Cricut Hacks That Won’t Cost a Dime

March 6, 2023 by Cyn Gagen Leave a Comment

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links provided for your convenience. This means, at no additional cost to you, we will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase

We love to craft but we love to save money too and sometimes it seems like those two things don’t go together. So, whenever we find some great ways to save money on our craft projects, we love to share them. These Cricut Hacks That Won’t Cost a Dime are some of our all-time favorite economical tips!

When you can save money on craft supplies, you can buy and make even more. Keep reading to find out how you can save some cash on your Cricut projects.

Cricut Hacks That Won’t Cost a Dime

1 – Save those empty wipes containers.

You can use them as a place to contain all those little pieces of vinyl that you weed away from your projects. You can cover it with adhesive paper or cardstock if you want to, but it’s not necessary. This is a really helpful way to keep your workspace neat and tidy.

2 – Put redeemed gift cards to use.

Old gift cards are perfect for burnishing vinyl! Use it just as you would a squeegee and rub it across your vinyl or transfer tape to help it adhere better.

Using Parchment Paper When Layering Vinyl

3 – Use parchment paper for easier application of adhesive vinyl.

This is an especially helpful tip when you’re trying to layer vinyl. Simply place the top layer on a piece of parchment paper and pull back a little at the top to reveal the adhesive. Line it up over your design and gradually pull back more of the parchment paper, a little at a time, until the top layer is perfectly placed.

4 – Attach two glue sticks together for longer use.

When you’re in the groove and working on a large project with hot glue, it can be frustrating to have to stop and add more glue sticks. All you have to do is apply some hot glue to the end of one glue stick and glue it to another! Hold for 15-20 seconds until set. Now you can keep crafting for a longer time without having to refill your glue gun.

5 – Apply HTV to a t-shirt perfectly every time.

To line up and center your design, we like to use the folding trick. Fold the shirt in half lengthwise, lining it up at the sleeve seams. Lay the folded shirt on the heat press mat and press along that fold for 15-20 seconds. Now you’ve got a center line to help position your design perfectly.

6 – Use your household hair dryer when applying vinyl to a textured surface.

That’s right. We’re going to make use of your hair dryer. Apply your adhesive vinyl to the textured surface and be sure to burnish well. You might want to use your fingers to help get it into all of the grooves. Use the hair dryer to apply a little heat to help it adhere even better.

7 – Save your transfer tape!

Save your transfer tape and reuse it for other projects BUT if you don’t happen to have any, we’ve got alternatives you can use instead. Best of all, you probably have them on hand already. Painter’s tape works really well as does a lint roller. The lint roller is good for smaller projects and isn’t quite as sticky as the painter’s tape.

8 – Tape vinyl down to your mat.

With materials like glitter heat transfer vinyl, it will have a tendency to want to roll up. Use some pieces of painter’s tape on each corner to help it stay flat on your cutting mat so you can get a better cut.

9 – Add an offset to Print then Cut images.

By adding an offset you can turn a Print then Cut image into a beautiful sticker. Add the offset (it’s a free feature on Cricut Design Space) and change the color as desired. Turn your whole design into a Print and Cut sticker in just a few easy steps!

10 – Use non-Cricut brand markers in your Cricut machine.

This is such a great way to use markers that you already have on hand.

11 – Turn any font into a drawing font.

If you have a font that you’d like to use with pens and the drawing function, but Design Space only wants to draw the outline, we’ve got a great hack for you. Using our Lines file as well as a font (we’re using our font Atmospheric), place the lines over the text, and with both selected, choose Intersect (under Combine). Change the Operation from Basic Cut to Pen.

Now your Cricut will draw not only the outline of the text but it will also fill in with all the lines too.

12 – Stop paying for Cricut Access.

Did you know that you don’t need to pay in order to use Cricut Design Space? It is free software used with your Cricut machine. But some people think that this is the same thing as Cricut Access. It’s not!

Cricut Access is a subscription that allows you to use Cricut’s library of cut files and fonts. If you have a Makers Gonna Learn subscription, you don’t need Cricut Access. So, if you’re not actually using their files, cancel your Cricut Access subscription and save some money!

Note: There are a few premium features for Cricut Design Space that are available through your Access subscription. You can easily make most of your crafts without ever needing these premium features.

13 – Use this amazing stencil hack for flawless results.

After you have laid your stencil down on the surface, apply your paint/ink using the same color as the base color you have on the blank. This may seem like a waste of time, but it really helps to give you crisp, clean lines. Be sure to apply a very thin layer of the base color. Once that layer is dry, you can go over the stencil with your chosen color.

14 – With this trick, you can easily apply vinyl to rounded surfaces.

When working on a rounded surface like a mug or an ornament, it is sometimes difficult to get it to lay flat. Our trick is to snip around the design – just where the transfer tape and backing are. Be sure not to cut into the design itself. This gives you leeway as you apply the vinyl to the surface and you’ll be able to get it to lay flat!

HTV Hacks You Need to Know

February 20, 2023 by Cyn Gagen Leave a Comment

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links provided for your convenience. This means, at no additional cost to you, we will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase

If you love working with heat transfer vinyl, you’re going to love this post about HTV Hacks You Need to Know. We’re going to teach every single iron-on vinyl hack that we know here! Whether you are a Cricut beginner or a seasoned pro, you might just learn some really helpful tips and tricks today.

HTV can be used on a wide variety of surfaces (not just fabric!) and offers so many possibilities for Cricut projects. Once you see these Cricut hacks, you’ll be all set to make all kinds of Cricut iron-on projects.

