Weddingbee Blog

Mr. Ducky likes infomercials. I’m not really sure why, but he just is extremely entertained by them and usually wants whatever they are offering. Well, one day the roles reversed when I watched an infomercial for the Cricut. It was this amazing papercutting machine that could make anything! See the video below for a quick demo of the Cricut in action:

As I watched the infomercial I could only imagine the amazing things that could be created with the Cricut. I eventually forgot about the Cricut because it was simply out of budget, and I had already spent way too much money at Michaels. Then… for my birthday, Mr. Ducky surprised me with my very own Cricut!! And it is just as awesome as the infomercial said it was! (I sound like such a craft nerd right now.) It is really easy to use, and the detail of things that it can cut out is amazing. For example, I had it cut out a cityscape and it cut out tiny little windows for all the office buildings.

There are 3 types of Cricut machines. The basic difference is the size of paper that it can cut out. I have the original and most basic Cricut. Maybe one day I’ll work up to the bigger one, but for now I am perfectly happy with the one I have. I also am not creating huge projects that would need really big shapes or letters. To use the machine, you simply load your paper onto the “sticky pad” and feed it into the machine. Then using the keypad, you select what you want it to cut out, press “start”, and your Cricut buzzes into action cutting out your selections.

With the Cricut you get cartridges, which contain all the shapes and fonts that it can cut out. For each cartridge you get a keypad and book detailing what you can cut out. You get 2 cartridges with the machine and then buy the rest separately. The types of cartridges are unlimited! There are cartridges for Disney, baby, wedding, holidays, gardening, animals, and just about everything you can think of. There are also tons of different fonts and shapes. My first cartridge I bought was the newly released Storybook cartridge. Here are the different options (shown from the Cricut website) that I can cut out using the Storybook cartridge:

For each letter/key there are 6 different “versions” I can use that change the look. So there are many more options for what to create than what’s above.

Another picture of a few possibilities:

Do you want one yet??

Since getting my Cricut I have discovered there is a whole community of “Cricuters” that share projects, ideas, and just discuss their latest crafts. If you want to get some more examples of what you can make, go to the community and explore the Cricut Message Board.

My first project with the Cricut is my “Will You Be My Bridesmaid” cards. They are not complete yet, but I am planning on giving you a peek soon. In the meantime, so that you too can be in awe of the Cricut, here are some examples of the crafts…

From Cricut SN: StampinMeg

From Cricut SN: CamilleRobinson

From Cricut SN: RachelL

From Cricut SN: Craftsmanda

There are even Cricut cartridges to make tags and boxes as you can see above. I don’t have this kind yet, so I’d be interested to hear feedback from anyone who has used them. They look super cute, though!

We are hoping to use the Cricut in some of the DIY for our wedding. Of course, I will be keeping you updated on the specifics of what those projects are. I am thinking it will be good for invitations, programs, favors, the guestbook, or any sort of signage that we need, and for adding a special touch when necessary.

So I just wanted to share with you my newest craft discovery… be on the lookout for my cards soon! Although, I am not nearly as advanced as the creators of the projects above, so go easy on me! If you have more specific questions about the Cricut let me know and I can go more in depth. I didn’t want to bore anyone with too much information.

Have you used a Cricut before? What is your favorite craft tool or discovery?