Upgrading from the Cricut Explore Air to the Cricut Maker

If you’ve been following my blog for a bit, I’m sure you’re well aware by now that I am Cricut obsessed. I recently upgraded my machine to the Cricut Maker, so I thought I would take some time to introduce you to it and go over some of the differences between it and my Cricut Explore.

If you don’t know what a Cricut machine is, you are seriously missing out. They are writing, scoring and personal cutting machines that work with a wide variety of materials. I’m talking everything from paper, vinyl, adhesive foil, craft foam,  iron-on transfers, window cling and more. In the past, I’ve made everything from iron-on shirts and pillows, gift cards, customized wine glasses, decanters, mugs, coasters, party banners and more. The crafting-possibilities really are endless with a Cricut machine. (Basically it’s magic.) 

The Cricut Maker kicks things up a notch by introducing a rotary blade and an xacto knife blade. These new blades allows the Cricut Maker to cut fabric, chipboard, leather, kraft board, felt and corrugated cardboard. 

Being able to cut thicker materials and fabric is a game-changer for me. I love to sew and let’s be real – the worst part about any sewing project is always cutting the patterns. The fact that the Cricut Maker can cut fabric is huge. Not only is it really convenient, but it’s going to save so much time on any sewing project. My sewing machine hasn’t gotten enough use in the past couple years and I’m really excited to get started on some new sewing projects and utilizing the Maker’s features.

Although I already had a Cricut machine, I was still a little nervous when I was setting up the Cricut Maker for the first time since it does have a couple of different features. (There is nothing worse than getting a new toy and having no idea how to use it, am I right?)

Luckily, one of my favourite things about Cricut is how they have a huge database of tutorials and how-to videos available for not only first-time users, but more advanced features as well. Since the ability to cut fabric was new to me, I watched a lot of videos for fabric-related projects and am feeling prepared for my first fabric-project using the Maker and it’s new features.

If you’re familiar with some of the older Cricut models, you might notice that the Smart Set dial, along with the open button and cartridge reader are no longer a thing. The Maker is bluetooth compatible like previous models, and you can still upload your own designs using the Cricut Design Space. (I’ll explain this a little bit more in my next post when we get to making something with the new machine.) 

Something that I really love about the Cricut Maker (which is also a new feature) is that it comes with a slot that is perfect for your smart phone or tablet, making it incredibly easy to make your designs coming to life by using the Cricut Mobile App. Sometimes it’s the littlest details that make all the difference, am I right?

If you’re wondering how the Cricut Maker stacks up to the previous models feature by feature, I’ve included a comparison chart at the end of this post. In terms of size, both machines are really similar, however the Maker is heavier but this is to be expected as it is a stronger machine given all the new types of materials it can cut.

The Maker retails for $399 on Cricut’s website and is currently on sale for $379. Cricut is currently in Michaels in Canada and is coming soon to WalMart and Costco (hooray!). If you are thinking about getting a personal cutting machine I would definitely recommend that you spend the couple extra bucks and get the Maker over one of the older models if you are like me and like to sew. If you’re primarily going to be doing paper crafts one of the older models should suit your needs just fine. I’m personally am always one to go with the newest model when it comes to purchasing any product that involves technology in the interest of longevity.

Cricut machine comparison:

Overall, I’m so happy with my new Cricut Maker and am really excited about all of the new features it has to offer.

Do you have a Cricut machine? If so, let me know which one you own! If you have a Maker and have any tips or tricks for working with fabric, or a great tutorial/DIY, I’d love to hear about it. Stay tuned for my first DIY with the Cricut Maker in a few weeks!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. While I may have received compensation and/or product mentioned in this post, the opinions and text are all mine. This post also contains affiliate links.