HTV Hacks You Need to Know

Working with mandalas

Use a setting like Kraft board or heavy cardstock or add more pressure and it will cut your mandala all the way through. Then, instead of having to weed it, you will be able to peel the mandala up and it will be ready to go. A few pieces may be left behind but it’s quick and easy to remove those.

Once you apply it to your surface and heat it, we like to then go in with a weeding tool to help lift away the transfer tape. Even though you cut it all the way through, the transfer tape is still there and needs to be removed. We like to do a warm peel on this.

Make weeding easier

Heat up your heat press to about 300-350 degrees. Press it down for about 10 seconds to heat up the bottom plate. Open up the press and place your HTV on the bottom plate. Weed (carefully – be mindful of the heat!) right there on the press and you’ll find it so much easier.

Pro Tip: You can do the same thing with an EasyPress. Heat up your EasyPress mat and place your HTV on it for weeding.

Find the center of your shirts.

This is so simple and so helpful when it comes to lining up and centering your designs. There are a few different ways of doing this.

1 – Match up the seams where the sleeves are attached to the shirt. Lay it down and press along that line to leave a gentle crease that marks the center.

2 – Use a t-shirt ruler. Simply place it on your shirt and it will show you exactly where to position your design.

Center your design on your shirt.

The next step after you have found the center of your shirt is to find the center of your design. To do this, gently fold over your design, matching up the edges of it. Remember to line up the edges of the actual design, not the transfer tape. Then, make a little crease at the top and the bottom to mark the center. Be sure to only crease the transfer tape and not your design. Match this center line with the center of your shirt! Ta-da!

Remove HTV from a shirt.

Place your EasyPress Mini inside the shirt with the design positioned over the heat plate. You want to set your EasyPress to the second level. As it heats up the design, you can use a weeding tool to easily start removing it from the shirt. Keep moving it as needed to heat up the rest of the design until your whole design – or the part of the design you need – has been removed.

Don’t choose tiny fonts.

Tiny fonts, skinny fonts, intricate fonts – these can all be more difficult to work with. If they are going to be less than 3-4 inches in size and are really thin fonts, you want to avoid these with HTV. Although your Cricut may be able to cut it out really well and you have no problem with weeding it, once you apply heat, these fonts can start looking a bit wavy and distorted. You won’t get the clean look you are going for.

It’s also important to know that even if you’re able to apply it well, since it is so thin, there isn’t much adhesive to hold it in place and keep it down. The durability of such designs is not as high as with a larger design.

Layer vinyl without it being bulky.

When you layer vinyl, especially on things like clothing, it can start feeling and looking bulky. So, we like to use the knockout method instead. You’re going to create two layers but one of them is essentially going to be an outline of the second one. That way, when you line them up, they will appear layered but won’t have the bulk of two pieces of vinyl on top of each other. You’ll also save vinyl this way!

And best of all, with this method, each layer of heat transfer vinyl gets to adhere directly to the fabric you’re applying it to thereby giving you a better and longer-lasting result.

Use up your HTV scraps.

Cut them into strips and lay them shiny side up on your cutting mat. Do not mirror your design. Cut the same way as with the mandala – heavy cardstock, more pressure, Kraft board or something similar to cut through it.

Once your design is cut out in those beautiful multiple colors of heat transfer vinyl, you will want to grab some HTV transfer tape to peel the whole thing up. Apply it to your design and remove it from the mat. Use heat, as usual, to adhere your design to the blank and then peel up both layers of transfer tape.

Pro Tip: You may be thinking that you don’t want to purchase any HTV transfer tape since you’ll only use it once in a while. Here’s what you can do. Save your pieces of HTV transfer tape from other projects. We use waxed paper as backing paper for it to keep it safe until we use it. Another great use for this is with printable HTV. Some brands don’t include a transfer sheet in the package so this can really come in handy there too.

Use HTV on top of traditional adhesive vinyl.

This is a great hack for when you have run out of the color you need in regular adhesive vinyl but you have it in iron-on vinyl. You can actually use the HTV over top of regular vinyl. Simply apply the HTV on top of the regular vinyl and lay it on your EasyPress mat. Use light pressure with your EasyPress and apply some heat to the design to adhere it.

Let it cool completely. Peel away the transfer tape. Now you have a regular vinyl design that you can apply just like a sticker.

Make weeding easier.

Use cocoa powder with light-colored HTV and baby powder with dark-colored HTV. We like to apply it with a small paintbrush. Then, you can brush away the excess and you’ll see that the cut lines stand out better and make it easier to see where to weed.

Apply heat transfer vinyl to cardstock.

Simply place the HTV on the cardstock and heat for about 10 seconds. This is a great method to use on paper napkins too! Customize them for a party.

Use HTV on wood.

This is a method we use all the time! Once again, simply place the HTV design onto the wood and heat. We find it especially easy when using the EasyPress Mini! Heat for about 20 seconds in each section of your design. Remember that you want to see bubbles forming. This is a great alternative to stenciling.

Pro Tip: When choosing the wood for this project, you want to use wood that is really smooth and not too textured. The smoother the better!

Cut out and weed glitter heat transfer vinyl more easily.

Create your design and then duplicate it. For the second one, you want to use the drawing function. Attach the two together. This way your vinyl will cut out and it will draw the design on the back. It makes it much easier to see and to weed!

Apply HTV on a mug.

Use heat-resistant tape to tape down your design to the mug. Even with the curved surface, this will help it to adhere to the mug. It’s okay if the transfer tape crinkles a little bit as long as the design is sticking well to the mug. Using the high setting, apply heat with your heat gun. It will take about 10-20 seconds. Don’t put the heat gun too close to the surface of the mug. Do a cold peel.

