Best Deal On Cricut Maker (2023 Updated)

I had previously planned on getting a cutting machine because I had seen pictures/videos of what they could do, but I didn’t know what would be the best one for me. A friend of mine suggested I borrow her Cricut Maker so that I could play with it and test it out to see if it was what I was looking for or if even worth the money for me.

She had bought hers and didn’t have the time to use hers as often as she thought she would. She still loves her Cricut and doesn’t regret paying what she paid (regular full price). Me on the other hand.

I. FELL. IN. LOVE! I love making things for every occasion. I really don’t have time, but I MAKE time. Although I still have a lot of learning to do, I found it very easy to work with. I did have a couple of hit and miss projects, but online videos were a great help on teaching different techniques to save time and material.

Now the cons: I think it is a little bit too pricy when you have to pay extra for a subscription just to work on a project. Since I was using my friends account to try the machine out, I didn’t know about this.

I assumed she had a subscription because she likes to have all the extras (her pockets are a little deeper than mine and is always extra), not because she had to just to work on a project. Don’t get me wrong, the Cricut Maker is an awesome machine, I’m just very unhappy about having to pay for a subscription after already paying a steep price for the machine itself.

Because I loved it so much, I didn’t mind paying the asking price, but having to add a subscription on top of that makes me think I should have looked at other options before making my final decision.

If you don’t mind paying extra for a subscription then yes I recommend this machine. The possibilities are countless! Such a great toy.

I purchased the cricut maker a year ago, super excited to have an upgrade from the ancient cricut explore one– yeah the OG machine. And boy do I regret ever swithching machines. I purchased with the intent of using the fabric cutting feature and was so excited.

Right off the bat I had bluetooth connection issues, but just turned a blind eye as it probably wasn’t an issue, right? Wrong. It continued to worsen to points where it could take 15 minutes to connect and would randomly disconnect while cutting.

It was incredibly inconvient, but it still functioned so I stuck with it. It was until I wanted to recalibrate my blades that I started noticing issues. It wouldn’t recalibrate my blade because it “couldn’t detect the blade.

” Odd, right? That’s when I contacted cricut and asked for a refund because I was done with this. Turns out, even though the warranty says I can ask for a refund, they don’t actually want to give you the money back.

How sweet of them! So I carried on until yesterday when it straight up died. I won’t cut anything, it just shuts down. The best part of it all? My one year warranty is up 🙂 How convenient for me! It’s just so sad that a 5 year old cricut explore one out performs a brand new cricut maker.

The quality of these new machines are terrible and really go to show you that cricut is more interested in making money than providing quality product. I would steer clear of all of cricut’s new machines and, if anything, purchase an older model.

If you ever wondered what it would be like to own a cricut – just buy one! The things this can do is crazy. I’ve spent many hours researching the different cutting machines and this hands down – is the best! I’ve had a lot of fun playing with this cricut maker.

I’ve made personalised onesies & bibs for my daughter; zooper dooper holders; my husband’s logo onto his work shirts, stubby holders, mugs, car decals; wall decals for my sons’ bedroom walls; tote bags for shopping and library bags for my children; not to mention cards of all kinds.

I’ve probably forgot to list the other things I’ve made with the maker. YouTube is your new best friend. Have been asked to make items for an upcoming wedding also. I was going to dip my feet in the cricut world and buy a cricut joy – so glad I went for the maker first.

Cricut maker is super versatile as you can buy items outside of the brand as well. I never ever ever write reviews – but I was excited to write one for the cricut maker.

I bought this for personal use and the occasional business project. I’ve done 2 different projects so far and am really pleased with the performance. It is fast, accurate and gives very professional results.

It is relatively easy to use with the Cricut Design app but I found that it works better in some projects than others. The Design space is not entirely intuitive and my first project was very frustrating to set up.

I needed the cuts to be in very specific places on the sheet but the Design Canvas seems to try and maximize space on the sheet which changed some of my cut placements. I was using the Cricut mat and my own paper instead of the smart materials.

I finally found a happy medium with the layout and got very good results. My next project used the 9′ Iron On roll. My project used the entire roll and did a great job in a single cutting job. I got fantastic results – especially with my layout knowledge from the first project – and I was really pleased with the machine.

