#How to use Cricut machine

[cricutmaker01]

How to Make Keychains With Cricut (Complete Guide)

This year, I am getting a golden chance to change my status from beginner to expert by learning how to make keychains with Cricut. Next week my sister is going to blow out the candles by celebrating her 18th birthday. Not only that, but we are also excited about her birthday as she is about to enter adulthood and explore the real world. And nothing can beat the idea of making a DIY keychain for her special day.

Being her elder sister, I am planning to give her a present that she will cherish all her life. For the past few days, I’ve been doing a lot of research by reading references. It helped me as I got to know everything, which made my work much easier. In today’s tutorial, I am going to empower you by providing information on designing this craft.

Step 1: Create a Keychain Design in the Cricut App

Being an enthusiastic learner, start the process by opening Cricut Design Space on your system. After that, choose the Images icon present under the Menu section of your designing software canvas. Next, choose your favorite image from the library visible on your system screen.

Following this, modify the design of your keychain by changing its dimensions depending on the measurement of your keychain blank. Now, tick the Monogram box, as they are an ideal choice for making the keychains look great. Besides, you will also have the chance to change the color of your keychain design. You can change by choosing the color by opening the Color panel. Following this, you can also add different colors to any design and then attach them by selecting the Attach option. Then, tap on Make It, and you will land on the mat preview page.

Since you are going to use vinyl material, click the Without Mat and press the Continue option. Afterward, review your artwork on each of the mats and choose the Continue to Cut box visible at the bottom right side of the page.

Step 2: Cut and Weed Out Vinyl

In addition to the process, take your Cricut weeding tool and remove the extra material from the Cricut cutting mat. Following this, delete the protective sheet from both sides of the keychain blank.

Step 3: Apply Vinyl on Your Keychain Blank

While performing this step, remove the brush stroke design from the mat and place the sticky part of the vinyl on the back side of the blank. Now, take the scraper tool and gently move it on the design. After that, cover the monogram design on the front side of the blank with the Cricut supplies.

Follow the same by applying the vinyl on both sides of the blank with the help of a scraper tool along with Cricut transfer tape as well. Ensure that you are applying both materials accurately.

Step 4: Assemble All the Materials

Step 5: Seal Vinyl on the Blank

In addition to this method, cover your hands to secure your hands with gloves and pour UV resin in the center of your vinyl. Then, take a popsicle stick and cover the whole area of the blank. Ensure that you cover the whole area of the blank, not just the vinyl. Afterward, save the stick covered in the resin at the end.

After setting up the vinyl with UV resin, unbox your heat gun and apply heat on the whole design equally. Give your best by covering up the whole blank during the heating process, and after it’s done, instantly turn it off. Afterward, move on to the next process of how to make keychains with Cricut.

Now, it is time to cure the remaining bubbles by putting them under UV light and setting the time to 60 seconds. Next, place the light on top of both the blank as well as a stick, and once the process is complete, remove the UV light. You need to follow the same process of using the heat gun and placing UV light on the back of the keychain.

Step 6: Reveal Your Final Cricut Keychain

In the final step of how to make keychains with Cricut, keep your final do-it-yourself craft on a flat surface or nearby table. After that, you can utilize this craft by hanging it on your bag chain and showing it off to your friends. Other than that, you can also give them as a part of a present or return them to your friends, family members or close ones while celebrating any event.

Won’t you agree that it was one of the amazing activities to learn something new that can help you work by brushing up your crafting skills?

Final Words

I personally enjoy creating this personal craft by using compatible Cricut products during the cutting & applying process. However, I must carry the supplies that will assist me in forming this craft as per my choice. Apart from preparing by using vinyl & UV resin, you can make DIY keychains out of wood, plastic, acrylic, and many more. By taking the help of all these steps, you can surely make this specific craft within a few minutes without making any serious mistakes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions: Can I Become a Business Person by Selling DIY Keychains?

Answer: Yes, you can surely start your own business by designing handmade keychains with Cricut products. However, you must ensure that you carry all the compatible supplies with you and must know the DIYer’s expectations. Other than that, you should also assemble all the materials in their correct place and finish the crafting process by taking the correct steps.

Question: How to Clean Cricut Keychains?

Answer: It’s pretty obvious that your keychain will get dirty after some time, but there are a few methods that can keep it clean. The methods are:

Clean your keychain with baby wipes on a regular basis, at least once a week.

You can also try to clean it by placing it under the lukewarm water and cleaning the water with a smooth cloth.

Question: How Long Do Cricut DIY Keychains Last?

Answer: The customized Cricut keychains are scratch-resistant, water-resistant, and heat-resistant. It surely means that the design placed on the blank will remain for a longer period of time and won’t wear out easily. Other than that, it entirely depends upon the user how they are taking care of the keychain.

Source: Make Keychains With Cricut

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How to Use Cricut Machine to Make Your First DIY Project?

My lovely readers welcome back to my other blog on how to use Cricut machine. I am Amy William, a homemaker, and an experienced crafter. Managing both home and business at the same time is not an easy task. However, with the support of my family members, I was able to pursue my passion and become financially independent.

I have been using the Cricut machine for the past four years and have created many DIY projects. The projects not only helped me brush up on my skills but also helped me expand my business. My son recently bought a Cricut cutting machine, and now he is asking me a lot of questions about the machine. So, in this post, I will teach my son how to use a Cricut machine and guide you by sharing the basic information related to Cricut.

How to Setup Cricut Machine on Your Computer?

As a writer of this blog, I must ensure that you are aware of the setup process before knowing about how to use Cricut machine. With an aim to create different kinds of customized crafts, all the users must know about the setup process. In order to learn about the setup process, you need to read the details given below:

First, I will plug in the machine with the compatible socket and then switch it on.

Second, I will connect my Cricut product with a USB cord or pair it up with Bluetooth.

Third, I am going to download and install Design Space on my PC (Windows/ Mac).

Alt Text: Download the Cricut software for your system

After the installation, I will follow the on-screen instructions and set up the machine.

Lastly, I will get to know about the completion of setup when called for a test cut.

Following the successful setup of the craft machine, I will be capable enough to create my first do-it-yourself project out of this Cricut product.