We hope you learned something new in this post about some of the best HTV tips we’ve found. Which of these HTV hacks is your favorite?

#1 Way to Clean Cricut Mats

February 13, 2023 by Cyn Gagen Leave a Comment

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links provided for your convenience. This means, at no additional cost to you, we will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase

When you make a lot of Cricut projects, your Cricut mats are bound to get dirty now and then. The dirtier they are, the less adhesive they are. So, we want to share the #1 way to clean Cricut mats with you.

When you clean your Cricut mats, you will be able to get more use out of them and won’t have to replace them as often. This will save you money and time as you won’t need to run out to the store in the middle of a crafting session. Keep reading to find out our favorite way to clean Cricut mats.

Check out these Cricut Maintenance Tasks You Need to Perform too!

#1 Way to Clean Cricut Mats

baby wipes for cleaning cricut cutting mats

This is our all-time favorite way to clean our Cricut cutting mats because it is inexpensive and easy to do. Simply grab a baby wipe and using a small circular motion, go over the cutting mat one section at a time.

As you work your way across the mat, you’ll see that even the toughest debris, such as these bits of felt left behind from a Cricut project, will come off of the mat.

Once you allow the cutting mat to dry, the adhesive will be back to new again! Your mat will last 2-3 times longer simply by using this cleaning technique.

This is such a handy way to clean your mats without even having to leave your crafting space.

Color Etching on Glass

February 3, 2023 by Cyn Gagen Leave a Comment

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links provided for your convenience. This means, at no additional cost to you, we will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase

If you have ever seen glass etching you know how beautiful it can be. We’re going to show you not only how to use your Cricut machine for etching glass, but also how to do color etching on glass. This is such a fun technique that you can use to add a permanent design to glass for any holiday, occasion, or home decor theme.

Glass-etched projects make lovely custom handmade gifts. They’re perfect for weddings, anniversaries, teacher gifts, and so much more.

You can etch on stainless steel too! Check this out – Etching Stainless Steel

Color Etching on Glass

Supplies Needed:

Oh Come Let us Adore Him – https://makersgonnalearn.com/cut_file…
Glass canister – https://www.hobbylobby.com/Crafts-Hob…
Armor Etch – https://amzn.to/3zxsd87
Starcraft Vinyl: https://bit.ly/3uP2GUo
Paint Brush – https://amzn.to/3vFyTA0
Gloves – https://amzn.to/3zUV87C
Rub’n Buff – https://amzn.to/3vHAR2W
Candles – https://amzn.to/3JyrUic

Step-by-Step Tutorial:

Working in Design Space

1 – Choose the cut file that you’d like to use for your design. Download it and upload into Cricut Design Space. We’re going to turn this design into a stencil for your etching project.

2 – Add the design to your canvas in Design Space.

3 – Measure the dimensions of the space you have available for your design on your blank. Size your design accordingly.

Pro Tip: Remember to lock the dimensions of your design if you want to maintain them while sizing.

Weld The Two Layers Of The Design Together

4 – With the design we’re using, you can see in the layers panel that it is two layers. If we cut it as is, it will cut each layer on a separate mat. We want this to be one stencil so we need to select each layer and Weld.

Cutting and Applying the Vinyl

5 – Click Make It. Choose your material setting. We used Permanent Vinyl, Removable. Cut out your design.

6 – Weed your vinyl. Remember that this will be used as a stencil. So, you want to weed out the opposite of what you usually do. In this case, you’re removing the letters and decor elements and leaving the negative space behind. Cover your weeded design with transfer tape and burnish it down.

7 – If you’re applying the vinyl to a non-porous surface like glass or ceramic, clean the area where the vinyl will be placed with rubbing alcohol on a paper towel. This will ensure that there is no dirt, fingerprints, or debris to interfere with smoothly placing the vinyl.

8 – Remove the backing from your vinyl. Place the stencil on your blank. Be sure that you get out all of the air bubbles and that the edges are very well-adhered. You want to get a good crisp result from your stenciling. Carefully peel away the transfer tape.

Stenciling

9 – Put on your gloves. This is a very important step – you don’t want etching cream to come in contact with your skin! Paint the etching cream over the stencil. We like to paint it all over, going back into each area again so that we’re sure the cream gets right down into the design well. Move the cream around for 1-2 minutes for best results. Apply a fairly thick layer of etching cream. Set your timer. The bottle directions say to leave the etching cream for 1-3 minutes but we find that 5 minutes works best.

Pro Tip: If you’re concerned about the etching cream getting onto the glass around the edges of the stencil, you can always add some painter’s tape around the whole design.

10 – Use your paintbrush to remove the excess etching cream from your craft project. Put it back in the jar to use again. Wash off your project under running water. Be sure to leave your gloves on for this part.

Pro Tip: Once the design is dry, you can hold it up to the light and double-check to ensure that all parts have been etched to your satisfaction.

Adding color to the etching

11 – Remove the stencil. Apply Rub n Buff to your design to add color. It’s a good idea to wear a glove for this process. Work the color into the etched design.

Important: We recommend only using this on a decorative piece that you aren’t going to be washing. After testing, we found that if we washed it, it would remove the color.

12 – This dries quickly so go in and use a paper towel to remove the excess. Alternate between applying the Rub n Buff and removing excess with the paper towel. Once the design is thoroughly covered with Rub n Buff, your project is ready to display!

Dishwasher Safe Cricut Projects

February 1, 2023 by Cyn Gagen Leave a Comment

You’ve worked hard on a special Cricut craft and now you want to know how to make it safe to put in the dishwasher? We’ve got you covered. In this tutorial, we will show you how to make dishwasher safe Cricut projects. Don’t let all your hard work designing and creating an amazing Cricut craft go to waste. Cricut beginners and seasoned pros alike, this is must-have information to keep in your back pocket for when you need it.