I would highly recommend the Cricut Maker 3 for it’s speed, versatility and results. I have been very pleased so far and my only complaints would be difficulty in layout, how quickly the Cricut Cutting Mats need to be replaced and the fact that I didn’t know that you had to pay for the use of any fonts in the Design Space.

I’ve used this a few times to cut vinyl and have been very impressed with how well it cuts. I made a replica of the LA skyline but replaced the buildings with my friends names and stuck it around a glass candle bowl as a gift to a friend who was leaving town and I couldn’t believe it managed to cut palm trees on the skyline which had trunks which were literally the same size as this letter I.

BTW transfer paper allows you to take off and place stickers perfectly. I’m new to the cutting world and super excited as I also found a color printer for $60 on ebay so now I can laser print in color and cut on all kinds of materials! I can’t talk about the previous versions, however this one is very good.

I’d guess the version 2 would also be very good if you are on a budget as the quality of this model suggests the previous one would also be great. Walmart has a bunch of materials you can browse too if you want stuff today.

TIP: In the software, use the Pin function to stick everything on the visual board – I learned this in a YouTube and so glad I saw it because then it prints exactly where and how you imagine (it’s bottom right on the icons).

I’m attaching some of my recent projects – use your imagination and have fun! David.

About 3 years ago I purchased a Cricut Explore Air and learned alot about this type of crafting. I made alot of varied items on it, but was ready for an upgrade. So after lots of research I chose the Cricut Maker, and I’m so glad I did! I love to make Christmas gifts so I put it to work using iron on and infusible ink.

I made several pillows and a Scripture board and ciuldn be happier! On the infusible ink, my last machine tore the paper some, but this Maker did not, and was really easy to weed. I’m thinking I’ll be doing alot more crafting in 2023!! 😊.

I received my Cricut Maker bundle right on time. The service Craft E Corner is great and I love supporting small businesses. I’ve never owned a Cricut before and never seen one in action. I was amazed when I did the set up at how easily and quickly the project was completed.

The quality of this machine is much more than I expected. I make small ID wallets and cutting out is the worst part! The Maker will cut out all the pieces and allow me to complete each wallet in a fraction of the time it normally takes.

I have completed the cut sheets in Design Space and am eager to get started on Christmas presents!!.

Finally got a Crichton maker and I’m so glad I did! It came quickly, was easy to set up and to get started! The only challenge I have is with my 12 x 12 backer sheet came curved and it’s not as easy to run through the machine as it would be if it were flat.

I got this for my daughters wedding to make tent cards, label different things and monogram everything from an iPhone charging block to a cooler. So much fun!.

I had recently developed an interest in sticker making but didn’t have the space for a full-sized Cricut machine, so I was stoked when I found out about the Cricut Joy! It comes with a little welcome packet including some sample vinyl and instructions; a standard grip mat; and the cord to plug it in.

I was a bit surprised when I opened the box and it didn’t include essential tools, such as tweezers, scissors, etc. Luckily, I was able to find a Cricut essential basic tool set for $20, but it’s honestly a disappointment that it’s not included.

Setting it up on both my iPad and iMac was a cakewalk, and I was able to print my first decal (a bear) within ten minutes of pulling my Joy out of its box. The cut itself was precise and only took ~30 seconds to cut, which was a lot faster than I anticipated.

I definitely see myself branching out and purchasing a full-sized Cricut when I have the space someday, but I could not be any happier with my Cricut Joy.

bought this machine after multiple people recommended it and months of what I thought was research. I downloaded the cricut joy app as it’s supposed to be so easy and user friendly. I spent over 3 hrs trying to create 5 labels.

and instead I broke the app over 30 times had to restart my phone over and over and jammed the machine multiple times. the only thing this machine successfully cut was the test cut. figured must be me and I did something wrong so called customer support spent another 3 hrs on the phone trying desperately to learn design space app as the lady knew nothing of the cricut joy app itself.

so after 3 hrs and getting absolutely no where other than frustrated, I learned that in order to use this machine at all you have to have an apple phone(which pass) and you have to spend 300 to start and buy most of the designs you want off design space.

oh and if you want to do iron ons that’s another 150 for a heat press, you can’t just use an iron. returned the machine and all the accessories would not reccomend unless you plan to use this for a business and or have apple products.