How to Use Cricut Machine for Creating Custom Cards?

Are you keen to learn about how to use a Cricut machine and want to try your first personalized project? If yes! Then you should surely give this section a shot. In this part, I’ve shared one of the simplest and easiest crafts that I am going to make you aware of with this craft machine.

Step 1: Set up the Cricut App & Create Your Design

First, I will open the Cricut app and sign in by filling in your login credentials.

Alt Text: Enter your Cricut ID & password to sign in

Second, I am going to press the New Project and choose a shape from the Shapes panel.

Now, I am going to choose a Heart shape and then resize it as per my choice.

Alt Text: Select the Heart shape from the Shapes panel

Next, I will right-click and tick the Duplicate option and move the identical ones to each other.

Alt Text: Duplicate the shapes

After doing that, change the shape sizes by changing the size from the drop-box given under the Size panel.

Alt Text: Change your shape size from the Size panel

Following this, tap the Make It button and adjust your design on the mat as per your choice.

After doing that, I will proceed to the next step, which is to choose the compatible material.

Step 2: Choose the Material and Cut It

After doing that, I will press the Continue box and choose the material by clicking Browse all materials.

Now, I will select the material of your choice from the list appearing on your screen.

Alt Text: Select material of your choice for your project

In addition, I am now going to stick your material on the cutting mat and load it onto your craft material.

Alt Text: Insert your Cricut mat into your craft machine

After the cutting process of how to Cricut machine comes to an end, I will instantly unload the material from the cutting mat.

Step 3: Complete Your Paper Card

Further unloading the mat from my Cricut product, I will start removing my design using the weeding tool.

Alt Text: Use the weeding tool and remove your design

Following this, remove the leftover material from the mat.

Next, I will cover my cutting mat with a plastic protective sheet and reuse it while creating new projects.

Alt Text: Cover your Cricut mat with a plastic protective sheet

Now, I will place a double-sided tape at the back of my heart-shaped design and then turn it over.

Furthermore, I will take another cardstock, cover it with adhesive, and then place the card above it.

After doing that, leave it for a few minutes and let both the materials stick with each other properly without any bubbles.

At last, my aim to make you and my son learn about how to use Cricut machine to create a custom card has come to an end.

Alt Text: Finally, your Cricut customized card Now, you tell me, wasn’t it simple and fun to learn about how to use a Cricut machine? It’s crystal clear that sharing with you all the significant details about this Cricut product will encourage you to be more creative. However, there are many projects that I have made out of my craft machine for my buyers and home. But don’t worry, as I will keep you updated by sharing them on my blog.

[quill-of-thoth]

History PSA for writing: prior to at minimum the mid to VERY LATE 1800's most things were made, or at least finished, by hand! If you have a character inspecting furniture in... for example fantasy ancient china... or the english regency... or fucking pseudomedieval times... marveling that they wouldn't have guessed something was made by hand, you have fucked up as an author on the research front.

[danceintheskies]

I would be so unstoppable with a sticker printer. my local library has a cricut machine but I don't get the time to visit very often

[cricutcreate]

How to Use a Cricut Explore 3: Easy Tutorial for Beginners

Learning how to use a Cricut Explore 3 is important in order to complete any project with this machine. The Cricut Explore 3 is a versatile cutting and crafting tool that can cut more than 100 materials, like paper, cardstock, vinyl, iron-on, fabric, leather, wood, and many more. With the help of these materials, you can work on a variety of craft projects. If you do not know how to use this machine, read this blog to learn everything you need to know.

To use this Cricut machine, you need to do certain things. You will have to connect your machine to a computer and download the Cricut Design Space app. This app will help you manage your projects and make the most of your machine. So, let’s start with the tools and supplies you will need for your project.

Tools and Materials for Using Your Cricut Explore 3

Before learning how to use a Cricut Explore 3, you should know about the supplies you will need for your DIY project. What supplies you will need depends on the project you are working on. Here, we are going to talk about using a Cricut machine to cut material to make a beautiful butterfly. You will need the following supplies on your machine:

How to Use a Cricut Explore 3 for Making a Project?

Once you know about all the supplies you will need for your project, you can move towards working on it. So, these are the steps you have to follow:

Step 1: Create a Design in Cricut Software

The first step is to create a design on the Cricut Design Space app. It offers many features that you can use to make your design. The first option you have is you can pick any design from the thousands of options you have. The other option is to create your own design by clicking on the New Project section on Canvas. You have one more option: you can choose any design from your computer and upload it to the software. After that, you can use that image for your project. Once your design is ready, you can move on to the next step.

Step 2: Load Your Material

When you have selected a design, and then load the material on your machine. To do this, you must take the material and put it on the cutting mat. Next, place the mat inside your machine and press the Load button on the machine.

Step 3: Select the Material

When learning how to use a Cricut Explore 3, the next step is to select your material on the Design Space app. Afterward, go to the app and select the material you will use to cut on your machine.

Step 4: Cut Your Design on Your Cricut Machine

Once you have selected the material on the app, you can cut the design. To do so, you will need to click on Make It. The machine will cut the design in the exact shape that you have selected on the Cricut software.

Step 5: Unload Your Material and Reveal Butterflies

Once the material is cut, you have to unload it and remove it from the Explore machine. Then, you have to weed the design from the material. You can use a weeding tool for that. When the design is out, you have to glue it to the canvas, and your beautiful butterfly is ready to beautify your room.

Conclusion

In short, I am sure you have learned how to use a Cricut Explore 3. With this machine, you can create many DIY projects like cards, flowers, coasters, keychains, etc. In this blog, you learned how to make a beautiful butterfly by using your cutting machine. To complete your project, you must know about the essential supplies you will need and the basic process. Reading this blog, you understand how the Cricut machine works, and now you can create any project you want.

FAQs

Can I Use Cricut Explore 3 as a Beginner?

For sure! Cricut Explore 3 is an easy-to-use machine, and it is great for beginners to learn how to use it. This machine allows you to cut more than 100 materials, like paper, cards, and many other projects. If you want to use the machine, you will have to do a few things, like connecting it to your device and downloading the Design Space software.

How Do I Set Up Cricut Explore 3?

