The Ultimate Guide to the Cricut Maker

So you want a cutting machine and you’ve heard about the Cricut Maker… but you’re a little confused. There’s so many choices and you’re not sure what machine is best for you and what you want to make.

Don’t worry… you’re in the right place.

From start to finish we’re going to go over every bit of the Cricut Maker, what makes it different from the other cutting machines, if it’s the right machine for you and what other options are out there.

Ready to get started?

Bonus Tip: If you’ve heard about the Cricut Maker 3 you may be looking information on the new machine. Check out my Complete Guide to the Cricut Maker 3 HERE.

What is the Cricut Maker?

The Cricut Maker is first and foremost a cutting and writing machine. It’s one of several machines in the Cricut family… and if we’re looking at the food chain the Maker is the Lion of the pack. The big mama on the top of the pyramid y’all… it does everything.

There are currently two other Cricut machines that are on the market: the Cricut Joy and the Cricut Explore Air 2… and the Maker does everything (and more) that the other two are capable of. It’s twice as fast as the Explore Air 2 and can produce 10x more pressure with it’s adaptive cutting system.

Which is a fancy way of saying it’s faster and stronger with more tools.

Where the Joy can cut up to 50 materials the Maker can cut over 300. And while the Explore Air 2 can use the Standard Cutting Blade, Deep Point Blade and the Scoring Tool the Maker can rock all of those PLUS the Knife Blade, Rotary Blade, Engraving Tip, Debossing Tip, Perforation Blade, Wavy Blade, Scoring Wheel, and Double Scoring Wheel.

There are so many projects you can make with the machine… it’s kind of unbelievable when you really think about it.

Of course, not everyone needs a machine that can do alllllll these things. If you’re looking for a smaller machine you can read my ultimate guide on the Cricut JOY here… and if you’re trying to compare the Maker and the Explore Air 2 you can read my full comparison here.

In the meantime we’ll just keep going over all of the amazing things that make up the Maker.

How much does the Cricut Maker cost?

Now we’re getting into the juicy stuff! Of course, there are bundles where the Maker can be bought for less moola (I have this bundle that includes the machine, mats and materials for only $329) but if we’re simply talking about the machine here’s the price break down.

What Materials can I cut with the Cricut Maker?

With over 300 materials there’s no way I could list every single one here… especially since the differences are usually things like vinyl, glitter vinyl, removable vinyl, etc.

We’re going to hit the main groups here y’all! For a more comprehensive list you can check out my complete list of materials you can cut with your Cricut Maker HERE.

Chipboard
Cardboard
Poster Board
Freezer Paper
Kraft Board
Kraft Paper
Post Its
Rice Paper
Scrapbook Paper
Watercolor Paper
Wax Paper
Cardstock
Vinyl
Chalkboard Vinyl
Dry Erase Vinyl
Printable Vinyl
Stencil Vinyl
Iron On
Burlap
Canvas
Cotton Fabric
Faux Leather
Felt
Aluminum Foil
Basswood
Duct Tape
Foil Acetate
Printable Magnet Sheets
Shrink Plastic
Washi Tape
Wood Veneer
Wrapping Paper

What can I make with the Cricut Maker?

Honestly y’all I’m not even being cheesey when I say you can’t count all the things you can make with your Cricut. There are just so many options…

You could make hundreds of projects with vinyl alone.. and there are over 300 other materials on the master list.

I’m not big on math but that’s a lot of projects! Here’s a few that I’ve made in the last year or two… you can see my master library of all the Cricut projects I’ve made here. And then you can follow the steps to make your own!

Want even more ideas? The cricut access library has hundreds of ready to make projects… get your subscription to the cricut access database here.

*Like the Spring Flower Market Sign below? Follow the full tutorial to make your very own!

Is the Cricut Maker the Best Cutting Machine for ME?

Alright y’all now it’s time to get down to business. If you’re looking at getting a cutting machine (and if you’re not then why are you here?) then you’re probably trying to decide which machine is best for you.

Here’s the truth: the Maker is the best out there. It’s also the machine with the biggest room for advancement since Cricut is still actively making blades and attachments for it’s adaptive tool system. So if you want to play with the newest Cricut tools the minute they come out then the Maker is definitely the machine for you.

If you aren’t looking to cut thicker materials or work with materials other than vinyl/iron-on/paper than the Maker may not be for you.

Who is the Cricut Maker Good for?

The Maker is the crafter’s best friend. If you’re always whipping something up and your craft room looks like a bomb went off (on a regular basis) then chances are you will find multiple uses for this little machine.

The Maker is perfect for anyone who works with multiple mediums: sewers, jewelry makers, 3-D crafters, wood workers etc

Is the Cricut Maker a Good Starting Machine?

The Maker isn’t necessarily hard to use but it does have the highest learning curve… because it has the most abilities.

When you have to learn each blade and how they work with different materials it does take time. Of course, the hardest part is actually breaking this baby out of the box and playing with it!

When I first brought mine home it sat in it’s box for almost six months because I was too intimidated to get started. But once I broke that baby out of it’s cardboard prison and starting using it the learning curve was pretty easy to master. (Click here to follow my fool-proof setup guide for your very own Cricut Maker)

So my answer is this: the Maker is probably the hardest machine to learn (with the Cricut joy being the easiest and then the Explore Air 2) BUT the differences between the machines is so small that I would recommend buying a machine based on what you want to make with it v.s. how easy it is to learn.