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What Materials Can I Cut with a Cricut Joy?

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Cricut. All opinions are 100% mine.

Did you just get a Cricut Joy? Take a look at all of the materials you can cut with a Cricut Joy + make an easy Valentine’s Day Card project!


The Cricut Joy has become one of my favorite cutting machines!  It may be small, but it’s definitely mighty!  Don’t let its size fool you!  You can literally craft anywhere with this machine!  Over the past year, I have used my Cricut Joy to make everything from labels for storage, planner stickers, vinyl projects, and even cards!  Like Cricut’s other machines, the project possibilities are basically endless with the Cricut Joy! 

If you’re new to the Cricut Joy and everything this machine can do, I’m going to give you a run down of the materials you can cut with it.  If you’re like me, one of the first things you look to buy after getting a new Cricut machine are the materials!  The Cricut Joy is pretty special because its line of cutting materials includes Smart Materials.  These products allow you to cut without a mat and can cut a 20 foot repeated cut! But if you do want to cut with a mat, there are different mats that you can use.

What Materials Can I Cut with a Cricut Joy?

 
The Cricut Joy can cut 50+ materials.  Here’s just a sampling of what this machine can cut!  You can check out the entire list of materials that can be cut with a Cricut Joy here.


Smart Materials

Vinyl


Iron-On


Paper and Cardstock

Other Materials


The Cricut Joy can also write and draw!  I’ve used this feature a number of times for projects like minimal floral coasters using Infusible Ink pens and card making.  It’s been a really tough time for all of us, so I’ve been making it a habit to send cards.  I used to love sending and receiving snail mail.  Being home all the time has definitely given me a reason to send happy mail to friends and family again! 


With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I decided to design some valentines to make with my Cricut Joy.  These designs use a mix of cutting and drawing so make sure you have some fun Cricut Joy pens to use (I used glitter gel pens)!  The designs are sized to fit the card inserts so all you have to do is draw and cut! 

How to Make Valentine’s Day Cards

 

Open up a Valentine’s Day card project in Design Space (there are three card projects that I designed linked below).  The project is already sized to fit the card so hit “Make It!”


Since we’re making a card, you’ll need to use a card mat.  Slip an insert card into the mat and select that option. 


Continuing on, make sure to select the “Insert Card – Cardstock” option for your base material. 


Load your card into the Cricut Joy and make sure you have a pen set in the clamp. Then, hit “go.” 


Once the design has been drawn, remove the pen and set the blade back into the clamp. Hit “go” again to cut the rest of the design.


When the design has finished cutting, hit “unload” to remove the mat from the Cricut Joy. 


Now you can gently pop out the cut shapes and add your insert into your card. 

SUPPLIES

STEPS

  1. Open one of the designs in Design Space.  Make sure your machine setting is set to Cricut Joy.
  2. Hit Make It and select the option “On Card Mat.”
  3. Click “continue” and select the Insert Card – Cardstock material option.  Place a card insert onto the card mat and load it into the machine.
  4. Load your pen/marker into the the clamp and hit “go.”
  5. Once the design is drawn, remove the pen/marker and load the cutting tool into the clamp. Hit “go” again.


If you want, you can jazz up your envelopes with some simple heart stickers. I just pulled a heart shape from the Design Space image library and resized it.  Then, I cut it on floral Adhesive Backed Deluxe Paper.


Now that you know how much the Cricut Joy can do, what’s the first thing you plan on making with your Cricut Joy?

Did you make any of these Valentine’s Day cards? Share them on social media using the hashtag #livinglavidadiy. Don’t forget to tag me @lavidaholoka!

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Nautical Pizza Pan Wreath

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Cricut. All opinions are 100% mine.

Turn a pizza pan into a nautical wreath for your front with this easy Nautical Pizza Pan Wreath tutorial using the Cricut Joy!  It’s an easy way to decorate your home for summer! 