To work with this machine, you will have to complete the setup. For the setup, you will have to do the following things:

How Can I Connect Cricut to My Computer via Bluetooth?

To connect your computer to the machine via Bluetooth, you will have to do the following things:

Visit: install cricut design space app

www.cricut.com setup login

Source: https://cricutmakermachines.com/how-to-use-a-cricut-explore-3-easy-tutorial-for-beginners/

[nigel-haseldine-1993]

Cricut for Beginners - Do you have a new Cricut Machine? Learn how to use your new Cricut TODAY! Fast and easy tutorials that will get you started now.

[cricutdesignspaceforwindows]

How to Use Cricut Maker: Create a Siser Easy Color DTV Project!

Have you just bought a new Cricut Maker and are wondering how to use Cricut Maker? This brilliant Cricut machine may be overwhelming for beginners, but it is simpler than you think. You get many amazing features with this crafting machine. Let’s get ready to use it and make creative DIY projects with it. I will tell you how to prepare a desired project using this Cricut cutting machine.

Cricut Maker offers various adaptive features that help you create unique and beautiful projects effortlessly. Plus, you get a slot for inserting pens and a number of Cricut tools and supplies. It will be all fun to create something with this ultimate machine. Here, I’ll tell you the best methods to prepare personalized apparel using Siser EasyColor DTV. You’ll learn more about it later in this blog. So, let’s get started.

Supplies and Tools You Will Need for Your Cricut Project

Before we get started to learn how to use Cricut Maker, you must gather some important accessories. I’m listing all of the best accessories here. Use them and follow my step-by-step instructions to create your own project. Check the steps below.

● Brand new Cricut Maker or Explore

● Siser EasyColor DTV

● Siser Easy Mask

● An inkjet printer

● Cricut StandardGrip mat

● A weeding tool

● A Cricut EasyPress

● A Cricut scraper tool

Let me tell you what a Siser EasyColor DTV is. It is an iron-on vinyl type that is typically used on lighter blanks such as garments, T-shirts, etc. This unique vinyl is very convenient and useful for creating better designs and sublimation projects. Let’s check the complete method to create the best project.

How to Use Cricut Maker to Make Personalized Apparel?

Finally, we are here to learn the process of creating personalized T-shirts. So, before we move on to the final steps, measure your blank so that you can create an appropriate design. So, let’s check how to use Cricut Maker for beginners.

Step 1: Upload an SVG File to Cricut Design Space

In the first and foremost step, you’ll need to upload your SVG design file to the Cricut software. If you want, you can create a design manually as well. Once you’re ready, just resize your design and make it fit to your blank.

As you’ll have to print this image, ensure that your Cricut machine will recognize it as a printable file and not a file to be cut. To ensure this, choose your image and hit the Flatten option beneath the Layers Panel.

After that, your Cricut machine will show a preview of the image. When you’re ready, just click the Make It button. And now, this design will go through a Print Then Cut feature. To access it, hit the Continue button.

In the next step, you’re allowed to send that image to your inkjet printer and select the paper type you want to print on. I prefer specialty matte. You can select one based on your printer. Get ready with your printer and insert the Siser EasyColor DTV into it.

Step 2: Start Cutting the Siser EasyColor DTV

In the following step, you’ll need to cut your material. On your Cricut machine, select your material as Premium Vinyl Permanent Glossy and set the pressure to More using the drop-down menu.

Next, load your vinyl material on the Cricut mat at the left-side corner and make it stick to the mat using a brayer tool. Now, load the mat with vinyl into the Cricut machine and hit the Play button to allow your Cricut to cut the image. Continue with the steps to learn how to use Cricut Maker.

Once the cut is done, take off the paper sheet from your mat, turn the mat over, and take the mat away from your DTV. Please note that you don’t have to peel off the DTV from the mat. You can also use a pair of scissors to cut the design if necessary.

Step 3: Weed Out the Excess Vinyl

Once you cut your design, you should weed out the excess vinyl from your design. Do this carefully, so that your design doesn’t ruin. This step will add more detail to your project.

Step 4: Cover Your Image With a Mask

Moving forward, cut your mask to the size of your design. Now, take off the transparent film from the mask and then apply the mask alone to your DTV image. Moreover, ensure that the final design is flat and that there are no air gaps between the mask and the design.

Step 5: Transfer Your Design to Apparel

This design is so amazing; I love making it. This is how to use Cricut Maker to reap good results. All the best to all of you who are keen to make something unique and precise.

FAQs

How to Use a Cricut Maker to Make Shirts?

To create a shirt with your Cricut cutting machine, you’ll need to use the Cricut Design Space and a heating press to create a desired design. Get started with the Cricut software, make a design, resize it, and then print and cut it with your Cricut machine. Now, weed away the excess vinyl, and then preheat it with your Cricut heat press, and give a final heat to it.

Which Heat Press Is Suitable for Making an Iron-on Cricut Project?

As there are many options to create an iron-on Cricut project, you can use any of them depending on your requirements. So, the common machines are Cricut EasyPress, Cricut EasyPress 2 & 3, Cricut EasyPress Mini, etc. You can utilize a heat press to transfer the design to your apparel effortlessly.

Can You Use Regular Iron With a Cricut Machine?

Yes, you can. A regular iron is also effective for your minimalist iron-on projects. However, a regular iron may not deliver the results you want and not give a permanent design. Overall, we can say you can use a household iron for normal, sensitive projects but not for complex projects.

Read more: install cricut design space app

cricut.com/setup

cricut.com/setup mac

Source: How to Use Cricut Maker

[cricutnewmachinesetup]

How to Use a Cricut Joy: Quick and Easy Guide

A few days ago, I went to my cousin’s house and saw a new Cricut Joy collecting dust in the corner. Being a crafter myself, I couldn’t resist asking her why. She replied that she was confused about how to use it. With a smile, I offered to help. From unboxing the machine to setting it up, I guided her through each step, even teaching her how to create her first project.

Then, I realized that some beginners may not have even opened the box and could use my assistance. That’s why I have prepared this guide for you all. Just like I helped my cousin, I will tell you how to use a Cricut Joy from scratch. However, it is necessary to follow this guide till the end because every piece of information is important for using your Cricut Joy.

