You may have heard of Cricut die-cutting machines and craft plotters, but not how they can easily slip into your hobby or business and totally transform it.
To offer a bit more insight into the brand, as well as what it has to offer for budding crafters, hobbyists and DIYers, here’s 10 reasons to get a Cricut machine.
1. You’re not alone! The Cricut Learn site is the perfect guide
From the first day you open your new Cricut machine to the most advanced applications you can think of the Cricut Learn website has something for you.
Expert courses and workshops ensure familiarity of your machine and, once you’re comfortable, you can move onto more complicated content.
It’s a one stop shop for everything Cricut.
Those who want something more local can find the Cricut Family South Africa page on Facebook.
2. The Cricut YouTube channel is an excellent resource
The official Cricut channel on YouTube has countless videos with guides, inspirations, dedicated playlists and more.
The videos and written guides on the Cricut Learn site work in partnership to help you craft.
In past years the Cricut channel has released several videos for crafts involving the holidays. See the video above which shows how to make flawless snowflake decorations for a tree.
With South Africa in the middle of Summer come Christmas decorations like this may not be available, cut Cricut owners can easily make them.
3. Make your own gifts
In the past making gifts for people was seen as a cheaper option, but with cheap manufactured items flooding the shelves of stores the homemade options has taken on its rightful place as a labour of love and the opportunity to make something vastly better than the factory produced items from overseas.
With the holiday season here soon it’s never been a better time to get crafting.
4. Cutting isn’t all Cricut machines do
Cutting isn’t all Cricut machines do While cutting tools and the ability to cut most materials to your liking is a big selling point of Cricut machines – it’s even in the name! – that is just the start of what these can do.
Different tools will allow for scoring, folding, drawing, foiling and engraving on the flagship Maker machine. The wide range of Cricut interchangeable tools allows a single machine to do it all.
5. You’re not limited to thin paper and cardboard
Another misconception about the cutting capabilities of Cricut machines is that only paper and thin cardboard can be used.
Once again swapping out tools for hardier blades mean that even certain woods, leather and cork can be cut.
6. Efficiency and speed is the name of the game
While there will always be room in hobby or business crafting for the 100 percent by hand approach, the amount of time put into certain jobs cannot be justified, especially when a big order comes in.
Cricut’s latest Maker 3 and the Explore 3 offer cutting speeds up to twice as fast as the previous generation so most jobs go by in a flash.
The faster your machine works means more time crafting and making. Everyone only has 24 hours in every day, but not everyone has a super fast Cricut machine.
7. Inhuman precision
Even those with the steady hands of a surgeon will go astray with an important cut or drawn line at some point, a worry that you don’t need to harbour with a Cricut machine.
The precision engineering and care that goes into every machine from Cricut means that the work it does will rival even veteran makers.
8. Broaden your horizon
A good tool in the arsenal of a maker isn’t just an object to complete a job, it’s an opportunity to use that tool in new ways.
The Cricut community around the world is eager to share with you and see what you have to make with these machines because no one has your ideas, and applying them to a Cricut machine only makes them better.
9. Your choice at every turn
Cricut machines come in several ranges to suit your needs, budget, space and other requirements.
The Maker, Explore and Joy family of machines all offer their own features and functions.
The accessories and tools for each machine family also means you can buy what you need as you go.
10. Now available in South Africa!
It’s the sad truth for many makers and crafters in South Africa that certain great products are simply not available locally.
This usually leaves both hobbyists and even business operators with the choice between going without or spending several times more than the cost of the items to personally import them.
This isn’t the case with Cricut machines as they are available locally with a range of machines and accessories now available for purchase at Incredible Connection.
