Today we are going to go through some of the materials you can use with your cricut machine. There are a few materials that are the most popular for Cricut users. The first is paper for making flowers, cards and tags. The next is adhesive vinyl which are color sheets of vinyl that stick to surfaces like stickers. The last is heat transfer vinyl, this vinyl is popular for making tshirts and dish towels.
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If you want to read more about the materials I use most often in my craft room then check out this post here for links to all my favorite craft supplies that I use in my etsy shop, videos, and tutorials.
Paper crafts
Paper crafts are usually some of the first crafts that new crafters start with. It’s easy to use and you probably already have some at home so you don’t have to special order anything when you are beginning. It’s not as intimidating as vinyl which may be a new material for you. And if you screw up your project it won’t cost much to try again.
There are lots of different types of paper check out my blog post Best paper for Crafting to learn about all the different papers. Most crafters use card stock to make cards tags and other craft that require something sturdy. The most popular weight is 110 lb but I recommend getting a small amount of different weights and colors to experiment to see what you like.
Here is a video I made a while back about some of my favorite papers for crafting with.
Adhesive vinyl
Adhesive vinyl is a fun material, its sticky on the back and shiny on the front. You can use it on anything you can stick a sticker to. You can also layer them on top of each other to create beautiful designs. Adhesive vinyl is most commonly used with transfer tape to help you flip the design from the sticker paper onto your object of choice. When cutting out your design make sure to use the vinyl setting on your Cricut. And I recommend the standard grip mat for use with adhesive vinyl.
You will find two types of adhesive vinyl removable indoor vinyl or permanent outdoor vinyl. And you choose the one that is best suited for you project. If you want to create a wall decal than removable indoor vinyl is best. But if you are wanting to create a permanent project like a sign to go outdoors than you want to select the permanent outdoor vinyl.
Oracle Vinyl is one of the most popular choices, they have excellent quality vinyl and their product is available in many shops. There product is great for beginners because it is high quality and designed to last.
Cricut also has their own brand of vinyl in both indoor removable and outdoor permanent. They have a huge selection of so many colors and different projects you will never get bored going through their website and products.
Make sure to check out Expression Vinyls adhesive vinyl section, they have a great selection of lots of different brands and prints.
Heat Transfer Vinyl
Heat transfer vinyl as a favorite among crafters because you can make your own custom tshirst and fabric products. It’s sometimes also known as iron on vinyl, so make sure to use the iron on vinyl setting with your Cricut machine.
Siser is a popular brand and it can be bought at many locations. Make sure to check out Expression Vinyls heat transfer vinyl section they have an excellent selection of Siser vinyl as well as other brands. You can also find a large selection of Siser vinyl on Amazon.
Cricut has their own brand of heat transfer vinyl. They are a bit pricey but they offer a huge selection of unique colors and patterns so it can be fun to try something different occassionally.
Firefly is another known brand with great quality and colors, you can find them on amazon so you know you will get fast shipping!
Other materials you can use with a Cricut machine
Faux Leather Vinyl
My favorite material to use with a Cricut is faux leather vinyl. You can make earrings, hair bows, wallets and keychains. You can buy it with animal texture print but also with patterns printed onto it.
Wood
It’s possible to use Basswood to cut with your cricut maker or explore machine to create fun sculptural projects and crafts.
Fabric
You can cut fabric with your cricut machine to cut out patterns for sewing and quilting.
Kraftboard
Kraftboard is a fun halfway point between using wood and cardstock. Its a rigid board you can use to build sculptures and crafts that can be glued or taped together or you can use them for traditional paper crafts.
The best places to buy Craft Supplies
If you are on the hunt for some supplies but not sure where to start, well I’ve got a couple of great places to share with you. Here is a list of some of the popular places to buy supplies for all sorts of cricut crafts.
Expression Vinyl is a popular shop with lots of heat transfer vinyl and they offer a great deal on vinyl through their mystery box that gets sent out every month.
Craft Stash is the perfect shop to find your paper crafting supplies.
Swing Design sells lots of Cricut machines and craft supplies.
Happy Crafters sells lots of great sticker vinyl and heat transfer vinyl and craft supplies
Paper Papers is a great shop for fancy paper and paper craft supplies perfect for card making crafts.
Etsy is a great site to find lots of craft supplies for your Cricut machine.
Amazon is a great place to search for cricut craft supplies such as heat transfer vinyl and paper supplies.
Dick Blick is a well known online shop where you can find almost any art supply under the sun. They have a good supply of Cricut vinyls and tools.
I hope you found these links helpful and stay tuned for Day 4 coming tommorow.