Step 1: Unboxing the Cricut Joy

If you have already unboxed your Cricut Joy machine, you can continue to the second step below. If not, let’s take a look at what you’ll find inside the box:

Welcome card

Cricut Joy machine

Power adapter

Fine Point pen (0.4 mm)

StandardGrip mat

Sample of smart vinyl

Around 50 pre-made projects

Free Cricut Access for 30 days

Step 2: Setting up Your Cricut Joy Machine

Setting up a Cricut Joy is a crucial step in learning how to use a Cricut Joy machine effectively. Let’s start by setting up the machine first.

Prepare Your Cricut Cutting Machine

Place the Cricut Joy machine on a flat and clean surface near the electric outlet.

Assemble the machine’s power cord and insert one end into the machine and the other end into the electrical outlet.

After that, turn the power button on, and a light will illuminate the machine.

Connecting a Cricut Joy to Your Computer

The Cricut Joy does not have a USB cord, so you have to connect the cutting machine to a computer via Bluetooth.

Turn on the Cricut Joy machine 10–15 feet away from your desktop computer.

Next, locate the Bluetooth option, turn it on, and wait for the computer to detect your machine.

Now, select Cricut Joy from the list, and if asked for a PIN, enter 0000 and hit Connect.

Downloading and Installing Cricut Design Space

Downloading and installing Design Space on your desktop computer is necessary to complete the process of how to use a Cricut Joy machine.

Go to cricut.com/setup, agree to Cricut’sterms and conditions, and download the file.

After downloading Design Space, locate the file you see on the screen and install it.

Once the software is installed, launch it, create a Cricut ID and password, and sign in.

Note: If you want to access Cricut Joy from mobile (Android or iOS), download the Cricut app from the Play Store or App Store.

Adding Your Cricut Joy Machine in Design Space

Once you have installed and signed into the Cricut software, it’s time to set up the Cricut Joy. To do this, launch the Cricut software, click on the drop-down menu, and select New Machine Setup > Cricut Cutting Machine > Cricut Joy. Also, make sure the connection is established.

Step 3: Using a Cricut Joy to Make a Project

You will need to cut vinyl with Cricut Joy to personalize a wooden tissue holder. Here’s what you need for this project:

Cricut smart vinyl

Unfinished wooden tissue box

Cricut Joy machine

Computer or transfer tape

Design

Create a Design in Design Space

Open the Cricut Design app and select the New Project tab.

After that, use the Text function and a text and change its font.

Once you have the design ready to cut, click the Make It option to move on to the next page.

Then, select the mat page. There is no need to mirror this project. Click Continue.

From the All Browse Material option, search for vinyl and select it as a material.

Now, load the green vinyl into Cricut Joy without using a mat.

Cut & Weed Out the Vinyl Design

Once everything is ready, go back to Design Space and hit Continue to begin cutting.

Once the machine completes cutting, it automatically stops. Now, unload the smart vinyl and weed out unwanted designs.

Next, cut the transfer tape to the size of the vinyl and apply it to the design.

Apply Your Design

Frequently Asked Questions

What can you make using a Cricut Joy?

Cricut Joy is a smart, compact, and portable machine that can be used to create different projects. Below, I have listed some of the Cricut Joy projects.

Vinyl mug

Greeting cards

DIY pillow

Leather earrings

Wall art

Tumblers

Cake toppers

Stickers

Labels

Banners

T-shirts

Jewelry

How does Cricut Joy work?

The Cricut machine works with the user-friendly Cricut Design Space or Cricut Joy app. Users need to install one of these and start a project. Also, the Cricut Joy connects to devices via Bluetooth. Once everything is set up, the user designs it and sends it to the machine. Finally, the Cricut Joy will cut or write according to the selected settings.

Do I need a computer to use a Cricut Joy?

That’s not necessarily true; you can also use your mobile device to use Cricut Joy. All you need is a device where you can download and install Cricut Design Space to command the Cricut machine. However, all of this can also be done from a mobile phone or tablet. So, it depends on the user’s preference and their comfort level.

Conclusion

The Cricut Joy is a beginner-friendly crafting tool that is compact yet versatile. Setting up the Cricut Joy and learning how to use it may not be too difficult for beginners. I have discussed everything in detail in the blog post above. If you followed the instructions exactly, you can now use your Cricut Joy without any hassle.

Read more: install cricut design space app

cricut.com/setup

cricut.com/setup mac

Cricut New Machine Setup

Source: how to use a Cricut Joy

[cricutmaker3]

Cricut Joy: Your Guide to Compact Crafting Delight

Cricut Inc. has launched a ton of cutting machines for crafters, but the Cricut Joy is one of my favorite models. This small, compact, and portable tool hit the market in 2020. Don’t judge this mini machine, as it can cut 50+ different materials from delicate paper to artboard.

I have been using this Cricut machine for the past 7 months, and there’s no way I’m going back from it now. Of course, I am now obsessed with it and love to create countless customized crafts from it. As an expert, I will lead you to the right path to learning all you need to know about this Cricut Joy cutting machine.

What Are the Salient Features of Cricut Joy?

Before including this crafting machine in the craft room, it’s evident for me to ensure that you are well aware of this Cricut model. After I will make you across the features, you get to make a clear picture of what precisely the Cricut Joy machine is.Without wasting any more time, let’s begin by learning about its features:

To begin, this craft plotter is smaller in size and lightweight compared to the Explore and Maker series. Due to this reason, it gets easier to store in a tight place without damaging its corners.

Since it is lightweight, it gets easier to carry it anywhere, either while going on a trek or going to someone’s home. Now, to keep it safe while traveling, you can keep it inside its tote bag.

In addition, this Cricut Joy comes with fewer supplies, making it easier for the DIYer to transform their DIY creative ideas into the real world.

Equally important, it supports Smart Materials, which means that you won’t need any cutting mat while using this material.

On the other hand, this craft plotter has its app, known as the Cricut Joy app, which helps the user connect mobile devices with this machine via Bluetooth feature.

After grabbing this Cricut cutting machine’s essential features, it is time to make you learn about how you can use Cricut Joy to create a do-it-yourself project.