I own a vinyl decal business and was looking for a machine to do my small projects on. I have a 30in sign plotter but its so big and unnecessary if I’m only cutting a 6 inch decal. Everyone I’ve come across who works with a plotter has really negative things to say about Cricut machines and honestly…I don’t get it.

This machine is awesome! Set up is super easy. You plug it in and Cricut walks you through everything. After everything is set up, you can hook it up wirelessly via Bluetooth which is major for me because I already have tons of cords running everywhere and I’m running out of USB ports.

I wasn’t sure if the presets would actually work but so far they do. I have used the Iron On, Vinyl, and Paper settings with Oracal, StarCraft, and Avery vinyl and it cut perfectly. Everything weeded easily.

I’ve also went into the custom settings and used the sticker paper setting. Again, no issues removing my design from the paper. I was pleasantly surprised. I can’t tell you how nice it is not to have to mess with force, speed, test cuts, and all of that.

You just turn the knob to the setting for whatever materials you are using and presto. I feel like this machine wastes way less vinyl than my plotter because design space tries to put objects as close as possible to save space.

I love the print then cut option too. I used to have to cut my stickers by hand. Now I print them on my printer and then have the Cricut cut them for me. Everything about this machine saves me time. I have seen people complain that you have the pay for the program Cricut Design Space and this isn’t true.

You can still create your own art and use the machine. It’s only 9. 99 a month for the subscription and that gives you a ton of clipart, fonts, templates, etc. It’s worth it. What people don’t realize is that most cut programs are not free…they can cost more than a grand, so the fact that Cricut lets you use Design Space without the subscription is actually very surprising.

The machine is a bit slow with cutting but I can live with that. I am not a huge fan of cutting with a mat but I’ll get used to it. This machine is a lifesaver and I am glad I decided to ignore the Cricut haters in the sign and decal industry and purchase it.

Just buy it. If you’re on the fence and not really sure, just do it. I originally bought mine for nails stickers, I was inspired by a YouTuber but now? I’ve designed a shadow box, made a custom t-shirt, customized many Starbucks cold cups, kids cups, and I’ve even started making custom snow globe tumblers ALL because I have this wonderful machine sitting around in all her glory.

I’m even planning on making my own stickers really soon. It’s easy to use once you’ve done it a few times. I’m not going to lie, I was lost in the sauce at first, and super overwhelmed. I didn’t know what I got myself into but I put my mind to it and it has been so much fun.

The machine is not hard to maneuver once you know what pressure you need for the type of “thing” you’re cutting/making. It’s pretty simple. YouTube Tik Tok are great places for guides and videos ! Side Notes: Design Space is crap but I’ve learned to maneuver it, so will you.

Cricut brand vinyl, also crap, I do not recommend. I DO recommend Tech Wrap Craft vinyl. Explore different vinyl vendors, you don’t need to stay within the Cricut brand. Cricut cardstock however, is great if you plan on making custom cards for people.

Their tools are fine, you can find your own that work for you as well.

This Lilac Cricut Explore Air 2 was purchased as a gift for my brothers girlfriend because we have enjoyed my new machine so much. I recently purchased a Cricut explore air 2 bundle and over the last few weeks we have had such a great time crafting together.

She lives a county away. We have made individualized Christmas ornaments, individual custom stockings, stencils used to burn custom names onto butcher block and stencils to etch glass with. We are still working on the technique to get a tight adhesion for the glass etching but the wood came out gorgeous.

There have been moments of frustration from the learning curve but we are both new to Cricut or anything like it. Regardless, its been lots of fun once all these projects came together. The machine itself was easy to setup.

Clear directions and straightforward. After that there is basically nothing youtubers cant teach each other. Definitely an nice toy for any craft lover.

I have wanted a Cricut for ages and finally but the bullet and bought the Explore 3 last week. We have to pay to have work t shirts printed and vinyl signs printed but not anymore! The young lady at Hobbycraft was lovely, we were on our way to buy a machine at another store but thought would pop into Hobbycraft on the way to check out their pricing.

