OUR VIEW ON THE CRICUT MAKER VS. EXPLORE AIR 2

I have been a Cricut fan for as long as I can remember. I have used every single one of their machines and am always thrilled to see the progress in them as new machines come out. Before the Cricut Maker, I had been using the Explore Air 2. They’re both great machines, but now that I’ve been using the Maker for quite some time, I wanted to share my ideas about the Maker vs Explore, and explain some of the differences and improvements that have been made. If you’ve been thinking about purchasing a Maker“, this post is for you!

Adaptive Tool System

One of the things you probably hear about the most is the Makers adaptive tool system. It is the first of its kind for die cutting machines and has really opened up the possibilities for craft projects. The rotary blades are such an amazing tool for creating sewing projects quickly and easily. If you’re a paper crafter, you’re going to love the scoring wheel. And with the Knife Blade, you can cut many types of wood and other similar thicker materials. Today, we’re making a super cute DIY cake stand from Cricut Chipboard! With the Maker’s 10x the cutting power of the Explore Air 2, you can craft more and worry less about getting perfect cuts. While the list of things the Maker can cut is very long, with the Explore Air 2 you can only cut things like cardstock, iron on, and thin leather. There’s so much more versatility and functionality with the Maker. The Explore Air 2 is still a fantastic machine, but with all the crafting options of the Maker, it’s tough to compete.

Redesigned Machine

Cricut has definitely changed the game when they decided to redesign the Maker. It has a simple, sleek design that looks bomb in any craft room. There’s no more material dial like the Explore Air 2 has, it’s all in Cricut Design space now, which I love. They also designed the Maker with a lot more storage for tools, as well as a dock for your phone or tablet. They’ve also added a USB port perfect for charging your devices or plugging in your BrightPad when weeding. One super small difference between the two machines is the ability to choose “Fast Mode” for the Maker, and it has quickly become one of my favorite add-ons.

If you love your Explore Air 2, you’ll adore the Maker. I think those are some great Top reasons to buy a Maker. I want to show you all how we made an adorable cake stand out of Cricut Chipboard and some patterned cardstock. It turned out so cute. It’s perfect to make for a party or get together, and since you have the freedom of choosing your colors and patterns of cardstock, you can make it for any occasion.

Supplies:

Get this project NOW in Design Space.

Steps:

Step 1: Prepare your mat to cut with the Knife Blade. Place heavy-duty Chipboard down on StrongGrip Mat. Apply masking tape to make sure it stays in place.

Step 2: Follow steps on Design Space to cut using the Knife Blade.

Step 3: Change the Knife Blade to Fine Point Blade.

Step 4: Cut out all layers of cardstock using cardstock colors of your choice and your LightGrip mat.

Step 5: Organize all paper with the coordinating piece of chipboard.

Step 6: Using the ATG gun apply adhesive to the paper and stick to the cardboard.

Step 7: Start building your cake stand. We simply worked with it for a second and it came together effortlessly.

It’s THAT easy to build 3D projects with Cricut. Leave us a comment what you’re going to do with your new cake stand!

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