We’ll be honest. We rarely ever seal our Cricut projects. For the most part, we just don’t find it necessary and prefer to leave the design uncovered. But, there may be times when you really want to add a sealant to your craft project and that’s why we are going over the best kind to use to make it safe for the dishwasher.

Dishwasher Safe Cricut Projects

Let’s start by talking about WHY we don’t usually want to use a sealant. When you apply this Mod Podge to your project, it will likely leave brush strokes. If you use it on a clear glass mug or plate, it will probably make the image cloudy. That’s why we are not huge fans of this.

We find that if you use really good, high-quality vinyl, you get great results and truly don’t need to seal it. Our rule of thumb here is that if something is handmade, it should be hand-washed so that the design is long-lasting and the item maintains its quality. However, you may want the convenience of using your dishwasher, and if that’s the case, you’ll need to use Dishwasher-Safe Mod Podge.

Pro Tip: High-quality vinyl that we like and use regularly at Makers Gonna Learn – Starcraft, Oracal 651, and TeckWrap just to name a few.

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

Cut Files/Fonts Used: What Would Dolly Do? – https://makersgonnalearn.com/cut_files/what-would-dolly-do/

Dishwasher Safe Mod podge – https://amzn.to/3Z9JFeS

Coffee Mug – https://www.dollartree.com/royal-norfolk-contemporary-white-square-stoneware-mugs-12oz/18235

How To Make A Cricut Project Dishwasher Safe

STEP-BY-STEP TUTORIAL:

1 – The first thing you need to know about using Dishwasher-Safe Mod Podge is that it will dry in just a few hours BUT that doesn’t mean that it is ready to use at that point. The full cure time for it is 28 days. It should not go into the dishwasher until after those 28 days have passed. This is key to getting the best results from this product.

2 – To get the fewest brushstrokes and marks on our design possible, we prefer to apply the Mod Podge with our fingers. It is a non-toxic product and safe to touch, but once finished, we do like to wash our hands right away. If you don’t want to touch it with your fingers, you can apply it with a foam brush, but remember that you will get brushstrokes this way.

Important: Before you apply vinyl to a non-porous surface like glass or ceramic, clean it well with rubbing alcohol and a paper towel to remove all dust, debris, and fingerprints that might interfere with proper application of the vinyl.

Snip slits into the transfer tape to help adhere the vinyl to a curved surface.

3 – Remove the backing from your vinyl design. Apply to your mug.

Pro Tip: When applying vinyl to a curved surface, we find it helpful to snip slits into the transfer tape. Be sure not to cut into the design. This allows you to get it nice and flat on the surface of the mug.

4 – Burnish well. We find it helpful to use our fingers to press it well onto the mug.

5 – Peel away the transfer tape carefully.

6 – Using your finger, dab the Mod Podge over the vinyl design. As you apply it, it may change the texture and appearance of the vinyl, so be aware of that. Apply a thin coat. Let it dry for a little while until it’s just a bit tacky.

Pro Tip: Once partially dry, we used the heel of our hand to tap over the design. This helps remove some of the finger strokes. Using a paper towel, we also removed any excess Mod Podge from around the design. Don’t touch the Mod Podge on the vinyl itself, but any that is on the mug around the vinyl.

7 – Wait 1-2 hours. Apply another coat of Mod Podge. In all, you want to apply 2-3 more coats to your mug, drying in between. Be sure to repeat the process of tapping over the vinyl and removing excess Mod Podge from around the design with each application.

REMINDER: Once you put on the last coat, put the mug aside and let it cure for 28 days.

Cricut Valentines Day Crafts

January 27, 2023 by Janine Leave a Comment

Valentines Day is right around the corner and we are so excited. We love to take this opportunity to share special little handmade treats with our friends and family. In fact, here we have rounded up our favorite Cricut Valentines Day Crafts to share with you.

Some of these are brand-new craft ideas for this year but we’ve also included some of our old favorites as well. If you want to make something special for someone you love this Valentines Day, you’re sure to find a wonderful idea below. Share the love!

Cricut Valentines Day Crafts

SHAKER LETTER From Makers Gonna Learn

Make your loved one a shaker letter – it’s a card and gift in one! They can display it in their home for years to come.

YOU ARE THE WRITE KIND OF FRIEND VALENTINE From Makers Gonna Learn

We love these Valentines for handing out in classrooms! Super cute and practical, these are a great no-candy option.

DIY CRICUT VALENTINE’S DAY CARDS From Makers Gonna Learn

You’re going to love the fun techniques we used in making these adorable cards.

SHAKER CARD WITH CRICUT From Makers Gonna Learn

Shaker cards are just so much fun! This one may look intricate, but when we walk you through it step-by-step, you’ll see how easy it is.

DIY VALENTINE’S DAY KEYCHAIN From Makers Gonna Learn

Your loved one can carry a reminder of your love with them all the time with this beautiful keychain!

CRICUT VALENTINE’S DAY BANNER From Laura’s Crafty Life

Hang this banner up on your mantel or in a window to add some Valentines Day cheer to your home.

VALENTINE’S CANDY MASON JAR From The Farmgirl Gabs

We love this super cute way of presenting candy to someone. They can use the jars to stay organized – or just keep filling them with treats!

DIY CRICUT MONSTER VALENTINE CANDY CARDS From Giggles Galore

These little monster candy-hugging cards are sure to bring smiles to the faces of the recipients!

VALENTINE’S HEART TREE From Fleece Fun

Decorate your home with a heart tree that’s sweet and whimsical. Makes a great gift too!

