I Bought a Cricut Maker

  As many of you know my two hobbies are crafting and baking, so I decided to invest in my crafting

hobby and buy a Cricut (pronounced cricket like the bug). 

Due to Covid the Job Seeker payment I have been on had been increased so I was saving the bulk of it and I realised that I had/have spent close to $2000 on medical expenses over the past year (well since the dizziness started last September). I had always been interested in buying a Cricut machine but they're not cheap and it can be hard to justify spending such a huge amount. So when I decided to really treat myself (at the advice of my psychologist) I looked into buying either a Nintendo Switch or a Cricut and the Cricut won out in the end. I researched it really well and a big part of the reasoning of why I decided to buy it was that could become a business for me down the track. I also knew that I could use for so many things and I would really get my monies worth out of it. Also each year I buy myself a birthday gift which is something I wouldn't normally purchase and so I see it as an a early 26th Birthday present to myself. I have also said to friends and family members they are always welcome to come over and use it. 

A Cricut machine is like a printer but it cuts things out of paper and other material such as fabric, vinyl and thin wood (depending on the machine and blades used). You connect it to your computer and using the program Cricut Design Space you create designs that you send to Cricut and make. You can use your own designs, upload one of the many designs on the internet (you can find a heap of free ones or there's a lot of inexpensive ones on Etsy if you search Cricut cut file), or pay $14 a month (first month is free) to get access to the Cricut library and use their patterns.

All in all I spent around $800 on the machine including the set up and accessories on it and I only paid full price on the basic tool set so I got really good deals. I purchased everything from Spotlight which is my local Cricut supplier and I know that you can buy things online but I found even without the sale price taken into the consideration Spotlight still had some of the best prices around. I will say for vinyl though it depends on what you want and if you're after a particular type. I imagine if I start using vinyl for a lot of projects I will look at where best to source it from but Spotlight has a great range and it's not super expensive either.

So here's my current Cricut setup and what I have:

Cricut Maker (Champagne) - I did a lot of research on what was the right machine for me and I ended buying the Maker. This is due to the range of materials it can cut and that it seems worth it in the long run. Along with the machine you get two blades, two mats, a practice project and a black fine point pen.

Cricut Core Colours Basic Tool Set Coloured - this was the only thing I had to pay full price for

because none of the stores near me had any in stock (though I later realised a store 45 minutes north of me had it in stock and I would've been able to use a 30% off coupon and not pay for postage). The tools are really helpful and quite a few are multiuse which is helpful. 

Cricut Premium Removable Vinyl Variety Pack (Multi Coloured) - I ended up buying this vinyl pack so when I feel brave enough to experiment with vinyl I have some on hand. I have a few projects in mind that I want to create and attempt with it but I want to get used to paper first. (I have since bought this vinyl in black, gold and silver along with a foil sampler pack).

Cricut Vinyl Strong Transfer Tape Clear - you need this to transfer the cut out vinyl to things and I was only able to get strong transfer tape but I'm able to use this for all vinyl types. I will say after attempting to use it to transfer normal vinyl it's best to just get the regular transfer tape as while it's doable to transfer it is a bit challenging. 

Cricut Wisteria Fine Point Pen Set (Multi Coloured) - I have no idea how to exactly use these markers they are currently one of the (many!) things I am still figuring out how to use! But they're pretty colours and I figure they will be handy to add some writing to some card making.

Cricut 12 Inch Cutting Mat Variety (12X12 Inch) - it was advised to get some extra mats and it's cheaper to get a 3 pack than it is to buy them individual ($30 each or $50 for 3). The maker comes with two mats (one light strength and fabric strength) but it's helpful to have a few extra mats of various strengths. I also like having two light strength mats as it means if I'm cutting multiple of the same project I can do it continuously.

Cricut Scoring Stylus - this helps scores cardboard which is handy if you're making cards. You just stick it where you stick the markers and select "Scoring Stylus" instead of scoring blade (which you need to buy separately anyway) on projects. 

Recollections Hudson Cart White -  in an ideal world I would have a room set aside just for crafting but

I live at home, so I needed somewhere to store it preferably a place that's easily accessible. It's a heavy machine so a cart seemed like a good solution and this one was perfect. This one was advertised as being the perfect storage solution for the Cricut (due to the length), so fits it perfectly. It actually makes things so much easier and I love being able to wheel it out to the dining room table to set it up plus everything has its place - Top shelf: Cricut (including cables) and accessories that fit in the machine (pens, scissors, extra blades, weeding tools etc.). Middle shelf: mats, vinyl, paper and paper scraps. Bottom shelf: Sculpey (polymer clay) and sculpey accessories (mats, rolling pins, scalpels etc.) so not Cricut related but it's easier to get to and otherwise it was wasted space (though I imagine that this is temporary).

I have found that the blog Daydream Into Reality is amazing and I keep referring back to it. She covers everything from which machine is right for you, to how to use Design Space with pictures and for a visual learner like myself it is a great resource. 

I am still learning how to use it and I have a long way to go before I feel fully confident using it but then again I am learning a whole new skill set. I have a stack of scrapbook paper that I am playing with and trying new things with (one of the best ways to learn is to play with the machine and do a lot of trail and error). For me it has been worth the cost as it's proven to be a great distraction especially when my dizziness is really bad and I'm really enjoying creating a lot more.