Cricut Maker Review

The brand new Cricut Maker can do pretty much any craft you can think of. Read this Cricut Maker Review to get all the details on this fabulous cutting machine!

This post is sponsored by Cricut. All opinions are 100% my own.

YOU GUYS! I have never been so excited for the release of a product until today. I went to the Cricut Make-a-thon at the end of July and while I was prepared for a product launch, I had no idea how big the announcement would be. When they introduced the new Cricut Maker, everyone at that event was amazed at all the amazing things that machine could do.

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If you have been wondering if you need a Maker or want to learn more before taking the leap, read on for the scoop on this amazing craft tool that cuts faster, deeper and smarter than the previous models.

What does the Cricut Maker Cut?

Cricut did extensive research on what crafters wanted for their new machine. The Explore already cuts through so many materials, but they learned we wanted to cut fabric, we wanted to cut thicker products…basically, we wanted way more options. Here are a few of the items the Cricut Maker will cut, but trust me, it won’t be all because that would be a ridiculously long list:

FABRIC: The Cricut Maker will now have a rotary blade that cuts over 100 different types of fabric, including knit, cotton, and even felt! The video below is of me taking the felt off the mat after a single cut from the Maker. We cut over a dozen pieces for this Felt Fruit set and it was still going strong! It works just as well on thinner fabric like cotton. This is not the only exciting feature that has to do with sewing, so keep reading for more details!
LEATHER: Remember my Faux Leather Bracelets? Well, I’ll be needing to create some real ones now, because the Cricut Maker will now cut real leather, too!
BALSA WOOD: The Cricut engineers created this machine to have enough pressure to cut through 2.44 mm wood sheets. You’ll be able to do this when they release the Knife Blade that works like an X-ACTO knife when it’s released in a few weeks.
TISSUE PAPER: The thing that amazes me is that this machine can not only cut through wood sheets but through something as thin and delicate as tissue paper!! The tissue flowers in the image below…those were made by Lia Griffith’s team with the Cricut Maker. Seriously, AMAZING.
It will also cut through all the items that the Explore did, which you can view here.

As an added bonus, the Cricut Maker will no longer have a dial. It has the technology to adjust the blade according to the material you lay on the mat!!

Cricut Maker Sewing Features

It’s no surprise to my long-time followers that I am not the best seamstress…but the Cricut Maker has made me want to take up sewing. Read on and you may be a convert to the craft, as well:

CRICUT ACCESS SEWING PROJECTS: when you purchase the maker, you’ll have access to over 50 sewing projects for various skill levels! These patterns are from amazing companies like Simplicity^® and Riley Blake^®! These come with detailed instructions, a list of materials and wait for it…
WASHABLE FABRIC PEN: that’s right…a washable fabric marker that will draw all your sewing lines for you! I don’t know about you, but paper patterns were the biggest thing keeping me from sewing, and having the machine write this out for you is absolutely amazing. It will save tons of time and you will be less likely to make any sewing mistakes!
NO BACKING: because of the nature of the Rotary Blade, you will no longer need backing to your fabric.
ROTARY BLADE: I touched on this a little bit, but I want to emphasize how amazing this blade is. It’s a tiny blade that rotates with the machine. That means it will easily cut curved or straight lines…much different than your hand held rotary blade. Please note this blad will be sold selparately.

New Design and Storage Features

Because I’m a designer, it’s the little things that excite me, like these amazing new features that make the Cricut much more efficient.

DOUBLE TOOL HOLDER: doesn’t sound like much, but having two separate spots to hold tools gives you much more storage space, and each slot is lined with a rubber material to keep your tools at their best. One side is for longer objects, like the stylus, and the other is for shorter tools like tweezers.
LARGER TOOL STORAGE: not only do you have more space with the double holder, but the front door of the Maker is deeper so you can fit more items in there, as well…like all the new blades you’ll be needing!
iPAD STORAGE: in case you are working from your phone or tablet, the maker has a spot to hold it up for you. And get this…it also has a spot to keep it charged while you’re working!
EASY OPEN LID: no more open button…which worked fine, but the way this baby opens up is so stylish, I had to include it in this Cricut Maker review. You can watch it in my Facebook Live post below (at 1:37).

And it’s also really beautiful, am I right?

Bottom line? I’m in love with the Cricut Maker and I think you will be too. In case you aren’t looking to upgrade quite yet, here’s a few things you need to know:

The Explore Air will still be in production, so your machine will definitely not be obsolete. Design Space will keep working for you, the same as it has been 🙂 The Explore isn’t going anywhere anytime soon!
The rotary and knife blades will not work in the Explore. The reason is that the Explore was not engineered to have the same cutting force as the Maker. However, you will be able to use all of your Explore Air tools when you upgrade to the Maker.
Designers of SVG files and Cricut Access projects will keep designing SVG files for a variety of projects, so don’t worry about having to learn how to sew. There will be plenty of designers still wanting to work with paper and vinyl!

If you have questions, please let me know in the comments!

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