A Cricut Infestation in my House

I didn’t misspell the insect. It’s also not about the game. It’s a fun little machine that I’m getting to know.

The first Cricut machine came on the market more than 20 years ago. Now, they’re pretty much a cult, but a good cult. Or a Cricult as my pal Erin called it.

But if you want to make things and don’t want to keep paying someone else to do it, Cricut seems to be the way to go.

A Friend in Cricut is a Friend Indeed

My biggest fear was investing in the machinery and then falling out of love with it. That could still happen. There are dozens of used machines and spare materials for sale on Facebook Marketplace. But a woman I know in Exeter still loves hers after a long time. I sought her advice before making my decision.

So here I am, a member of the Cricult. I found it new, on sale, and got some iron-on and other vinyl sheets to play with.

I thought I could get away without a Cricut Easy Press. It’s the machine that heat-transfers designs onto fabric. I’ll just use my iron”, I thought, optimistically. Uh, nope, the iron doesn’t get hot enough. The Easy Press is the way to go and darn it all, it’s fun to use, too.

Off to a Slow Start

The machine and press are both controlled via apps. I’ve made a couple of things that are definitely works-in-progress. I’m playing with fonts and designs and having fun. The only thing I’ve used so far is the lettering on our guest bedroom ahead of Erin’s arrival at the end of the month.

I asked our graphic designer friend George for his advice and one day soon, I hope to have stuff I can show that I’m PROUD of. Not just half-finished, sort-of almost there stuff. There’s a learning curve. And just when I think I have a few hours to spend playing around, real work will arrive! And mama’s got to pay for her Cricut habit, so work comes first.

Cricut has a huge community. The company also makes mug-decorating machines and “maker” machines at all sorts of levels. It has millions of paid subscribers who get access to the company’s designs, fonts and tutorials. (There’s a lot of free knowledge available too.) People make money by selling what they create but also by selling their original designs. It’s a bit overwhelming. But it’s also a whole lot of fun.