Easy Guide: How to Use Cricut Joy?

Further adding to the blog, I am going to make you learn about how to utilize this cutting machine and create a personalized project of your choice. Let’s begin the process of how to use the Cricut Joy by going through the below steps:

Step 1: Open the Cricut Joy App and Choose a Design

First, I will turn on my mobile device and open the app. In case you don’t have the app, then get it for free from the App Store or Play Store.

After opening the app, I am going to press the Start option given under the Quick Labels section.

Now, press the Start Making button, select the label of your choice, and tap the Next option.

Next, I will change the size of your label and enter the text inside the Enter Text blank.

After making the necessary modifications, tick the Next option given on the top right side of a new page.

Step 2: Load the Material to Your Cricut Joy

Now, I am going to select the compatible materials from the Select Material screen.

Following this, press the Make It button appearing on the right side of your Cricut Joy app.

Afterward, unbox your smart material and gently insert it inside your machine.

Next, connect your craft plotter with your mobile phone via Bluetooth and wait till the wireless connection process is going on.

Step 3: Start the Cutting Process

After the connection process comes to an end, I will insert the pen inside the clamp and Cricut Joy.

Now, turn on the craft plotter, and it will begin to draw the label on the smart material.

Following the completion of drawing the design, I will remove the pen and again insert the blade in the same clamp.

Next, I will press the Go button on the app to proceed toward the final step.

After the drawing and cutting process will come to an end, I am going to unload the mat slowly.

Step 4: Peel Off Your Design

After unloading the mat from the craft plotter, I will cut the extra mat using a Cricut scissor and save it for future projects.

Now, I will peel off the final design from the cutting mat and place it in the center of your jar in a proper alignment.

Lastly, I am going to use a scraper tool to get rid of any bubbles or wrinkles on the label.

Summing up this post, as an expert, it was my responsibility to introduce you to the Cricut Joy machine as well as its features and how it works. By considering the above-said details, it will likely get more straightforward for you to access this cutting machine and create different personalized projects within minutes.

Final Words

Through this blog, I covered most of the things that were helpful in learning more about this craft plotter. This ultra-compact smart cutting machine can make fun and functional projects within 15 minutes or less. Besides, the Cricut Joy is compatible with all materials as well as Smart Materials. Some of the famous DIYers love to make various projects out of this craft plotter.

For more information visit: cricut.com/setup joy cricut maker setup download cricut design space

Source: Cricut Joy

[makernewmachine]

How to Use a Cricut Mug Press? [A Comprehensive Guide]

Are you curious to learn how to use a Cricut Mug Press? Well, this guide explores everything you need to know about the use of this machine. With this ultimate guide, you will be ready to use the Cricut Mug Press easily without anyone’s help. However, the Cricut Mug Press is a perfect choice for people who want to create a customized mug with pro quality.

This fantastic tool is compatible with markers, pens, and Infusible Ink transfer sheets. You also need a Cricut Design Space to create a design that can be further cut on the Cricut cutting machine. Moreover, you will need different materials, such as HTV and Infusible ink, to get desirable designs on mugs. After that, we will learn the process of using the Mug Press with step-by-step instructions. Let’s dive into it.

Step 1: Supplies You Need to Use Cricut Mug Press

Before learning how to use a Cricut Mug Press, you first need to know the requirements of supplies. These supplies are essential for using the Cricut Mug Press.

A desktop or laptop for setting up your Mug Press.

You can use any Cricut machine (Maker series, Explore series, and Joy).

Cricut Blank Ceramic Mug

Lint Roller

Butcher Paper

EasyPress mat or heat-resistant surface.

Infusible Ink Transfer Sheets and Infusible Ink Markers/Pens.

Oven Glove

Heat Resistant Tape

Laser copy paper

Step 2: Set Up Your Cricut Mug Press

In order to learn how to use a Cricut Mug Press, you must know about the Cricut Mug Press setup.

Follow the steps carefully to set up the Cricut Mug Press:

Insert the power cable into the back of your Cricut Mug Press, followed by a USB cable. Insert one end into your machine and another end into the computer.

Open the Cricut Design Space on your computer or laptop.

Then, select New Product Setup from the right-side menu.

Afterward, select Heat Press, followed by Mug Press.

You can follow the displayed instructions on the screen to download any updates you need.

While following the instructions, you will need to continue the Activate button to activate your Mug Press.

After this, the update will be completed.

Then, you can unplug the USB cable.

Now, your Mug Press is ready to use. Let’s learn how to use a Cricut Mug Press.

Step 3: Use the Cricut Mug Press

The Mug Press is relatively easy to use. After setting up, you can easily create a pro-customized mug. You can choose the design from Cricut Design Space. Always ensure that you choose the design with the exact size that fits your mug.

Once you have selected the designs, start cutting them using your cutting machine. Make sure your design is mirrored before the cut. You can follow the design given below.

After cutting the material, weed the unwanted materials.

Ensure your mug is clean and there is no dust present on it.

Then, place the design around the mug.

Afterward, you have to place the Cricut Mug Press on an easy press mat or any other heat-resistant surface you have.

Press the power button in your Mug Press, and the button will light the green color.

After that, you will hear the beep sound, meaning it is ready to use. However, you don’t need to set any temperature as it is already smart enough to set the temperature automatically.

Then, put the mug into the press.

It will take 6 minutes to sublimate the design onto the mug.

Finally, it will beep when it is done.

Turn off the device and take out the mug using gloves.

Final Words

In short, you should understand that a Mug Press alone can’t help you customize your mug. For this, you need various types of supplies that we have already mentioned in this post. Once you have all these items, you can proceed with the setup process. For this setup, you need a laptop or computer with a Cricut Design Space. When you are done with your setup, your Mug Press will be ready to use. Finally, you can design your mug like a pro!

FAQs

Question 1: How much time does a Cricut Mug Press take to heat up?

Answer: The only time your Mug Press will take to heat up is 5 minutes. After placing your mug into the press, it will take approx 6 minutes to finish it. However, the Mug Press produces a beep sound when it has finished its task. When you finally take out the mug from the press, it takes 15 to 30 minutes to cool down. Therefore, you must be cautious while taking it outside.

