I have been wanting to get my hands on a Cricut Maker for absolutely ages but hadn’t gotten around to ‘pulling the trigger’ as it’s not a pocket money kinda purchase and we’re currently saving to buy our house do a few other bits.
Luckily being on furlough has meant I’ve had more time to work on my original blog, which means more £££’s from blog work in my bank account AND I found a really good deal on a machine (there is actually an even better deal on it on Amazon at the moment – Cricut Maker for just £299 the price has now gone back up to £380 😑) so I went ahead and bought it!
What is the Cricut Maker?
Well, in short, the Cricut Maker, is a very handy smart cutting machine that both craft hobbyists and craft business owners LOVE!
Previous Cricut machines were mainly used for cutting through vinyl and different cardstock but the new Maker machine can now also cut through a whole host of new tougher materials such as Basswood, Chipboard, Matboard, Leather and Fabri with ease thanks to an improved cutting pressure of 4kg (which is actually more than a lot of commercial cutting machines can do!)
The Cricut Maker also has the ability to use more advanced tools than previous machines which gives you the freedom to make virtually any craft project you can imagine.
My favourite addition to the tools range is the Rotary Blade which is used designed especially to cut fabric! You don’t need to add a backing or stabilizing material to the back of the fabric, you just put ti ton the new pink fabric mat (it uses a different adhesive to their other mats) and away you go. They even give you access to a library of 50 free ready-to-make projects including 25 sewing patterns and there is the chance to try out a lot more if you sign up for Cricut Access.
What’s in the Cricut Maker box
- Cricut Maker® machine
- Rotary Blade + Drive Housing
- Premium Fine-Point Blade + Housing
- Fine Point Pen, Black
- FabricGrip™ Mat (30.5 cm x 30.5 cm)
- LightGrip Mat (30.5 cm x 30.5 cm)
- Welcome Book
- USB cable
- Power adapter
- Free trial membership to Cricut Access™ (for new subscribers)
- 50 free ready-to-make projects, including 25 sewing patterns
- Materials for a practice project
I ordered my machine as part of a Bundle deal from a company called MDP Supplies, I went for Bundle B which included
- 10 Sheets DeTape 440 Gloss Sign Vinyl (220 x 305mm)
- 10 Sheets DeTape Wall Art Matt Sign Vinyl (220 x 305mm)
- 8 x Hot Flex Garment Vinyl Sheets (220 x 305mm)
- 8 x Hot Flex Garment Vinyl Sheets (220 x 305mm)
- 2 x Speciality Garment Vinyl Sheets (220 x 305mm)
- 1 x DeTape Metal Weeding Tool
- 1 x SAT white plastic squeegee
- 1 x 10m roll of DeTape Clear app tape
Best Prices for the Cricut Maker?
The best price for a Cricut Maker is currently from Amazon where it is now only £299 (The Maker has now gone back up in price to £380 on Amazon)
I’ll update this post with the best deal as and when I see them and if an amazing deal comes about for any of the Cricut range I will also send out an email to my newsletter subscribers.
Machines you use in your craft business like the Cricut or maybe a fancy embroidery machine aren’t the cheapest bit of kit to buy but did you know you can insure them on your home insurance? Companies such as One Sure Insurance will cover them under your home insurance, so that’s one less thing to worry about.
Tips for Getting Started with the Maker
There are some great blog posts and videos on YouTube to show you how to get started with the Cricut Maker, I’ve linked some of the best below
How To Set Up A Brand New Cricut Maker & Do Your First Project!
10 Things To Know Before Your First Cricut Maker Project
Learn to use the Cricut Maker
8 Essential Cricut Maker Beginner Tips and Tricks for Better Crafting
[…] to papercuts and vinyl crafts, you even have machines such as the Cricut Maker that are capable of cutting sewing pattern SVG’s. They are perfect for personalising items for a group, say a Hen Do, you can find an SVG file that […]