If you are looking for an amazing holiday gift idea for the creatives in your life, look no further than one of the amazing Cricut machines!
This post is sponsored by Cricut but all of the opinions are my own.
Sometimes, the perfect gift can change one’s life. When a gift is just right, it can make someone’s life more enjoyable, or even go so far as to make them cry.
Or in my case, it can do all three! I have been a Cricut user for 10 years now and have had my share of machines. I have loved them all but they keep getting better and I have needed to upgrade.
Five years ago, I quit my profession as an Optometrist and decided to start up a handmade business selling items I made. I had been using my Cricut Explore (an old version) to make items as gifts or for sports teams for years and I thought I’d enjoy selling items as a business.
Alongside my dream of simply selling my items, I started this little blog to help advertise them, too. I posted a few tutorials here and there but never thought much of it as a way to make money.
I ended up falling in love with helping people by making tutorials and was gaining surprising traction on my posts on how to use a Cricut. I really wanted to upgrade to the newest machine at the time, the Cricut Maker, to offer more tutorials and make more items for my home and friends.
One day a Cricut Maker landed on my doorstep. At first, I thought my husband had wanted to surprise me with a gift. But I soon came to find out it wasn’t him.
It turns out, my wonderful, amazing, friends pitched in their own money to invest in my business and bought me a Cricut Maker to show their support.
Following the reveal, my emotions were all over the place. I was stunned and so honored to have received such a big-ticket item from the people I loved. However, there was a sense of guilt, there, too. I couldn’t keep something like that!
I confessed that I just couldn’t accept the gift but was soon stopped by the simple words of: “We believe in you.” And, predictably, the floodgates to my tears burst!
That gift of a Cricut literally changed my life. I was able to do so many more tutorials to the point where Cricut noticed me and asked me to join their influencer team (Which was a dream for me! The only company I ever wanted to work for asked me to join them… happy dance!).
The rest, as they say, is history! I now make a full-time income craft blogging because of my Cricut and have made countless DIY home decor items and DIY personalized gifts for everyone.
While blogging is probably not the reason most people get crafting machines, many crafters use them to make money as a side business or to just keep their sanity by getting their creative juices flowing.
The first ten years of crafting with a Cricut definitely helped me keep my anxiety in check with a creative outlet. Having three young kids can cause some stress and making pretty things helped. Crafting, in some sense, became therapeutic.
So, if you have a creative in your life, giving them the joy of crafting with a Cricut this holiday season can be just what they need.
Cricut Explore Air 2 vs. Cricut Maker vs. Cricut Joy
Let’s talk a little about the different Cricut machines that are available to give you an idea of which one would suit their needs best.
I do have a full dedicated post comparing the Cricut Explore Air 2 and Cricut Maker here so make sure to read that for more in-depth details of those two machines.
All of the machines can cut the most popular crafting materials including adhesive vinyl, iron-on vinyl, Cricut Infusible Ink, and cardstock. All of them also can use the write and cut function and work with the Cricut mug press.
So you can make beautiful home decor items, t-shirts, decals for mugs and tumblers, and custom cards with all three machines. (You can watch my YouTube video explaining all three machines here.)
The Cricut Explore Air 2 and the Cricut Maker are the two bigger machines. The Cricut Maker can do everything that the Cricut Explore Air 2 can do plus a whole lot more. If the recipient is an avid crafter and wants to be able to use all the specialized tips and blades plus cut fabric and thicker materials than a Cricut Maker would be ideal.
The new Cricut foil transfer kit only works with the Explore family and the Maker.
The newest and cutest machine out is the Cricut Joy! This compact and light machine is a perfect companion for a larger machine, but also great on its own especially if the person has limited space. You can read a very detailed post all about the Cricut Joy here.
I love being able to pull out my Joy and take it anywhere. I can place it on my kitchen counter or on the coffee table while I’m watching TV and connect it to my phone or Ipad to cut things out.
I recently just made a personalized Starbucks cup, gift tags, and a shadow box gift with my Cricut Joy if you want to see some of the projects it can make.
They also make great labels if you know someone who has an organizing business!
Cricut Joy Accessories
Let’s talk a little about accessories that would be great to include if you were to put together a Cricut holiday gift bundle!
I do have a full tutorial on gifts to give Cricut crafters if you just want to add to stuff they already have.
But if you are gifting a machine, here are a few of my favorite things that I think anyone would love and use with a Cricut Joy.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links from Shareasale. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my links (purple text).
- Cricut Joy (lol!) This little cute machine is so small they might not even know what it is when they open the gift!
- Cricut Joy Card Mat and Card packs – cards are the easiest thing to make with a Cricut Joy. I love this mat and card packs. Inexpensive and easy to use!
- Starter Tool Set – I use my tools all the time. These are the three that are most needed and it’s so great they are in one pack!
- Cricut Joy Smart Vinyl – you don’t even need to use a mat with a Cricut Joy when using the smart vinyl. There are a ton of options to chose from. I’d recommend a couple of boxes of vinyl and a transfer tape!
- Cricut EasyPress Mini and Iron-on Vinyl – there are a few different Cricut EasyPresses to choose from, but if the recipient is tight on space or has a bigger one than the EasyPress Mini is a great choice!
- Smart Label Writable Vinyl and Joy pens – for those that love making all the labels! I have a tutorial on how to make custom labels too.
Put some of the those things (or all of the those Cricut Joy supplies!) in a gift basket and expect some screams and happy dances! We gifted a teacher with a Cricut at the end of the school year and she was in tears.
Being a HUGE Cricut fan, I think a Cricut machine would be the perfect gift this holiday for any creative on your list! The joy of the crafting possibilities it opens up is really priceless:)
Thanks for stopping by and have a creative day!
