Should I buy a Cricut?

[Laaaayla]

Argh. Two wines in and I’m tempted.

Anyone got a cricut? Is this an entire waste of money?

@BarbaraofSeville

Same...

Google doesn’t really give me much info either

I have been dithering as well to do labels for candles not for clothing, still very much getting splinters in my arse

Can the cricut do anything on wood?

@CatsCatsCats11 - I know all that, and that they decided not to charge after all. I'm already an owner, though, so not looking to shell out for a Silhouette as well!
Anyone interested should search, watch videos etc so they can make an informed decision.

I've never tried cutting wood, but it can cut acrylic sheet. If you buy the Engraving tip it can engrave wood I believe, but it has to be under about 2mm to fit under the rollers.

** It’s a craft machine that cuts up to 300 different things (card, vinyl, fabric, leather, wood etc). You can cut vinyl that goes on clothes as well as vinyl that goes on mugs etc. You can make vinyl templates and use them to do glass etching with an etching cream. You can cut small pattern pieces ready for sewing, you can make stickers, you can do sublimation with infusible inks, you can foil designs, engrave with it, you can emboss. You can draw & write in various fonts with it. Plus a load of other stuff.

Can the cricut do anything on wood?. The Maker can cut balsa wood with the deep cut knife. It needs to be under 2mm to fit under the rollers and you might need to go over it a few times though. Just press the button again without taking the mat out and it will cut in the same place.

My teenage DD says the cricut is like crack to middle aged women . She rolls her eyes whenever the conversation about it comes up. I'm totally obsessed with mine!

Also debating...

I used to have a cricut but I didn’t get on with the design space. I now have a silhouette cameo 4 - recently upgraded from cameo 1. It’s fantastic. I can cut so much on it wood, leather, fabric, felt, paper and so much more.

What do you want one for? I use mine for personal crafting. Everyone has started a business with the cricut maker so you would be in tough competition unless you do something a bit different.

There are lots of articles and videos comparing the silhouette and the cricut.

@Sn0tnose

I’m so glad I saw this thread this am. I’ve been debating whether or not to get one. I missed the reduced price of the maker that finished recently, but maybe it was good that I didn’t rush into buying one without giving it more thought. The cost does worry me though.

Hobbycraft have got a good deal on bundles at the moment and I think they sell them on Very as well, so you could pay monthly. Hochanda also do bundles but I don’t think that their customer service is great. Cricut vinyl is nice (although some hate it) but super expensive for the amount you get; I get mine from MDP and buy it in bulk so the delivery is worth it. You can get blanks just about everywhere from the Pound Shop to Home Bargains, as well as plain t shirts from supermarkets and card from places like the Works, and it is often possible to use an iron rather than a proper heat press, so it’s definitely possible to cut costs. The trouble is, once you see what you can do, you want to do it all!

Thank you for your helpful advice. I am so tempted to get one