The staff were very knowledgeable and friendly and showed us all the machines available and their features etc. She was genuinely interested and made us feel comfortable. We left to go to the other store and spoke to the man in there who obviously didn’t have a clue, he didn’t even know what the machines did! So after a couple of minutes we left there and straight back to Hobbycraft and bought the Explore 3 and an armful of vinyl! I have enjoyed playing about with the cricut and joined all the Facebook pages with lots of advice, watched loads of Barbara Makers videos on YouTube and feel confident with it now.

I have printed a few new work t shirts and loads of signs! Looking at making Christmas presents now! Love my machine and love Hobbycraft.

The cricut maker 3 is exactly what I wanted from a multi-purpose die cut machine. Already owned a Cricut Joy that is a wonderful little machine but the maker does a lot more and can cut a lot more materials from vinyl to leather to wood.

It also cuts very quickly and effortlessly; allowing for less time cutting and more time crafting! I love how intuitive and easy it is to use. Combined with a Cricut Access subscription. It is the perfect machine for the serious crafter/ small business owner!.

Very stylish, sleek and modern looking machine. Love the colour. I have only used it a couple times so far but I have seen amazing creations from it. Only thing I can say is that on description when looking to buy products online if they went into more detail as to what goes with what machine { such as this cardstock or vinyl / pens) goes with this machine {same model|}, just to make it easy for beginners.

Other than that I am happy. And cannot wait to see where my Cricut journey takes me. thank you. x.

We were a little hesitant at first to pull the trigger on this but I can say it has been a nice addition to our creative space. The price is a good price for this item with the features it does offer compared to the Maker 3, not as robust with options but not as expensive so a plus for anyone starting.

The cuts have been wonderful for the vinyl projects we have done as of yet. Super quick, quieter than expected and also a nice mint color for ease on the eyes and a good aesthetic wherever it is placed.

Would recommend to anyone curious about personal crafts.

Love this device! It does so much it is rediculous. I bought it to cut card stock and make vinyl decals mainly but also wanted the option to cut thin wood sheets like basswood and balsawood. I don’t really use the fabric cutting feature so can’t comment to that.

For vinyl decals and HTV (heat transfer vinyl for iron-on transfers) it does a fantastic job! I have made numerous custom decals and a few t-shirt transfers as well. The wood cutting feature took some time to get right but it works excellent.

Warning: Make sure you plan on spending a fair amount of time learning how to use this device. I saw too many reviews where people were complaining how terrible the machine is. It can be complicated to use and thankfully they’re are tons of you tube videos and Facebook groups, reddit, and lots of web sites where you can find the answer to everything pretty much.

It will take some time so don’t get discouraged! There are a bunch of tools you can buy that do different things. Don’t go crazy buying the tools until you know for sure if you will actually need them.

The Maker comes with the standard cutting tool, and the rotary tool for fabric. I went out and bought all the other tools, which cost more than the Maker did on sale, but really didn’t need half of them as I don’t do alot of paper crafting, which some are really designed for.

But i do have them if i need them. Materials vary widely as well. The Cricut brand always works great but if you plan on running a craft business or selling decals on places like Etsy it may not be worth the money.

Read the forums and ask questions, as some of the stuff available online may seem like s great buy, but quality isn’t there. Software: The Cricut Design Space software is pretty good. You can use a computer or a mobile device, however, I have found the android app is really lacking compared to the ios mobile app.

I do everything from my laptop as i can’t do alot of the stuff i do on the mobile apps, which lack advanced features. The dictate can be really confusing, but as i have a background with design and CAD software, it wasn’t too difficult to use.

The Cricut communities are your best resource and they are friendly and more helpful than I could have ever hoped for. If you know even to a small degree how to use Adobe photoshop or Adobe Illustrator it will go a long way to help you make some amazing custom designs.

The Cricut Maker is really an amazing machine but if all you are doing is vinyl or paper crafts, might be overkill. If you don’t need to cut fabric or thicker materials like thin woods, get one of the other less expensive cutting machines.

The Maker 3 is the newest machine, which has more cutting force and you can use smart materials that don’t need backing mats for cutting, but they are much more expensive for their smart materials. The nice thing is you can cut vinyl up to 12′ in length.