Question 2: Do I need a computer to use the Cricut Mug Press?

Answer: Well, you don’t have to rely entirely on a computer to use the Mug Press. Still, a computer is needed when you want to set up or activate your Cricut Mug Press. Also, you can update your firmware using your computer or laptop. All this is done when you connect your computer to your Mug Press via a USB cable.

Question 3: Is a regular mug compatible with the Cricut Mug Press?

Answer: There is no issue using your regular mug until it is made up of ceramic. Other than this, no materials should be used, such as stainless steel, plastic, etc.). Plus, the mug must be coated with sublimation material, which is suitable for your printer’s sublimation ink and Infusible ink. In short, the regular you buy from a local store is not going to work with the Cricut Mug Press.

Visit - Cricut.com/setup

Cricut Design Space Login

Cricut maker setup

Cricut Mug Press

Cricut Maker Machine

[bamsara]

Hello! I was wondering what company you use for your sticker sheets? I bough one from your Ko-Fi shop and really like the quality, and the pricing you were able to sell at is waaaaaay more reasonable compared to any of the companies I've seen and used myself. Is it a POD company, or a mass purchase of them to sell on your own?

Thank you for your time if you're able to respond!

I'm really glad you like the quality, because I actually make them by hand at home! (Please forgive the lighting, my bedroom is my office lmao.)

I don't use a company (and Idk what a POD company is sorry!) but making them at home gives a lot more freedom of stock, just be wary it can be very time consuming depending on how many you need to make.

I've had other people ask before, so here's a rundown of how I make my stickers at home: At most you'll need:

Printer

Sticker paper (this is the type that I use)

Laminator and lamination paper (the lamination paper that I use.) You can also use adhesive non-heat lamination paper if you don't have a laminator, gives you the same result, just be careful of bubbles. You will get double your worth out of a pack because we are splitting the pouches to cover two sticker sheets.

Your choice of a sticker cutting machine or just using scissors.

First, I use Cricut's software to print out the sticker sheet with the guidelines around the corners so the machine can read it. If you do NOT have a Cricut machine, open up your art program, make a canvas of 2550x3300 and fill it up with your sticker design with some cutting space between them. This the 8.5x11 size for the sticker page.

I usually have bleed selected so the cut comes out cleaner. Tip for non-Cricut users below: Increase the border around your sticker design to fake the 'bleed' effect for a cleaner cut.

These are the print settings I use for my printer. I use the 'use system dialogue' to make sure I can adjust the settings otherwise it prints out low quality by default. Make sure if you're using the above paper that you have 'matte' selected, and 'best quality' selected, these aren't usually selected by default.

So you have your sticker sheet printed! Next is the lamination part. I use a hot laminator that was gifted to me, but there is no-heat types of lamination you can peel and stick on yourself if that's not an option.

(This is for protection and makes the colors pop, but if you prefer your stickers matte, you can skip to the cutting process.)

Important for Cricut users or those planning to get a Cricut: You're going to cut the lamination page to cover the stickers while also not covering the guidelines in the corners. First, take your lamination page and lay it over the sheet, take marker/pen and mark were the edges of your stickers are, and cut off the excess:

(I save the scrap to use for smaller stickers or bonuses later on)

After you've cut out your lamination rectangle, separate the two layers and lay one down on your sticker sheet over your stickers with matte side down, shiny side up. (Save the other sheet for another sticker page)

The gloss of the lamination will prevent the machine from reading the guidelines, so be careful not to lay it over them. It also helps to cut the corners afterwards to prevent accidentally interfering with the guidelines.

Now put that bad boy in the laminator! (Or self seal if you are using non-heat adhesive lamination)

Congrats! You now have a laminated page full of stickers.

For non-cricut/folks cutting them out by hand: this is the part where you start going ham on the page with scisscors. Have fun~

Cutting machine: I put the page on a cutting mat and keep it aligned in the corner, and feed it into the machine. For laminated pages I go between 'cardstock' and 'poster board' so that it cuts all the way through without any issues, but for non-laminated pages or thinner pages, I stick for 'vinyl' and 'light card stock'. Kinda test around.

Now I smash that go button:

You have a sticker now!

The pros of making stickers at home is that you save some cost, and you have more control of your stock and how soon you can make new designs. (I can't really afford to factory produce my stickers anyway)

However, this can be a very time consuming, tedious process especially if you have to make a lot of them. There is also a LOT chance for some errors (misprints, miscuts, lamination bubbles, ect) that will leave you with B-grade or otherwise not-so-perfect or damaged stickers. (Little note, if you have page mess up in printing and can't be fed into the cricut machine, you can still laminate it and cut it out by hand too.)

I have to do a lot of sticker cutting by hand, so if you don't have a cricut don't stress too much about it. I have an entire drawer filled to the top of miscuts/misprints. I keep them because I don't want to be wasteful, so maybe one day they'll find another home. Sucks for my hand though.

But yeah! This is how I make my stickers at home! Hope this is helpful to anyone curious

[unclewhisky]

Hobbies And The Things You Should Know About Them

Have you been searching for hobbies to do around the home but don't know where to begin? If you're like many people who get bored easily, finding a good hobby can help pass the time in a fun way. Finding fun hobby ideas can be found in the excellent article below.

Reading is a good and enjoyable hobby that many individuals have. When you read, you can visit other places and enjoy new experiences from the comfort of your armchair. You can read just about anywhere, as long as you are in a quiet spot. There are many different choices of books, so you will surely be able to find one you like.

If you are thinking about making your hobby a money-making business, know what price is the best for the stuff you are selling. You want to make sure that the price you charge makes it worthwhile to live on. Add all your costs, plus labor and time, then add a great profit margin to make sure you succeed.

When you first begin a hobby, it can be very helpful to read a book or take a class to find out about the hobby. Local county colleges offer a wide variety of courses for very little money and allow you to try different hobbies. The local library has books on just about any hobby and is a good resource for classes too.

If you want a hobby and also need to shed some pounds, find one that meets both needs. Pick an exercise you love, such as running or swimming, and then start doing it more frequently. Fitness can be a great hobby for both your mind and your body.

