to cut on the same mat. Get direct access to our creative library when you subscribe to the email newsletter! That includes verything around the outside edge, things like the centers of letters, and the insides of designs. There are currentlythree types of Cricut machineson the market: The Cricut Explore 3, the Cricut Maker 3, and the Cricut Joy. You can choose a color or a pattern. All will list both. At a minimum, youll need a weeding tool and a scraper tool. Consider this post yourultimate guide to Cricut for beginners. . Move objects from one mat to another to save material. The EasyPress mat is the perfect thing for laying down your blank and then pressing on top with your EasyPress.