Is it Easy to Use a Cricut?

Have you ever wondered if it’s easy to use a Cricut? So have thousands of others who ask Uncle Google that very question every day! Well here is a detailed explanation as to why the resounding answer is YES!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.

Is it easy to use a Cricut?

This is a question I’m asked a lot. Like a lot. Readers, friends, family… that is what they always want to know… is it easy to use a Cricut?

The simple answer is yes, it is easy. But let me back up that answer with my own introduction to getting started with a Cricut and with some of my favorite features about the Cricut that makes it easy to use.

Before my 1st Cricut I had a different brand cutting machine that I had used exactly once. I was confused and overwhelmed by the software so I just didn’t bother with it. It sat on the top of the bookshelf in my office/craft room which is the out of site, out of mind storage area.

When I was gifted with a Cricut (it was an Explore Air 2) I kind of figured it would be the same situation so I wasn’t that excited about it. However, I wanted to make a coffee sign and I have exactly zero hand lettering skills so I thought I would give the Cricut a go. Once I used it for the 1st time, I was amazed and excited and relieved and couldn’t wait to make my next project! And I’ve made hundreds since. My Cricut is the crafting tool that I truly cannot do without. I have a Cricut Explore Air 2 and a Cricut Maker and both are amazing machines.

This is that first sign I made, my very first Cricut project from a few years ago with a wood block, some white paint and some stainless foil adhesive vinyl.

So what is it that makes it easy to use a Cricut? These are a handful of features that make it easier to use a Cricut than any other paper or vinyl cutting machine.

Ease of use of Cricut Design Space Software

I am by no means a techie, so if I can navigate Cricut Design Space with ease, then you can, too! There is an intuitive menu bar which makes customizing projects, images or text very easy. With just a glance at the menu functions, it tells you what each button will do for you… from resizing text and images, to creating curved text, to changing from cut to print then cut (one of my favorite things to do with my Cricut!), to changing fonts and so much more.

The left tool bar is just as easy to navigate and even has a templates button that allows you to select a template as a guide to design your project to the appropriate size/scale. Genius, because I certainly would have no idea where to begin with trying make a design for a tree skirt like below!

Simple material selection and cutting for tons of different materials

It’s easy to get a perfect cut every time with an easy to navigate material list for cutting. With the Cricut Maker, you can choose from popular materials or set favorite materials that pop up whenever you click “make it”.

If the material you’re cutting isn’t shown, you can simply click “browse all materials” and an extensive material drop-down list comes up with loads of different material cutting options. The Cricut Explore Air 2 has knobs directly on the machine to select what material you will be cutting.

Talk about easy to use, the Cricut will even remind you to mirror your image and how to place the material when you select iron-on (because there’s nothing worse than ruining great materials because you forgot to mirror!)

Design Projects Easily with Cricut Access

Cricut Access feels to me like having your own personal graphic designer on call ready to design whatever you want. Because there are literally thousands of complete project ideas, images and fonts you will have access to with a Cricut Access subscription. You can browse among numerous categories like Home Decor, Kids Crafts, Holidays, Planners, Sewing and many more, or you can search for an idea you have and often times there will already be a project ready to use. Cricut Access is the perfect companion to a Cricut machine and enables you to create professional looking projects with ease.

Design custom projects easily by uploading your own images and fonts

If you want to be your own designer, uploading your own designs, images and even your own fonts is just as easy! For images and designs, you simply click upload in the left tool bar and drag and drop the image you want to upload. Once uploaded the software guides you through how to turn your image into a cuttable file or event a print then cut file.

When you’re ready to use an image that you uploaded, you can use them by filtering search results and selecting your uploads.

To use your own fonts, you don’t even have to do any kind of uploading… if the fonts are active on your laptop or desktop, you can access and use them at any time by selecting “system” when adding text and then selecting the font you wish to use, or if you remember the name you can search for it in the search bar.

I’ve made many projects that are from the Cricut project catalog and many that I have designed myself and both are easy and fun to do!

Easily switch between different Cricut Maker functions with easy tool switch out/adaptive tool system

I mostly use a Cricut Maker so this feature is specific to that machine. With so many new tools available for the Cricut Maker, it couldn’t be easier to put them into action.

Once you have a design ready to make, you just have to click the dropdown menu for Linetype and from there you can select whether you want to cut, draw, score, engrave, deboss, make a wavy cut or perforate.

Then once you click Make It, the software will direct you when the change the blade for as many different functions as you may have within 1 project. Nothing to even think about!

I hope these features have helped demonstrate to you just how easy it is to use a Cricut machine and why it is simply the best tool for crafters. And if you have one sitting in the box, open that baby up and get started! You will be so surprised and excited about how easy it is and all of the projects you can make. As always, if there any questions you have at all, never hesitate to ask me either in the comments below or through my contact page or email! If there’s ever an answer I don’t have, I will get it for you.

Happy Cricuting! 🙂