3D PAPER MAILBOX From Makers Gonna Learn

Create a paper mailbox for your home and everyone can share little love notes with each other all month long!

VALENTINE PLACEMATS From See Lindsay

How cute are these placemats? They remind us of those adorable little conversation heart candies.

VALENTINE PAPER VILLAGE From Crafting In The Rain

Set up a little village of love you can create from paper for the holiday!

VALENTINE’S DAY PILLOW From The Happy Scraps

This is the perfect gift for your significant other. Place this on the bed as a sweet surprise for them to find later!

3D CARD BOX From Makers Gonna Learn

Okay, this one requires a little more time and effort to make but when you see how sweet it is, you can see that it’s worth it!

FAUX VALENTINE PIÑATA From Artsy Fartsy Mama

Having a Valentines Day party? This is the perfect party decor!

DIY FORTUNE COOKIE VALENTINE TREATS From It Happens In A Blink

What would you hide inside these sweet little fortune cookies?

DIY VALENTINE’S WOOD SIGN From Everyday Jenny

Display this sweet sign in your home for a touch of color and texture!

DIY VALENTINE’S DAY GARLAND From The Kingston Home

Here’s another super fun garland idea perfect for home decor or to use as a party decoration.

PENNANT BANNER From Makers Gonna Learn

We would hang this adorable banner up in our home all year long!

DIY FAUX VALENTINE BOOK SET From Burton Avenue

Find some old discarded books at your local thrift shop or grab some wood as this crafter did and make a set of faux books.

XOXO VALENTINE TIC TAC TOE CARDS From Giggles Galore

This is such a cute idea for classroom Valentines. If you can’t find the shaped candies (or want to make it candy-free), that’s easy to do with some simple game markers.

EXPLODING PAPER BOX From Makers Gonna Learn

These exploding paper boxes always make people ooh and ahh over how sweet and sentimental they are!

VALENTINE’S DAY COFFEE CUP GIFT CARD HOLDER From Sweet Red Poppy

Give a friend the gift of coffee. They’re sure to love it!

Valentine's Day Coffee Cup Gift Card Holder2

DIY VALENTINE POPCORN BOXES From Small Stuff Counts

Put together a delicious popcorn snack mix and fill up these sweet DIY boxes for another great party or classroom Valentine idea.

3D PAPER HEART BOX From Makers Gonna Learn

What would you put inside these adorable little paper heart boxes?

EASY POP-UP CARDS WITH CRICUT From Makers Gonna Learn

Think making a pop-up card is too difficult? Think again! We’ll show you how easy it can be to make something special.

Never Use These Cricut Supplies

January 23, 2023 by Cyn Gagen Leave a Comment

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links provided for your convenience. This means, at no additional cost to you, we will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase

When you’re a Cricut beginner, you may be wondering what supplies you should use with your die cutting machine. Sometimes it’s just as important to know what supplies not to use with your Cricut machine! In this post, we’re going to share ideas of Cricut supplies we think you should never use.

Now, don’t get us wrong. Cricut makes amazing machines and some of their materials are our favorites. But, in many cases, we have found materials to use with our Cricut machines that are just as good or even better than Cricut brand supplies AND they will even save you money on craft supplies!

Never Use These Cricut Supplies

Cricut Brightpad

We have found in our experience that the Cricut Brightpad really doesn’t do much and for the money, it’s just not worth it. The only time it ever improved our weeding situation was with glitter HTV. With anything else, we couldn’t see a difference.

You’d be much further ahead to invest in some better lighting that will work for a multitude of different crafting scenarios. You can even just put your material up to a window to see the weeding lines better.

Cricut Vinyl

Cricut brand vinyl was great several years ago but then they changed the formula and now it simply isn’t the easiest material to work with. There are other brands that are much better and easier to use and less expensive to boot. Try Siser, Starcraft, or Oracal. They make our crafting so much easier!

12 x 10″ EasyPress

You might be surprised by this one but we find that the 12 x 10″ Cricut EasyPress is not the best one to use. Once you pick it up to use it, it quickly begins to lose heat, giving you uneven heating of your project. The smaller ones are much better and the Mini EasyPress, in particular, is one of our favorites for applying heat transfer vinyl. If you find you need a larger heat press on a consistent basis for things like Infusible Ink or really large projects, we suggest investing in a clamshell or other industrial-type heat press that will give you more versatility and more even heating.

Pro Tip: The 9 x 9 Cricut EasyPress doesn’t have this same issue and is another great alternative!

Cricut AutoPress

Sometimes we invest in Cricut supplies to check them out and try them for ourselves but this is one we haven’t bothered to buy. Why? Mainly because of the price point. You can purchase good quality heat presses for half the price of this one so it simply doesn’t make economical sense to us. Now, if you’re someone who struggles with traditional presses because of physical conditions like arthritis, this may very well be the best investment for you, but for the rest of us, there are other better options.

Infusible Ink

Some people really enjoy working with Infusible Ink but we find that if you are someone who wants to make a lot of sublimation projects, we recommend that you invest in a sublimation printer and other sublimation supplies. This way, you can create custom designs and use any colors your would like. In addition, since Infusible Ink sheets are simply sheets of sublimation ink that you have to cut and then weed, it’s quite easy to damage them and waste material.

Cricut Hot Glue Gun

When it comes to the many hot glue guns on the market, there are simply so many other, better options than the Cricut glue gun. It’s small, it’s corded, and it’s expensive. Check out the Lynn Lilly glue gun. You can use it cordlessly for up to 2 minutes at a time and it has a precision tip. It’s our favorite!