Go outside and take up gardening. Gardening is work for some people, but others find it exhilarating. Just plant some seeds in the rich brown earth and reap your harvest a few months later. This allows you to save some money on food and it's also fun.

As stated in the above article, there are lots of interesting hobbies that anyone can pursue at home to help alleviate the boredom of each day. Now is a perfect time to get started on one of these hobbies that you just learned about in this article. So what are you waiting for, have fun and get going on something fun!

Read more here Click here.

[hidefdoritos]

GUYS GUESS WHAT

I took my friend (who doesn't get out much and needs to have a quiet retreat space) to the library today.

I FORGOT HOW RAD THE LIBRARY IS.

-My library has private rooms with locking doors that you check out with your library card and then have keycard access to.

-These rooms are made of plexiglass for Obvious Reasons, but still. Rooms.

-I checked out a Lounge space and, guys, it's a balcony.

-It's over the main entrance to the library so you can see everyone coming in and out. The door locks so it's private, but it's also open air to the tall ceilings and has SO MUCH natural light.

-literally so much natural light the one exterior wall is floor-to-ceiling windows with a view over a fountain and a courtyard and the local shopping district. the sunset was rad.

-My laptop connected directly to the WiFi.

-There were so many people there! There are chairs spread throughout and a bunch of computers and people just chilled and hung out!

-My friend was thrilled to be able to navigate a quiet space with strangers who didn't speak to her, and then to have a retreat space.

-My library also has a Makerspace (!!!) and a Cricut machine (!!!) and I can email someone and get trained in how to use it!

-Someone was in the recording booth and I couldn't tell what she was reading but it sounded cool.

-There's a whole room along the side of the upstairs that's just for teens. Like literally just. The sign says that if you're not a teenager you should see the staff for other rooms. There wasn't anyone there when I stuck my head in but there's a giant whiteboard and orb-style chairs and

-sorry I forgot to mention that my balcony has not only a couch but also several big comfy chairs (like, I can sit on my chair and put my feet on it too and balance my book on my knees and it's STILL not too small of a chair) and a couple coffee tables and a corner where the sunlight isn't direct y'all it's so nice

-I'm so glad my tax dollars went to this, guys. We're stuck on campus for Thanksgiving break and we desperately needed to go somewhere that didn't cost money.

-for as much as I get on about the necessity of Third Spaces, you think I'd remember this.

-I also found out my friend likes Agatha Christie novels. She read me a section while I washed dishes tonight, and I think I'm gonna like them too.

[snek-panini]

Got a bit of a different bookbinding post today. @renegadeguild got an ask from a new binder saying they were intimidated by everyone's gorgeous binds (me too, actually, some of you guys are scary good), and so they've asked people to share their first binds. And I realized I'd never even taken photos of my first one, so here it is, warts and all:

This is E.M. Forster's The Machine Stops, a public domain scifi short story that you can read for free at the link. The first reason I chose it was that it's an interesting story, and I'd bought a print-on-demand copy a few years previously that was just terrible. Baffling cover choices, basic errors in the typeset (like quotes that face the wrong way), weird size that didn't fit on my shelf; just not a good product. I couldn't do it with more indifference than the PoD people. The second reason was that I was too intimidated by the thought of asking a fic writer if I could bind their story and then producing something with a thousand sloppy beginner mistakes, and then they'd want to see photos and I'd have to show them this and it would have been mortifying, but Forster has been dead since 1970 so I could not disappoint him. It was very freeing. I bound it in 2021 as an experiment, to see if I liked this hobby enough to stick to it. The cover is green cardstock and faux leather scrapbook paper that I bought at... probably Hobby Lobby. I added the title later, as a practice project when I first got my Cricut; for the first two years of its existence it had a blank cover.

There are more photos under the cut!

In this photo we can see:

--Too much glue when attaching the leather-print paper, so it oozed out onto the cover.

--Cricut font too thin and too much heat/too long of a press, so the letters have gaps and the glue also oozed out here. It's a continuing theme with this bind.

--I tried to use a bone folder to give it a sharper hinge crease and accidentally pressed too hard and tore a hole in the paper; you can see this in the little white vertical line near the top of the hinge

The fore edge is not square. I actually don't remember why this happened. I may have eyeballed the board position when I made the case, or the paper may have slipped while the glue was wet, or I cut it crooked and didn't notice till later. Either way it's bad enough that the book doesn't stand on its own. There was a crooked man/who walked a crooked mile/and found a crooked sixpence/against a crooked stile./He bought a crooked cat/which caught a crooked mouse/and they all loved together in a little crooked house, and I bet they read this little crooked book from their little crooked library.

Top view, you can see that the case is too big and the text block doesn't sit straight in it. It has no endbands or bookmark, and it's hard to see in this photo but there's glue on the top of it, at the spine. This still happens to me but I know how to trim books now so this bit gets cut off. You can also see that the scrapbook paper has some cracks where its white core is visible. This is why I do cloth or actual faux leather on the spines now. Endpaper shows uneven trim (did I not use a ruler for this??), too much glue causing major seepage, and it doesn't sit evenly in the case. I'm not sure if this is because of the case itself being crooked, a badly-trimmed endpaper, or if the text block is also crooked. Or it may be a combination of all these factors. Unclear.

Typeset photos! Here we see:

--Title page has a page number on it. This is a pet peeve of mine and I fixed it after this book.

--There is no half title, summary, or metadata. All my later binds have these things.

--It's typeset in Times New Roman. Unlike many I don't actually hate this font but reading it reminds me of being in high school so this is the only book I used it for. Baskerville is my beloved now. The font is also much bigger than it should be. It's not huge but it's like a large print book so it feels weird for me to read it.

--Lol what are margins

--Lol what are page headers

--Actually I think I left the headers out so it wouldn't have a header on the first page of each chapter, because I knew about page breaks but not section breaks at this time.

--It's on regular-ass lightweight printer paper. There's nothing wrong with this but I switched to heavier weight paper shortly after to help with bleed-through and the light stuff feels so flimsy now.