My little sister and brother-in-law are in the process of moving into their first home.  It’s such an exciting time for them and I can’t wait to see the house when it’s all painted, furnished, and they’re settled.  In the meantime, I’ve been working on some easy home decor craft ideas with my sister using my Cricut Joy.  It’s such an easy machine to use when I’m doing simple crafts or even if I want to craft at my sister’s house in the future. 

I had asked her if she had a wreath for her front door.  She didn’t, so I told her I would make her one.  One of the easiest ways to decorate your home and make it feel welcome is by hanging a wreath on your front door!  My sister’s very into anchors, so we decided to make a nautical themed wreath that’s perfect for this time of year! 

How to Make a Nautical Pizza Pan Wreath

 
We decided to make a pizza pan wreath.  Pizza pans make a great base for wreaths and hanging signs since they’re a flat surface that can easily be painted and decorated with vinyl and other embellishments. 


The first thing I did was spray paint the pizza pan navy blue and let it dry overnight.  While the paint dried, I started my vinyl design in Design Space.  Instead of a wreath that said “welcome” on it, my sister wanted her wreath to say “ahoy.”  Super cute, right?  So I made sure I got Cricut Joy vinyl in nautical, beachy colors.  


We decided on using silver shimmer vinyl for the anchor, white vinyl for the wording, and teal from the Beachside Sampler to make the “o” in “ahoy” a ship wheel instead. 



I was able to apply the anchor and ship wheel without transfer tape. But since the lettering was in two pieces, I applied it to the pan with transfer tape.  Then, I carefully peeled it off so I didn’t take any of the paint with it.  


Once all of my vinyl was applied, I added some nautical rope around the edge of the pan, creating a loop at the top for hanging. Then, I covered the ends of the rope with a burlap bow.

SUPPLIES

STEPS

  1. Spray paint the front of the pizza pan navy blue.  Allow it to dry overnight. 
  2. Open the Nautical Pizza Pan Wreath Project in Design Space.  Resize, if necessary.  Then, click “make it.”
  3. Follow the directions to make each color vinyl without a mat.  
  4. Starting with the anchor, weed the design and place it in the center of the pizza pan (use Transfer Tape, if desired).
  5. Follow by adding “ahoy!” centered across the anchor.
  6. Then, add the ship wheel in place of the “o.”
  7. Measure nautical rope around the edge of the pizza pan.  Glue it in place using a hot glue gun.  Make sure to leave a loop unglued at the top for hanging.
  8. Once the glue has dried completely, you can hang your new wreath! 


Using the Cricut Joy makes it easy to swap between different colors of Cricut Smart Materials without using a mat.  Just plug in the machine, load your first vinyl color, and cut!  Most personalized projects can be done in 15 minutes or less! 

The Cricut Joy is small and portable making it easy to craft anywhere!  Even on-the-go!  Just pack up some vinyl and use the Design Space app to create your next home decor design! 


Did you make this Nautical Pizza Pan Wreath? Share it on social media using the hashtag #livinglavidadiy. Don’t forget to tag me @lavidaholoka!

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Everything You Need to Know About the Cricut Maker

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Cricut. All opinions are 100% mine.

If you’re interested in getting a Cricut Maker, learn all about this amazing machine, the tools it uses, materials it can cut, projects you can make, and so much more!

Spending more time at home has meant spending more time working on projects and investing in new tools and craft supplies. I have been getting a lot of questions lately about my Cricut machines and the Cricut Maker, in particular. So today, I wanted to answer some of these questions for you!

Let me just say that I would recommend this machine to anyone! I started my Cricut journey with the Explore Air 2, but the Maker can do so much more! Just like Cricut’s other machines, the Maker is used alongside Design Space to create beautiful crafts with different materials and cutting tools.

Is a Cricut Maker worth the price?

