New to cricut? 10 must have supplies and accessories you need to get started with your CRICUT
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What are the must have craft supplies to use with your Cricut?
Welcome to the CRICUT world! I know when you first get your machine it can be SUPER overwhelming. With all the amazing projects that are out there it’s so hard to figure out what you should buy. Are you going to be paper crafting? Vinyl crafting? T-shirt making? Sign making? SOOOOOO many things to decide. But no matter which path your crafty heart wants to take these 10 craft accessories and supplies will set you up for success.
And it doesn’t matter which machine you use, an Explore or a Maker, these craft supplies will work perfectly with both Cricut cutting machines. I personally use a Cricut explore for both my personal and my business life. I have yet to upgrade to the Cricut Maker although I would LOVE to! I just can’t bring myself to spend that money when I have a Cricut machine, actually two because I found them both on a good sale, that works perfectly fine.
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See one of my latest videos on how I used my CRICUT to create a rustic sign with no paint bleed.
If you get to a point where you are crafting like crazy you might want to look into where you can buy things you use often in bulk. Here’s how I save lots of money on stencil film for my handmade business.
10 supplies you need to start creating with your Cricut
Here’s what you need to get started using your CRICUT
CRICUT CUTTING MATS
XACTO KNIFE
VINYL SQUEEGEE
CARDSTOCK
SCISSORS
ASSORTED VINYL
TRANSFER TAPE
GLUE TAPE
MARKERS
CRICUT ACCESS/DESIGN SPACE
1. CRICUT CUTTING MATS
These are a must have no matter what type of project you are planning to cut out using your Cricut machine. Cricut has several different mat options and thankfully they are color coded to make crafting even easier for us.
BLUE- LIGHT GRIP: Use with standard paper, light cardstock, vellum, and more
GREEN- STANDARD GRIP: Use to cut heavy cardstock, iron-on, vinyl, and more
PURPLE- STRONG GRIP: Use with specialty cardstock, matboard, and backed fabric
PINK- FABRIC GRIP: Use to cut most fabrics with Rotary Blade or Bonded-Fabric Blade
If using a CRICUT EXPLORE OR MAKER you want to purchase the mats either in size 12”x12” or 12”x24.
I personally use a green mat for most of my DIY craft projects but I also have a purple and pink mat on hand for when I need them. Here’s a project I used my CRICUT PURPLE MAT to cut out faux leather hair bows for my youngest daughter’s Valentine’s Day cards. It worked great for that type of material.
2. XACTO KNIFE
You must have an xacto knife to use with your Cricut projects. This is my most versatile tool I have in my craft room. I actually prefer using an xacto knife when weeding my designs vs using a Cricut weeding tool. And they are super inexpensive and you can pick one up almost anywhere. You can also use this to cut tiny spots in a design that your Cricut may have slipped on during the cutting process.
3. VINYL SQUEEGEE
This is typically used when applying vinyl but you can also use them to smooth out paper projects too. There are several different sizes when buying these squeegees. I use my vinyl squeegee mostly for making my wooden signs but I use it for other non vinyl projects as well.
4. CARDSTOCK
Cardstock is a must have to keep in any craft room in my opinion. Of course it’s great to create beautiful cards but cardstock has a purpose beyond that too. It is so much thicker than regular paper that it’s great for using for patterns. I use cardstock all the time to cut out different shapes to trace on to wood then I cut them out using my scroll saw. Check out these adorable pumpkins I made using my Cricut and my scroll saw. I also used cardstock to help make this light up fairy jar.
I highly recommend stocking up when the big box craft stores have their cardstock sales. This is what I do. Having crafting little girls we go through a LOT of cardstock every year.
5. SCISSORS
This is just a must have for crafting in general. But I do suggest having a different pair of scissors for the different materials you will be using. One for paper crafts. One for heat transfer vinyl. One for regular vinyl. One for fabric, etc. Unless you have kids then, pretty much all of the scissors for good for all the things ;)!
6. ASSORTED VINYL
Vinyl, there are several different options here. I won’t go super deep about their differences in this post but you can use vinyl for many different projects: t-shirt designs, decals on cars and cups, sign making, labeling your pantry and so much more. You can buy bundles of different types of vinyl. This is a great way to have something on hand just in case you have the crafty need to create something that requires a certain type of vinyl.
HTV- used on fabric and comes with its own transfer sheet
ORACAL 651- permanent grade vinyl that is suitable for outdoors up to 6 years
ORACAL 631- removable vinyl typically used wall decals
ORAMASK 813- translucent blue material used for stenciling
7. TRANSFER TAPE
Transfer tape is generally great for vinyl type projects. It is a carrier sheet to get your vinyl design off of its paper backing and onto the base you are placing it on. I know it can be really difficult deciding which transfer tape will be the exact one you should use, I have battled with this myself. Here are couple things to know, a stronger high tack transfer tape is best for permanent grade vinyl. It takes a stronger tack to lift the vinyl up off of the paper backing. Stenciling material can be removed from its paper backing a little easier since the grip on that isn’t as strong as a permanent grade vinyl. Here’s what I recommend:
8. GLUE TAPE
This is a must if you are doing any kind of paper crafting. Glue tape is quick and easy and gives a better overall finish than using wet glues. There are several different options for glue tape out there. Just like with anything they range from super inexpensive to a little more expensive.
9. MARKERS
Instead of making a cut project with your Cricut you can also WRITE with your Cricut using these Cricut pens. You can do all kinds of projects with these markers including making personalized coloring sheets for your kiddos. I don’t know about the new Cricut Maker but the older Explore, which is what I use to create all of my crafty projects, you use a pen adapter to use these with your machine.
10. CRICUT ACCESS/ CRICUT DESIGN SPACE
Cricut Access is a must if you plan on creating projects at least once a month. I have had it for what seems like forever and I can’t tell you how much time and money it has saved me over the years, and with four kids that is a big winner for those reasons alone! With the Cricut Access membership plan you get access to THOUSANDS of images, fonts, ready made projects, and you also get a discount when you order products from the Cricut website. And a bonus because you can add your discount to their sale prices! WOOHOO!
Although there is SO MUCH MORE I’d love to share these are my top 10 supplies and accessories you need to start creating with your Cricut. If you have anything you’d add or anything you have questions about please leave a comment below.