What are your favorite craft supplies? Which ones have you tried that you wouldn’t recommend to a crafting buddy? Let us know on social media, tagging us with the hashtag #MakersGonnaLearn.

12 Most Asked Cricut Questions

January 16, 2023 by Cyn Gagen Leave a Comment

If you’re new to Cricut – or maybe you just want to level up your Cricut skills – this is a great place to start. We are providing answers to our 12 Most Asked Cricut Questions today. Throughout the years of working with Cricut machines and teaching others how to use them, these are the questions that pop up again and again.

If you’ve ever felt held back because you didn’t know the answer to your Cricut questions, be sure to check out the answers below. You might just find the one you need to take your Cricut crafting to the next level.

12 Most Asked Cricut Questions

Which Cricut Should I Buy?

Do you suffer from FOMO (fear of missing out)? If so, easy answer. You need the Cricut Maker 3. It has all the bells and whistles and can do more than any other Cricut machine. This is their top-of-the-line machine at the moment and the one you need to buy if you want to be able to do it all.

Are you more of an economical crafter? If you’re looking for a machine that will still deliver a lot, but at a more budget-friendly price, you want the Cricut Explore. You could look at the Cricut Explore Air 2 (which is the older model but still a great machine) or the newer Cricut Explore 3. You could even look at getting a legacy Cricut Maker. Again, it’s still a great machine and there really isn’t a big difference between it and the newer Maker 3 other than the Maker 3’s ability to use Cricut Smart Materials. Here’s our secret though – we don’t actually use Smart Materials as we prefer to use the kind that is cut on a mat.

Pro Tip: If you purchase a Cricut Maker, you will still receive 2 cutting mats with it. Mats are not included with the Maker 3 or the Explore 3 as they use Smart Materials and are capable of matless cutting. Even with the newer machines, you will find that there are times when you need a mat.

Complete Guide to the Cricut Maker 3 and Cricut Explore 3

Which Cricut to Buy

What is Cricut Access and do I need it?

Cricut Access is not the same as Cricut Design Space. Cricut Design Space is the software you need to use your Cricut machine and it is free to use. On the other hand, Cricut Access is a subscription service that gives you access to Cricut’s library of cut files and fonts. However, once you cancel your membership to Cricut Access, you no longer have access to those files and fonts. With a Makers Gonna Learn membership, you get to keep any files and fonts you downloaded forever. Cricut Access is optional and you don’t have to have it in order to use the free Cricut Design Space software.

How Do I Know If I Need to Seal My Projects?

For the vast majority of projects, you do not need to seal them. If you watch any of our tutorials here at Makers Gonna Learn and we don’t mention sealing, then don’t seal it. It’s simply not necessary. In fact, sometimes by adding a sealant, you can make your project look less professional. The only times when you might need sealant is for an outdoor project that will get quite weathered or something of that sort, but when we demonstrate such projects for you, we will always show you which sealant we recommend and how to use it. If you need to use a sealant, we recommend spray sealers to avoid the appearance of brush marks.

Pro Tip: It’s important to note that we use high-quality vinyl and paints/stains and that plays a factor in the longevity of our projects as well.

Learn more here: How to Make Cricut Projects Last

What are the Different Types of Vinyl?

When you see vinyl with the grid backing on it, it is adhesive vinyl. Adhesive vinyl is like a sticker – you peel off the backing and apply it. The adhesive is activated by pressure. If you see vinyl that has a dull side and a shiny side, it’s heat transfer vinyl (also known as iron on vinyl). As the name implies, you have to use heat to activate the adhesive and make it stick to the surface of your blank.

Our favorite vinyl – for both price and quality – is from 143Vinyl. We really like the Starcraft and Siser EasyWeed brands.

Pro Tip: To keep the different types of vinyl straight (glitter vinyl, flocked HTV, iridescent vinyl, etc), we like to label ours with a piece of masking tape.

Check out the Ultimate Guide to Vinyl here.

How Large a Project Can I Cut with my Cricut and How Can I Make Something Larger than Mat?

With a regular mat, you can cut a design that is a little less than 12 x 12 inches. With the larger mat, you can cut a design that is a little less than 12 x 24 inches. Remember that with a Cricut Maker 3 or Explore 3, you can do matless cutting. This allows you to make longer than mat projects but you are still only able to make them 12 inches wide. Beyond that option, you will be looking at a multi-mat project if you want to make one that’s larger than mat. This means you will need to divide up your design and slice it into pieces to fit on the mats. Then, you will reassemble your design on your blank.

Pro Tip: A larger than mat project is an advanced craft. It’s possible but it’s more complicated than a basic design that fits on one mat. If you find that you consistently need to cut larger designs, look into an industrial cutter that can handle wider materials.

How to make a larger than mat project tutorial.

How Do I Make My Letters Touch?

In previous tutorials, we taught our viewers how to manually kern their text. Cricut has updated its Design Space capabilities and now with many fonts, you will find that when you use them in Design Space, they are already kerned for you. This can be both a blessing and a curse at times.

You can see in the text above that it has been kerned automatically by Cricut and while the H and e are nicely done, the rest of the letters are just too close together. To fix this, go to Advanced, Ungroup to Letters. Use your arrow keys to move the letters until you’re happy with their arrangement. Then, select the whole word and choose Weld under the Combine Menu which is below the Layers Panel.

Can I Use My Household Iron Instead of a Heat Press?

Yes, you can but you may not get consistent results. Your results will vary depending on your particular iron. In addition, if it’s a steam iron and you’ve been using water in it, this won’t be good for applying your heat transfer vinyl. A household iron tends to have different temperatures at various points on the plate, whereas a heat press offers consistent heat on every part of it. How do you combat that? Move the iron to different parts of the design until you see the bubbles that indicate that the vinyl has released from the transfer tape and is adhering to your surface instead. So yes, you can use a household iron but it may not work as well as a heat press would.

