Everything You Need To Know About The Cricut Maker

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.

The Cricut Maker and Cricut Explore Air 2 are both amazing machines. I have absolutely loved my Cricut Explore Air 2 and have made some incredible projects with it. With the release of the new Cricut Maker, I am getting lots of emails and comments asking which machine people should get. The answer? It depends on what you want to do with it.

The Cricut Maker is like no other machine out there on the market. The Maker with its new adaptive tool system has 10x more power than other Cricut machines. This means that you are getting an commercial grade cutting machine for home use! This new adaptive tool system allows the machine to cut so many different materials including fabric. The Cricut Explore Air 2 is a fantastic cutting machine with many amazing features, it does not have the rotary blade or the knife blade but it can cut many materials including bonded fabric and heat transfer.

Rotary Blade

The moment that made everyone gasp out loud at the Maker reveal was the moment the rotary blade was shown in action. This is a game changer for sewing and quilting! There is a new gear that allows the Rotary Blade to cut just like you would by hand with a rotary blade. The new gear gives the machine complete control over the blade, letting it rotate and cut the angels it needs. From tulle and crepe paper to sequined fabric, this blade is designed to cut all of it with precision. The worst part of sewing from a pattern for me has always been cutting out the pattern pieces. It takes me hours of pinning and cutting, well the Cricut Maker gets rid of all of that time and just lets you sew.

There is also a brand new washable fabric pen. This pen marks your fabric as it cuts it to let you know exactly how to match up your pattern pieces and where to put your seam. While the Cricut Explore Air 2 doesn’t have a rotary blade, you can come some fabric as long as it is bonded. If you are a quilter or a sewer, I highly recommend buying the new Maker.

Knife Blade

Coming in October, this blade has intelligent variable pressure and can cut through materials that even the deep cut blade can’t get through. From leather to bass wood, this blade is going to be able to cut so many different things.  The Knife Blade can exert 4 kilograms of force through the material. The best part? It doesn’t just use brute force, it knows when to use light pressure and when it use harder pressure so you get a good cut without splintering of your material.

2x Faster Cutting and Writing

This is something that both of the machines does. It makes a big difference in how fast your projects are finished.

Print and Cut

While both machines can do print and cut, the Maker has an improved sensor so the print and cut feature can be used on colored and patterned paper instead of just white.

Adaptive Tool System 

This new technology that “intelligently controls the direction of the blade and the cut pressure to match your material, so every cut comes out perfect.” is only available on the Maker, but the amazing news is that the Maker has been designed to expand and grow when Cricut comes out with new tools.

Machine Details 

This machine has so many different little details that make the Maker an incredible machine. There is no open button like with the Explore Air 2, simply lift the lid and the machine will open for you. The smart dial has been removed because this machine can cut SO many materials that they couldn’t possibly fit them on a dial. Now you select your material in design space. There is a place to hold your phone or tablet while you cut AND a USB port to charge your device while you use it to cut.

While the Air 2 has one storage cup, the Maker has two cups one of which is extra deep with a rubberized to protect and hold all of the tools you use when cutting. They also upgraded the front tool tray to hold even more than the Cricut Explore Air 2.

Cost

The Maker is quite a bit more expensive than the Cricut Explore Air 2 but that is because they are completely different machines. You can do so much with the Explore Air and you can do everything that the Air 2 can do and more with the Maker, it is all about deciding what kind of projects you want to create and buy the right machine. If you are only going to make vinyl and heat transfer then the Air 2 might be the right machine for you. If you want to cut fabric and be able to get all the new tools that come out, then go with the Maker.

While you cannot currently use any discount codes the Maker, you will get 10% off if you subscribe to any Cricut Access Plan. The cheapest plan comes out to $4.99 and saves you $39 on the machine so it is definitely worth looking into. Find all of the Access plans here. 

What about the Cricut Explore Air? 

Don’t worry. This great machine isn’t going anywhere. Cricut will still offer support for this machine they are just adding the Maker to the family too!

Which machine would you get?

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.