This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.
The handmade holiday season is upon us and today I’m sharing a Cricut gift guide. This guide is perfect for cutting machine newbies who don’t know exactly what to buy and for fabric lovers who want to make more with Cricut, but I’ve also included several items for any Cricut user! You can use this Cricut gift guide yourself as you stock up for holiday craft projects. It’s also perfect for sharing with your friends and family as a not-so-subtle hint about what you’d like to receive for gifts this holiday season!
This post contains affiliate links. I may receive compensation (at no added cost to you) if you make a purchase using these links. This post is sponsored by Cricut, but all opinions and thoughts are my own.
I’ve been using Cricut machines since 2016. When I was a cutting-machine newbie, it all seemed very intimidating, although once I got the machine and actually took it out of the box, everything was very straightforward and easy to use. I put together this gift guide because I know Cricut shopping can be confusing if you’re new to cutting-machines or if you mostly focus on fabric arts.
4 Cricut Gifts For Cutting Machine Newbies
If you’re new to cutting machines or gifting Cricut to a cutting-machine newbie, here are the four gifts you’ll definitely want to include!
- Cricut Maker
- Cricut Access
- Scoring Wheels
- Essential Tool Set
Cricut Maker
If you are a total newbie to cutting machines, you may be a bit anxious about buying a top-of-the-line machine, so let me share a few reasons why I recommend the Cricut Maker. Like all Cricut machines, it comes with a beginner-friendly project and supplies so you can use it right away. The Maker has extra tools and features that make it really helpful for beginning cutting machine users.
- It cuts more materials than other Cricut machines. This means that you will have more success right away with your projects and you’ll use it more, which will in turn make you more confident on the machine.
- You can cut fabric without any extra tools. The FabricGrip Mat and the Rotary Blade included with your Maker allow the machine to cut even complicated patterns with ease. If you like to sew, this will save you a lot of cutting time, especially for projects like quilts that have a lot of pieces. The Maker also includes access to 25 free ready-to-make sewing projects that you can try right away.
- The extra tools will give you more confidence. I’ve always been intimidated by papercrafts, but with the Scoring Wheels I was able to seem like a card-making pro on my second project.
- The machine is an investment. If you think about how much you will save on buying store-bought cards, party decorations, and other projects you can make easily with the Cricut Maker, you’ll find it will pay for itself after a year or two.
Consider getting a Maker bundle to save on cutting materials, accessories, or totes when you buy the machine.
Cricut Access
Cricut Access is a subscription including over 400 fonts and over 100,000 images, plus discounts on ready-to-make project and products at Cricut.com. It is truly the newbie’s friend because you can search for projects and then just “Go.” When I first started using a Cricut, I had no idea what it was capable of, so it was hard to come up with my own project ideas for writing, cutting, and scoring projects. I’m also not a graphic designer so sometimes I struggle to pair fonts and images together. Cricut Access makes this all easy and there are just so many project ideas to inspire you. It also comes in monthly or annual subscription options, so if you tend to craft seasonally you can take a break during your slow time of year.
Scoring Wheels
If you’re new to working with paper, the Scoring Wheels will take your finished projects up about 25 notches right away.
You can make fabulous cards, boxes, and tags from your first project because these wheels create such precision scores that they are virtually error-proof. You can get to know more about Scoring Wheels in these two posts.
Essential Tool Set
The Essential Tool Set has all the tools included in the Basic Tool Set with the addition of a stylus and Portable Trimmer. You’ll find everything you need to trim materials before putting them on the mat, as well as to cut, weed, burnish, and lift a variety of materials.
5 Cricut Gifts For Fabric Lovers
These Cricut gifts are great for sewists, quilters, and other fabric lovers.
- Cricut Maker (see above)
- Cricut Access (see above)
- Sewing Kit
- Leather and Faux Leather
- Washable Fabric Pen
Sewing Kit
If you’re just getting back into sewing with the Maker, the Sewing Kit includes all the essentials like sharp shears, pins and pincushion, measuring tape, a seam ripper, thread snips, and a thimble for hand sewing or embroidery.
Leather and Faux Leather
In addition to fabric and felt, Cricut sells leather and faux leather. You can make some stunning projects with leather and faux leather, but it’s often difficult to find or confusing to buy. Cricut’s leather and faux leather simplifies the process and both come in a variety of beautiful colors.
You can find 13 tips and tools for sewing with leather for the first time in this post and the tutorial for making your own crochet hook roll with faux leather here.
Washable Fabric Pen
With the Washable Fabric Pen, you can let the Maker mark your fabric for you. This can include everything from seam lines, placement marks, front and back side symbols, and so on. The Washable Fabric Pen is also great for preparing fabric for embroidery by adding hoop marks, stitch guides, and patterns.
3 Gifts for All Cricut Users
These gifts are perfect for all Cricut users, including newbies, fabric lovers, and pros.
- Infusible Ink
- Machine Tote
- EasyPress 2
Infusible Ink
Infusible Ink is Cricut’s latest innovation. These heat transfer tools last and they don’t have the bulk of iron-on materials.
For starters, I would recommend getting your favorite blanks (I’m partial to the coasters and tote bag myself) and Infusible Ink pens in your favorite colors. Infusible Ink Transfer Sheets let you experiment with more detailed patterns. You can find the tutorial for the granny square coaster shown below here.
Machine Tote
If you ever plan to take your Cricut on-the-go — for craft night with your friends, to help out at your child’s school, or to get ready for a party — you’ll definitely want to get a Machine Tote.
These are super practical and sturdy. I’ve taken mine on the subway and the bus many times and not only does the Tote look great, but it’s far less bulky than carrying the machine in the box. I also store my machine in the Tote at home when it’s not in use to keep the dust (and cat hair) out of it.
The tote includes a lot of nice details including storage spaces and a sleeve on the back so you can place it on top of the Rolling Craft Tote. I have the original tweed version, but now the Machine Tote is available in several colors.
EasyPress 2
It’s no secret that I hate to iron, yet my favorite Cricut projects to make are sewing, iron-on, and Infusible Ink projects, all of which involve heat. That’s why I love the EasyPress 2!
It’s literally as simple as pressing down onto something and the EasyPress Heat Guide tells you at what temperature, for how long, and whether you remove the iron-on while it’s warm or cool. Easy peasy for flawless projects! Choose the size that’s right for the type of projects you plan to make most often. You can read more about the EasyPress 2 here.
I hope you enjoyed this Cricut gift guide and you were able to find the right gift for your loved one (or for yourself!). If you’re new to Cricut, you can find the answers to 12 most frequently asked questions about Cricut here. If you have questions about any of the products listed in this Cricut gift guide, let me know!