Find a complete guide to working with iron-on here.

Should I Get an EasyPress or a Heat Press?

If you are interested in sublimation, we think that you should skip right over the EasyPress and go for a heat press. It works better with sublimation and will give you the best results and of course, you can use it with heat transfer vinyl as well. With sublimation, you tend to need a larger heat press, but if you’re not planning to make sublimation projects, we suggest going with a 9 x 9 EasyPress or an EasyPress Mini.

Check this out! >>>> A Comprehensive Guide to EasyPress

Why Won’t My Print Then Cut Print?

Most of the time, it’s because your image is too large. The maximum size Cricut allows for Print then Cut is 9.25 x 6.75 inches.

Your Ultimate Guide to Print then Cut is here!

What is the Difference Between a PNG and an SVG?

PNG stands for Portable Network Graphic. SVG is a Scalable Vector Graphic. We offer both at Makers Gonna Learn. A PNG is what we use for our Print then Cuts – anything that has so many colors that it would be impractical to break it up into layers and cutting them all out. An SVG has all the layers available for cutting. When you scale an SVG up or down in size, it will retain its quality and not become pixelated. If you try to scale a PNG up, you will begin to lose quality.

Do I Need to Prewash My Shirts?

We often buy prewashed shirts and that takes care of the issue for us, but if you’re not buying those, yes, you do need to prewash them. This is so that if there is going to be any shrinkage, it happens prior to adding any heat transfer vinyl. Otherwise, when you wash the shirt, it might shrink but your HTV design won’t and your design will be ruined.

Pro Tip: When you prewash the shirt, make sure not to use any fabric softener.

What Cricut Accessories Do I Need?

Check out this video for all of our Cricut Must Haves!

Screen Printing Multiple Colors

January 13, 2023 by Cyn Gagen Leave a Comment

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links provided for your convenience. This means, at no additional cost to you, we will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase

Have you tried screen printing with your Cricut machine? We love this craft technique, but single color screen printing can be limiting at times. That’s why we’re so excited to share this technique for screen printing multiple colors.

We’ll take you through a step-by-step Cricut screen printing tutorial using more than one color. It can seem intimidating if you’re a Cricut beginner, but we’ll teach you everything you need to know to make successful screen printing projects every time.

Screen Printing Multiple Colors

Materials Needed:

Cut File – https://makersgonnalearn.com/cut_files/a-little-bit-of-dolly/

T-shirt – https://amzn.to/3BGwrNr

Screen Print Frame – https://amzn.to/3QlF3wW (or you can make your own – check out our frame building course which is FREE with your Makers Gonna Learn membership!)

White Screen Print Ink – https://amzn.to/3zE2CL0

Hot pink Screen Print Ink – https://amzn.to/3d8mJJl

Turquoise Screen Print Ink – https://amzn.to/3zuMsn6

Squeegee – https://amzn.to/3zXhwx5

Starcraft Vinyl: https://bit.ly/3uP2GUo

How To Screen Print With Multiple Colors

Step-by-Step Tutorial:

WORKING IN CRICUT DESIGN SPACE –

creating 3 layer design in Cricut Design Space

1 – Let’s start our project in Design Space. Download the cut file from Makers Gonna Learn and upload the SVG into Design Space.

2 – Measure the space available on your blank (in our case, a t-shirt) for your design. This is important to know so you can size your design accordingly.

Pro Tip: We will be adding registration marks with this design since it is multi-colored. Leave a little bit of space to allow for those marks.

3 – Once you have sized your design in Design Space, it’s time to add the registration marks. Add a small square to the corner of your design and duplicate it 3 times. Place one square in each corner of your design and use the Align function to get them lined up. Select your design and all of the squares and Weld.

4 – Duplicate your welded image 2 times.

5 – Change the colors of each layer of your design as you’d like.

Contour out the parts you don't need on each layer

6 – Use Contour on each layer to delete the parts that you don’t want cut out of that particular color.

Pro Tip: Make sure you don’t contour out the registration marks.

7 – Select all 3 layers and choose Align, Center.

How to organize design if you want ot use only 2 screens

NOTE: You can use 3 different screens for this – one for each color. However, we were able to do it with just 2 screens. To do that, instead of centering all 3 layers of your design, you would only center the Dolly and Miranda layers. They are positioned so far apart that you can easily use just one screen for them.

CUTTING OUT AND APPLYING YOUR DESIGN –

7 – Weld the Dolly/Miranda layer together. It will change it so that it’s all the same color, but since we are screenprinting, that will be fine. Click Make It.

8 – Be sure that you mirror both mats. Connect to your machine. Press Continue and choose Premium Vinyl, Removable for your material.

9 – Cut out your vinyl and weed it. Remember that you want to weed away the parts that you are going to be screenprinting. (This is the opposite of what you would usually weed away.) Add a piece of transfer tape over your design.

10 – Remove the backing from your vinyl. You might need to do some burnishing to ensure that your design remains down and well-adhered to the transfer tape.

11 – Apply your design to the screen. Flip the screen over and burnish from the other side to make sure that your design is pressed down well.

11 – Remove the transfer tape.

Pro Tip: Save and reuse it for the next layer.

Tape off the sections that you don't want painted

SCREEN PRINTING YOUR DESIGN –

12 – Use painter’s tape to cover up any parts of the screen that are not covered by the vinyl.

Use index cards or cardstock for the registration marks

13 – Add brightly colored pieces of cardstock (or index cards) in the corners where each of the registration marks are. Tape them in place.