I got this about a month ago and I love it! I am getting used to using the software and have spent a day doing little projects, doing anything else has gone out of the window, but it is so worth it. This is defo the way to go for small home projects, handmade gifts etc! Go on buy one you know you want to!.

I’ve had the cricut joy for a couple of months now and it’s been a great little machine. I enjoy being creative so this was something new. Buying a bundle made it easier as it’s just what you need to get going.

great price too.

Bought this machine to give my new business a kick start. I love it. It’s so fascinating. It can do so many things. If my husband is impressed

When I found out the new Cricut EasyPress 3 was going to be Bluetooth enabled, I was hooked! I love that the press now integrates directly with the Cricut Heat App (which is required to register and use the product).

After registering the product on the app, you have the choice to use it via Bluetooth or manually. I’ve done both and will opt for the Bluetooth connected version whenever possible! I love that the Cricut Heat App takes any guesswork out.

AND how it limits pushing the up or down button to get the right time and temp. I was always frustrated when doing Infusible Ink at a high temp and long time and then to switch to a shirt that required me to set it way back down again! Now, the Cricut Heat App will do that for you! If you are looking for a heat press or if you just like the tech features, the new Cricut EasyPress 3 would be a great purchase! However, if you already have the Cricut EasyPress 2 and are happy, the only upgrade is the tech feature.

and the cool Zen Blue color. You really can’t go wrong either way. The Cricut EasyPress gives me a even temp and the 12×10″ size allows for all size of items from a single coaster or onesie to a large pillow blank.

For a casual crafter, you can’t go wrong with any of the Cricut EasyPress products. However, I am loving my Cricut EasyPress 3 with Bluetooth!.

So I’ve been using the heat press mini and I opted to buy this because I thought it would be a nice upgrade and would make my projects more even as opposed to using the mini. But, this ruined like three attempts at making a pouch (which I’ve never had any trouble with from the mini).

I used the same heat guidelines I used for the mini, but part of this project is that I layer colors so I use the five-second tack and then peel off the first layer. This press didn’t actually press down the first layer enough, therefore ruining the vinyl when I tried to peel the backing off.

I thought maybe I made an error so I tried again and. nope. I’ve made errors before, but I’ve never had the issue where like. parts of the vinyl just won’t adhere. I’m pretty mad because this was a lot of money! And also ruined my money and time in the few failed attempts.

Anyway, I’d recommend sticking wit the regular mini.

Before Cricut had introduced the EasyPress, I had another press. When I got the EasyPress 2, that old press began to gather dust so I donated it to a friend. I love the EasyPress for its portability and ease of use.

Well add to that Bluetooth capability with the new Heat app and now I have the same great function plus step-by-step instructions at my fingertips. I consider myself an intermediate-level crafter, so imagine my surprise when I used the Heat app and realized how many steps I was skipping in a regular basis.

This press will save me so much time and many materials. I also love the safety feature of auto shutoff if I happen to forget. Next to my Cricut Maker 3, this is my favorite machine for crafting.

Product was as advertised with a select number of items. I know there is a picture but I thought the rolls would be bigger. It seems like there could have been more in the bundle. Also, there are no instructions for using design space or the machine.

That was frustrating.

Great machine and easy set up. Love the smart vinyl that is used with the Maker 3 although it does require a lot of patience due to excess weeding. Be prepared to spend a lot more time than you think to do projects.

Comes with everything you need to test out your machine. Easy set up and fun to use. The only thing this bundle is missing is a mat, hat would have made it better.

I actually like the last one better. Save your money wait for a better price in a year. Matt-less isn’t that big of a deal harder to get use to. You’re also stuck buying crickets smart / I’m not a big fan of this smart stuff doesn’t work as well as I thought it would.

Wait to other brands made stuff to go with.

It is amazing and so much new for me to learn! I think i’m brave to try this at 83 but I’ll do it for sure!! I have cut one bowl cozy and it was perfect. Cutting is getting hard for me because of RA so this will be perfect for me i’m sure.

Thanks Joanne for timely shipping and packed perfectly.

A lot of extras in this bundle! I am a little overwhelmed with Cricut, as i have never owned or used one before. I am excited to learn how to make so many items with it! I bought it in order to make my own stickers for my company!.