I have always been crafty and creative. As a child, I loved art classes and during the holidays my sister and I would often do crafty things or go to some creative classes. Mum was forever buying us paper for quilling, powders for embossing, pens and such like!
Now I am older my love for crafts is slowing taking over my house! I have boxes full of wool stacked up for my crochet projects, a sewing machine and fabric covering my dining table for my quilting course and the most recent addition to my crafty corner: a Cricut Maker, arguably the ultimate smart cutting machine.
You might remember back in 2014 I reviewed the Cricut Explore and I was super excited to have been offered the chance to review the latest Cricut machine, the Maker, which boasts a whole new range of cutting options!
The Cricut Maker quickly and accurately cuts hundreds of materials including fabrics, leather, paper, matboard, leather, and balsa wood which opens up a new level of options for crafty people like me.
The Cricut Maker comes with:
- Cricut Maker machine (with embedded Bluetooth)
- Rotary Blade & drive housing
- Premium Fine-Point Blade & housing
- Fine-Point Pen
- FabricGrip Mat 12″ x 12″
- LightGrip Mat 12″ x 12″
- Pack of materials for your first projects (1 fabric sample, 2 paper samples)
- Welcome book
- USB cable
- Power adapter
- Cricut Access free trial + coupon
- 50 ready-to-make projects, including 25 sewing patterns
- 1-year limited warranty (now covers commercial use!)
- Dimensions: ~22-2/3″L x 7-1/8″W x 6-1/4″
- Weight: 7.3kg
Since getting the Maker I have bought myself a few more accessories to go with it such as the knife blade, the scoring wheel, 12″ x 24″ fabric mat. I think if you’re going to invest in the Maker you may as well go all out and get all the tools and kit you’re likely to need.
I love how elegant the Maker looks from the outside; I have the lovely champagne coloured machine (it also comes in rose & blue). It has very clean lines and sleek edges making it a beautiful part of my crafty corner. I love the handy storage it has for keeping my pens and blades in so I am sure never to mislay them.
Simply lift the lid and the machine opens with a gentle motion to reveal the cutting mechanism. There’s a helpful docking slot that holds your tablet or smartphone while you’re working on a project. it even has a
It’s worth noting there is additional storage on the inside of the front which opens with the lid – I store accessories in there so they are always within reach for weeding, tweezing or lifting when I am working on a project.
One huge update with the Maker model has been the introduction of the adaptable toolset meaning that it can cut, write, and score materials with greater precision and control. There is a range of tools which you simply swap out depending on your project.
Use the fine point blade for cutting paper, the rotary blade for cutting fabrics, the extra-deep knife blade for tougher board and wood and the scoring wheel for making folding a doddle. There is also a huge range of pens that you can use with the Maker for adding some beautiful script to your project. I love using this for writing out greetings cards and addressing envelopes as it has much nicer writing than I do!
Another upgrade from the Explore is that the Maker has a wider array of cutting mats which makes it easy to deal with the extraordinary range of materials it can cut. They come in light, standard and strong grip options allowing you to securely place and cut your materials. I love my pink fabric mat as it makes cutting fabric for sewing projects super quick and easy.
There have also been changes made to the Cricut Design Space – your online workspace software where you can create your own designs or explore the extensive (seemingly never-ending!) ranges of projects, shapes and fonts which you can choose to make for yourself. A large number of items in the library are free but some have an additional cost such as projects made in collaboration with designers.
The Design Space is your window into the world of creativity so it definitely pays to get to know it and all it offers. There is plenty of guidance with tutorial videos covering all aspects of using the space.
So, how do you get set up? It’s surprisingly quick and easy to get your Maker going. First, plug it into your mains power and press the on button. Then, on your computer or device go to the Cricut Design Space. You will be prompted to download the software and once that is installed you are good to go! Choose or design your project and get cutting.
Connecting to the Cricut has never been easier as it comes with Bluetooth connectivity allowing for wireless cutting which is a massive bonus. I have to admit that when I used the old Explore machine I got frustrated at having cables all over the place but now I can just connect via my phone, tablet or computer and not worry about trip hazards.
Ok, so, how does it cut? The short answer is amazingly well. I have experimented with various papers, cards, vinyl and fabrics and the Maker hasn’t really struggled with any of these. I am excited at the prospect of using the knife blade to cut thicker materials and make some 3D decorations for my home.
Overall I can genuinely say I am in love with my Cricut Maker. I am always excited to see what I will be making next and it is pushing me to try things that I wouldn’t have otherwise done. The Maker makes it so quick and easy to prepare all sorts of materials which makes it the best assistant I’ve ever had!
My main use for the Maker at the moment has been cutting fabric shapes for a sampler quilt I am making at a beginner’s quilting course and I certainly feel smug when I arrive with all my pieces ready to go while the other attendees have to faff around with rulers and rotary blades when I can just get straight on with the sewing. I have also personalised a few mugs with vinyl cut by the Cricut. If you want to sell your Cricut items it can be useful to use mockups for marketing purposes, like a mug mockup for example.
Would I recommend the Maker? Yes. Absolutely. If you are a craft lover or have a craft related business then I would certainly recommend the Maker as a quick and easy way to design projects and cut materials. It is a huge time saver and means you can produce accurate cuts every time. I award the Cricut Maker 5 out of 5 stars and can’t wait to get started on my next project.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.
Ooh this looks like a nifty device! It amazes me how there is a machine for everything these days – this sounds like it can do so much!
I have heard great things about this machine. My friend has one who makes her own cards and she is never off it, haha!
I love the idea of this. There are so many different possibilities in which this machine could be used for.
In our family, my sister and mum are the creatives, the rest of us are appreciators. I know my sister has been wanting this kind of cutting machine, loving the accessories.
This looks like such a good piece of tech and not something I’d even heard of before. It’s so sleek in size x
I’ve not seen anything like this before, it looks fab! There is so much you can do with it.
These sound absolutely amazing! I really want to get one to try myself but I’m not sure what I would make, too many ideas!
New machine to me, but looks like a cool piece of crafting kit. I think I would get addicted to it haha xx
Wow this looks amazing – it can do so much! Plus I like the little storage area – how cute! x
Ahh I’ve looked a the cricut before and would love one! Its just so expensive to get here compared to in the states
Hello 👋🏼 can’t wait to see what you make. I love my Maker too, such a fab machine.
I love all the new tool attachments. The rotarty blade is amazing!