14 – Add ink to your screen. Lift up your screen slightly so that it’s not longer touching the shirt. Run your squeegee over the screen to backfill your design with ink.

Use the squeegee to spread ink over the design several times

15 – Lay your screen back down and pull the squeegee through the ink. Be sure to cover the registration marks as well as the design. Go over your design several times. Use a decent amount of pressure on it. If you have any leftover ink, use a plastic spoon to scoop it back up and save it.

Pro Tip: Wash your screen immediately.

Note: You can use your heat gun to speed up the drying process of the ink.

WORKING ON THE NEXT LAYER –

16 – Repeat the process of applying the vinyl to the screen for the next part of your design. Tape off the parts of your screen where you don’t want the ink to show through – in this case, we taped off Miranda as well as any edges not covered by vinyl.

17 – Line up the second layer of the design on the t-shirt using the registration marks.

18 – Add your ink.

19 – Once again, lift up your screen and backfill your design. Run your squeegee over the design to screenprint this color onto the shirt. Wash your screen immediately.

Touch up any parts needed with a paintbrush

Pro Tip: If there are any sections that don’t have quite enough ink on them, you can grab a paintbrush and touch them up. Use your heat gun to dry the ink.

20 – Remove the tape from over the third part of your design – in our case, the word Miranda. Tape off the parts that you don’t want covered with ink. Line up your screen again using the registration marks. Backfill the design and then screenprint as you have done before.

Don’t forget to wash your screen right away!

Let the ink dry thoroughly and your shirt is ready to wear!

Cricut Must Haves for Beginners

January 9, 2023 by Cyn Gagen Leave a Comment

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links provided for your convenience. This means, at no additional cost to you, we will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase

Did you just get a new Cricut machine? YAY! We are doing a happy dance for you because we just know how much joy you are going to get out of it! We have put together this list of Cricut Must Haves for Beginners especially for you.

This is our list of the items we use the most with our Cricut. These are Cricut tools and accessories we rely on every single day in our professional die cutting craft studio and we highly recommend each one of them. Check out the list below and let’s get crafting!

Cricut Must Haves for Beginners

Check out this list of Cricut must haves and make your list!

Cutting Mats:

When talking with Cricut beginners, we often find that they think they can only use Cricut brand products with their Cricut machines. While we love many Cricut products, there are some off-brand items out there that work really well too. This is especially true when it comes to cutting mats. We are huge fans of Nicapa cutting mats. They are a fraction of the cost of Cricut mats, but have worked beautifully for us consistently time after time.

Cutting Mat Comparison

EasyPress Mini:

The EasyPress Mini is our favorite of the Cricut EasyPresses. It is the most versatile one because of its size and how it’s designed, allowing you to make a wide variety of projects with it including heat transfer vinyl crafts and some small sublimation projects. It’s affordable and easy to use, making it the perfect starter heat press. We still use ours daily even with bigger presses available!

Scotch ATG (Advanced Tape Glider):

The Scotch ATG is one of the best dry adhesives we have ever found. It holds much more than those small tape runners and will serve you for a long time with your Cricut paper projects. It may look intimidating, but we promise, it’s easy to use. We even have a helpful video on how to change the tape in your ATG.

Rubbing Alcohol in a Pump Dispenser:

This pump dispenser is a game-changer. If you are applying vinyl to glass, mugs, tumblers, or anything like that with a non-porous surface, you will use this with a paper towel to clean the surface before putting the vinyl on. Having a nice clean surface, free of fingerprints and dust, makes for a longer-lasting design!

Scissors:

Scissors are a necessity for any craft room and the Tim Holtz Tonic scissors are some of our favorites when it comes to multipurpose scissors! One of the best things about these scissors is that you can loosen or tighten them based on the material you are cutting. These would not be the ones we would use for fabric, but for Cricut crafting and other general craft projects, these are ideal.

Cricut TrueControl Knife:

Of all the craft knives out there, this is hands down our favorite! Ergonomically designed with safety in mind, it feels good in your hand when you’re using it. We love how they designed it so that it won’t roll off your work surface! We use our knife to trim away excess vinyl so we can save the scraps for future projects.

Tweezers:

Having tweezers on hand when working on your Cricut projects is a great idea! We really like the Siser brand tweezers because of the firm, comfortable grip on them. In addition, if you are a paper crafter, we would recommend that you get a pair of reverse tweezers as well.

Squeegee:

A squeegee is a must in a Cricut craft room! It’s an essential tool when it comes to burnishing and applying vinyl to your blank. Squeegees are really affordable too! Some, like our Makers Gonna Learn squeegee, have grooves on them so you can use them to hold things like tumblers in place while you work on them.

Siser Easy PSV Transfer Tape:

Siser Easy PSV Transfer Tape has quickly become one of our favorite transfer tapes. If you are struggling with finding a transfer tape that works well for you, we recommend that you give this one a try.

Cricut Brayer:

This brayer works hand-in-hand with the squeegee to ensure that your materials are flat on the mat and well-adhered to your mat or blank. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a Cricut brand brayer, but we do quite like theirs. If we had to choose only one tool for burnishing, it would be the squeegee but the brayer is a nice addition to your craft toolbox.

Painters’ Tape:

Painters’ tape is essential! We use it to help secure items on the cutting mat when needed. It’s perfect for use with thicker materials to ensure they stay in place during the cutting process or whenever you’re having problems getting your materials to stick well to the mat. This can help extend the life of your mat too because even if it’s not quite sticky enough anymore, you can continue to get use out of it by adding tape.

Which of these Cricut must haves do you use?