The Cricut Maker is currently $369.99 and, in my opinion, worth every penny! I have done so much with this machine from making home decor, holiday decorations, and even making gifts for family and friends! It’s an investment, but once you start to create with it, you’ll find it’s worth the cost. I use my Maker all the time!

Besides the purchase of this amazing machine, you’ll also get access to Design Space – Cricut’s program that allows you to create and customize thousands of projects through their collection of images, shapes, text, and more (you can even upload your own designs and fonts).

If you’re just getting started on your Cricut journey, you might want to consider purchasing a bundle. You’ll not only get the Maker machine, but a variety of blades, mats, tools you’ll need to get crafting!

What makes the Maker different from other Cricut machines?

The Cricut Maker is different than other Cricut machines because of its cutting capabilities. The Maker can cut over 300 different materials with 10x the strength of Cricut’s other machines.

It also has an adaptive tool system that allows you to easily switch between pens and different tools. The gears that you see on top of the cutting tools allow them to move in every direction possible for precise, clean cuts! You can even buy tools to engrave, deboss, score, and more! Seriously – once you buy one tool, you’ll want to keep adding to your collection!

And just like Cricut’s other machines, the Maker is easy to use, taking you step-by-step through every project you make!

What materials can I cut?

What I really love about my Cricut Maker is the ability to cut so many different materials! I’ve cut everything from vinyl, paper, leather, and even wood! This is just a small sampling of the materials you can cut with the Maker!

The list goes on! I’m always amazed at how effortlessly my Maker can cut through different materials! If you love sewing, this machine can cut plenty of patterns and fabric for sewing projects. Paper crafts are made with ease (I love making homemade cards and gift tags!). And if you love wood crafts, like I do, there are different types of wood you can cut with this machine!

What I wish I knew when I got my Cricut Maker

Knowing how much the Cricut Maker could do, I was honestly a little intimidated by it at first. Don’t be! Just like Cricut’s other machines, it’s so easy to set up. I was nervous to jump into my first project – that wasn’t a simple vinyl or paper craft – but there are plenty of tutorials online to help you get started. Just wait until you go down that rabbit hole of fun projects!

I honestly wish I knew how much I’d be using different tools because I probably would have invested in different tips to begin with. Once you have the QuickSwap™ Drive Housing, you can easily swap out tips to make working on projects even easier! I also wish I had invested in different mat types and sizes. The StandardGrip mat is great for most projects, but the StrongGrip mat is great for projects made with heavier materials.

Like these garden stakes I recently made! You’ll need a knife blade, basswood, black fine point pen, and a StrongGrip mat. I usually tape down the sides of my wood to secure it a little better even though the mat has a good grip on it.

These stakes took no time to make! First, the quotes were drawn onto them with the pen and then cut with the knife blade. If you want to easily make your own, just open the garden stake project I created in Design Space and follow the steps to make this simple Cricut craft!

Want to see what else you can make with the Cricut Maker? Check out these other projects I’ve made!

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Do you have a Cricut Maker? If not, is there anything else that you’d like to know about this machine?

Five Ways to Get Organized with Cricut Joy

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Cricut. All opinions are 100% mine.

Make spring cleaning and organizing a breeze with these 5 easy ways to get organized with Cricut Joy and Smart Materials!


Have you been doing a lot more cleaning and organizing lately? Not only is it spring cleaning time, but spending more time indoors has given me the itch to straighten up and get things in order around here! So far, I’ve gotten rid of clutter in the attic, reorganized closets and cabinets, and did some deep cleaning around the house. I also managed to add some labels to storage thanks to my new Cricut Joy!

The Cricut Joy is Cricut’s newest cutting machine. It’s light and portable so you can craft anywhere! This compact machine gives you the option of using mats thanks to Cricut’s line of Smart Materials that come in extended sizes with up to a 20 foot repeated cut capability! The projects are endless with this little machine that can do so much (including making cards)!