--I didn't understand how Word's book fold worked at this time, so when I had to set the sheets per booklet and it had an option for 4, I chose that thinking it would give me 4 sheets of paper (16 numbered pages) per sig. It did not do this. It gave me 4 numbered pages per sig. So every signature is 1 sheet of paper. Every page is its own signature. I am still mad about this but it sure drove home how the setting works and also how to make kettle stitches since you make one after every sig. A book of 48 pages has 12 signatures which is just ludicrous.

--There's no photo of this but it has a piece of printer paper on the spine because I didn't have mull. I did use PVA though. Lots and lots of PVA.

--It's stitched with regular sewing thread, which means it doesn't have much swell for a book with that many sigs, but it's less sturdy and more likely to tear the paper.

And that's that! It probably sounds a bit like I was tearing it to shreds but I actually love this book quite a lot. I learned so many things that I applied to my next binds, it was an invaluable experience. It let me fall in love with the hobby so I could make the awesome things I make now. I've got those all posted on my main blog under the tag #snek makes books, or you can see them all on my side blog @papersnakepress. For a first book it's functional and readable, and still better than the PoD copy I had before. I've been thinking of doing a rebind as a sort of progress gauge, actually. Maybe next year.

[beespaceprogram]

Sticker Cutter Research

I was looking into getting a sticker cutting machine, and I decided to start by looking into cricut which is a well known brand. I had a look at what models they had than their feature etc, but what I was most concerned about was their software. Printer companies like to lock you into a defacto subscription to support hardware you don't really own, and as I was to discover, cricut are operating in a similar way.

The cricut software is online-only*. To cut your own designs you need to use their software to upload your art to their server. There's no way to cut a new design without a logged-in cricut account and an internet connection. At one point in 2021 they flirted with limiting free accounts to 20 uploads/month but backed down after huge community backlash, as far as I can tell.

The incident spawned several community efforts to write open-source firmware for cricut hardware. Some efforts were successful for specific models/serial numbers, but require cracking open the case and hooking in to the debug contacts to flash the chip; not exactly widely accessible. Another project sought to create a python cricut server you can run locally, and then divert the app's calls to the server to your local one.

I restarted my search, this time beginning with looking for extant open-source software for driving cutters, and found this project, which looks a little awkward to use, but functional. They list a bunch of cutter hardwares and whether they're compatible or not. Of those, I recognised the sihouette brand name from other artists talking about them.

I downloaded the silhouette software to try like I did w the cricut software, and immediately it was notable that it didn't try to connect to the internet at all. It's a bit clunky, in that way printer and scanner software tends to be, but I honestly greatly preferred using it to cricut's sluggish electron app⁺. Their software has a few paid tiers above the free one, adding stuff like sgv import/export/and reading cut settings from a barcode on the input material. They're one-off payments, and seem reasonable to me.

This is not so much a review, as sharing some of the research I've done. I haven't yet used either a cricut or a silhouette, and I haven't researched other brands either. But I wanted to talk about this research because to me, cricut's aggressively online nature is a red flag. Software that must connect to a server to run is software that runs only at the whim of the server owner (and only as long as it's profitable to keep the server up). And if that software is the only thing that will make your several hundred dollars worth of plastic and (cheap, according to a teardown I read) servos run, then you have no guarantee you'll be able to run it in the future.

Do you use a desktop cnc cutter? What has your experience been like with the hardware and software? Do you have any experience from home printers with good print quality and user-refillable ink cartridges?

* Cricut's app tried to connect to more than 14 different addresses, including facebook, youtube, google analytics, datadoghq.com, and launchdarkly.com. Launch Darkly are a service provider that help software companies do a whole bunch of things I'm coming to despise, for example, they offer infrastructure for serving different features to different demographics and comparing results to control groups. You know how at various times you've gotten wildly different numbers of ads than your friends on instagram? They were using techniques like this to work out how many ads they could show without affecting their pickup/engagement rates. Scummy stuff.

⁺ Electron apps are web-pages pretending to be applications. They use heaps of ram, tend to have very poor performance, and encourage frustrating UI design that doesn't follow OS conventions. Discord's app is a notable example of an Electron app

[towns-end-bindery]

The Night Circus

By Erin Morgenstern

🎪

A rebind that I will be gifting to a friend as a Christmas present.

I read this book when I first started college, I think. The thing that stuck with me since reading it has always been the beauty and magic of the circus itself. Normally, I’d get lost or bored of extensive detail or descriptions about the setting, but the Circus of Dreams was an ✨aesthetic✨ that stirred my imagination. I was surprised at how much I loved it.

🎡

Regarding process:

So I recently rewatched the DAS video about paper labels, and creating a “well” for the label to sit in. And I thought to myself, what if I made the entire cover design the “label” and centered it on the cover?

The design was printed on vinyl adhesive paper, and it’s pasted right in the center of a large recess on the cover. Spine and back was hand foiled.

🎠

Well, it’s seems I’m on a roll. There will be many more rebinds to come before the end of the year, if I don’t lose momentum. I’m excited to see my projects take flight, but it’s also honestly quite daunting as well. 😮‍💨

As a side note…

When I first started this hobby, I was ambitious to achieve a level of quality comparable to many IG and tiktok bookbinders I’d been seeing out there. Many of them were binding fanfiction or doing rebinds of popular fiction, fantasies and romance.

And a LOT of them (or at least the popular accounts) were using special cutting machines like cricut, and heat transfer vinyl to create clean, professional looking designs. Shiny and metallic seems to be a highly sought after look, and admittedly it is attention grabbing for many casual viewers who stumble upon these videos. The same can also be said of the more traditional binders who make leather books and use special techniques for embossing and foiling.

While those beautiful machines and materials and tools like htv or leather-working aren’t NECESSARY for the hobby, it’s clear that any simple amateur bookbinders trying to build their accounts and show people their work really won’t be getting as much reach without making books that are as shiny and attention grabbing in the same ways.

And trying to achieve those looks of metallic vinyl, or beautifully embossed leather, felt pretty inaccessible to me. I’m sure many other amateur binders feel same the way.

That’s why I’m glad I can demonstrate how to achieve beautiful, high quality looking books in alternative ways. Feel free to reach out and ask me about my techniques! I’m no expert, but I’d be happy to help you find solutions and new methods.

12/15/2023