The $99 Cricut cutting machine also helped me get creative

I’ve always been skeptical of things that claim to help you live a more productive life. But recently someone defeated me. I’ve spent three weeks with the Cricut Joy 2, a smart cutting and engraving machine that made it easy to get back into making stickers, cards, keepsakes, and more.

This little $99 tool isn’t perfect, but its capabilities and the templates provided by the program are what I expected. Caution, self-criticism, and mental issues have made it difficult to think and draw like I used to, but the Joy 2 clicked with me. It wins quickly when you are creative.

I have been trying Cricut Joy 2 and Ultimate Plus Bundlewhich usually costs $229 and comes with a lot of extras, including smart vinyl and metal sheets, as well as tools like a good blade. It didn’t take long to get started. I plugged the machine in, installed Cricut’s Design Space app on my laptop (also available for iOS and Android), and did my first test in less than 30 minutes. Seeing the machine cut that design for the first time made me clap my hands with joy.

That part was easy, but the rise of the program required work. For something that’s marketed as user-friendly, it’s not obvious what to do next or how to use the hardware properly. Nothing is difficult – knowing how to lay the mat or connect the equipment correctly – but nothing is obvious, especially if you are new to this concept. In the beginning, I tried to print something without success and I gave up after destroying some things.

The Design Space interface has a bit of a problem. It covers useful tutorials and task lists at the bottom of the home page, and students watching should be aware that many tips have been written. It’s amazing, because Cricut offers a trove clear YouTube tutorials on the internet that looks great on this app.

To Cricut’s credit, it offers a free 30-day trial Cricut Accesswhich costs $9.99 per month after. It contains many templates, tutorials, and guided projects created by Cricut and other users who share their designs in the app’s community library. It’s helpful if you value your design and what you love to do. Most importantly, it teaches you how to use the tools and equipment included with the Joy 2. That’s where the real fun begins. Projects came together very quickly, and I also felt the satisfaction of seeing the design go from screen to finished product in minutes.

Simple projects are what the Joy 2 does best, but it can handle some challenges if you want to get a little more involved. Multicolor designs, for example, have to be cut into different pieces and assembled by hand, which takes time and attention. It’s not a problem, but something to keep in mind before taking on new jobs.

If you’re trying to make stickers or other printable designs, like iron-on transfers to shirts, Cricut’s “print then cut” feature comes in handy. It allows you to print all kinds of designs with an inkjet or laser printer that you already have, and then cut them exactly with the Joy 2. I was happy with the results, and the process is simple: The Design Space program adds cut lines around your printed design so that the machine can follow it. Then you feed the printed paper into the Joy 2, and voilà! It scans and creates wounds.

Technically, the Joy 2 can handle larger jobs, such as large decals and full-shirt graphics, but the machine can only cut 4 to 4.5 inches at a time. You can divide the design into several parts, cut each piece by hand, then join and assemble it by hand. Then again, if you think you want to make big designs more often, I suggest you start $199 Cricut See 5. The $349 Cricut maker 4meanwhile, it can use hard materials, such as cloth or leather, and it can paint, polish, or polish materials.

Although my idea of ​​what a “friendly” cutting machine should be differs from Cricut users, the Joy 2 is a fun, affordable tool that’s easy to design. I don’t want to open an Etsy shop again anytime soon, but for the first time in a while, I want to keep creating.