The Cricut Joy recently helped me get organized around the house. I was able to carry the machine from room-to-room – even the kitchen – and just had to plug it in! In no time at all, I made labels for baking ingredients, labels for craft supplies, and even made planner stickers to motivate me to use my planner more!

Just like Cricut’s other machines, you can also write with Cricut Joy! There’s an entire collection of Cricut Joy pens to write in a variety of styles and colors! The ability to write made it even easier to get some of my storage labeled! Take a look at these five simple projects to help you get organized with Cricut Joy!

Five Ways to Get Organized with Cricut Joy

 

Label ingredients in the kitchen

I’ve been doing a bit more baking than usual lately and stocking up on ingredients like nuts and chocolate chips when I can. To keep these ingredients fresh and within easy reach, I stored them in airtight plastic containers and made labels for them.

Personalize mail bins in the office

In our home office, we have three separate mail bins. The first bin is where we keep new mail or mail addressed to both of us, the second bin is for my mail, and the last bin is for my husband’s mail. Every once in a while, a piece of my husband’s mail ends up in my bin, or my husband ends up opening something of mine that ended up in his bin. Adding “his,” “hers,” and “ours” labels lessens the confusion.

Organize craft supplies

A few months ago, I bought small, plastic containers to sort some of my craft supplies. Since the containers are out in the open, I wanted to add labels to them that looked simple and clean. So I used the Smart Label Writable Vinyl to cut labels and also use a Cricut Joy pen to write what was being stored in each container.

Organize the bathroom closet

Our bathroom closet was a bit of a mess before I got to organize it. We have cleaning products, hair products, towels, and all of my skincare and makeup stored in there. I was able to stick some labels on my storage to designate space for my hair ties, nail polish, and makeup. It’s made it way easier to find what I’m looking for while keeping the space neat and organized!

Make planner stickers

Each day kind of blends into the next lately, so I wanted to make sure I was making use out of my planner. The easiest way to motivate myself to use my planner is with new planner stickers! I cut some simple designs, like flags and check marks, out of Adhesive Backed Deluxe Paper in pretty floral and striped designs.

How to Make Kitchen Storage Labels

 


1. Open the pantry labels project in Design Space. Go through the labels and delete the labels you won’t be using.


2. Resize the labels, if necessary, and change the color, if desired.


3. Once it’s time to cut, you’ll be prompted to choose a mat option. I have been cutting without a mat for most projects.


4. The last thing to do is get your material loaded and hit go!


5. Then, peel and stick the label with transfer tape onto the storage container of your choice.

How to Make Writable Storage Labels

 


1. Open the Craft Supplies Labels project in Design Space or search for a label shape in images.


2. Resize and duplicate the image as many times as needed.


3. Then, choose a font style making sure it’s set to “writing.” This lets the Cricut Joy know you want to use a pen with this project. Type in each label space, then send to cut.


4. Review your labels. Then, follow the prompts on screen to set each tool for writing and cutting.


5. The ink dries pretty fast, but I usually allow a little time for it to dry completely. Then, you can peel and stick the labels easily without transfer tape.

How to Make Planner Stickers

 


1. Open the planner stickers project in Design Space or search for images and shapes you would like to use as stickers.


2. I chose a simple flag and check mark design. Then, I resized and duplicated the images and changed the color of each shape to reflect the color paper I was using.


3. I used a Light Grip Mat for this project, so I selected that option to load my materials.


4. Then, I cut each color as prompted.


5. Finally, I trimmed my stickers and peeled off the excess paper to make small sticker sheets to keep in my planner.


If getting the house organized is next on your spring cleaning list, keep the Cricut Joy in mind for easy labeling! The Cricut Joy and Cricut Joy materials are now available online and in-store. Learn more about this impressive, little machine on Cricut.com!

Did you get organized with any of these Cricut Joy ideas? Share on social media using the hashtag #livinglavidadiy. Don’t forget to tag me @lavidaholoka!

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