My Cricut Air Explore 2 has brought back my love for crafting! Find out the 5 reasons why it’s so fun…plus an easy Dollar Store craft!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.
When I was younger, I was such a crafty kid. I was always making something, from knitting to painting and more. Every holiday season, 90% of my gifts were handmade with love. After high school, life got in the way and I somewhat lost my love for crafting. I have so many unfinished projects stored away in closets.
Earlier this year, when we decided to move, I put aside some money for a Cricut Air Explore 2. Over the past year, I’ve become obsessed with watching Cricut craft videos and I had so many great projects pinned on Pinterest. I knew that I could make so many great personalized items for the home, plus gifts and branding items for my line of cocktail kits.
Although I’m still considered a beginner Cricut user, my Air Explore 2 has really been quite simple to use. I truly love it! Here are 5 reasons why I can’t stop crafting now…plus why you should check out a Cricut Air Explore 2, as well!
It saves me so much money!
Yup, you heard that right: I have been saving money! Fun t-shirts? I can make them in less than 30 minutes. Personalized stockings? Saved at least $50 by making them with glitter vinyl iron-on and my Cricut. For the holiday season, I made shirts for the younger cousins in the family, plus tote bags and cups for gifts. I rarely buy cards anymore since I can make them using cardstock and easy designs on Cricut Design Space.
Learning to use the Cricut Air Explore 2 is quite easy!
After seeing many comments online about people who are intimidated by their Cricut, I was concerned about how easy it would to actually execute projects. Would it be too hard? Are designs hard to make? I can honestly say, about 4 months in, that I’ve only had a handful of mess ups. If I have any questions, the Cricut website has amazing help videos or step-by-step tutorials. Even my kids have quickly learned how to use the Air Explore 2.
Glitter!
I am a glitter lovin’ fool and the sparkle items Cricut offers are ah-mazing. Vinyl, Iron-On, Paper…you name it! While it can be hard to weed (peel away negative vinyl after cutting), once you get the hang of it, it’s quite simple. I recommend using the custom material option on your Air Explore 2 dial, then also the “MORE” option to create a bit deeper of a cut.
Personal branding items for my business has never been easier!
As a small business owner of InBooze, money is always tight. When I go to shows and events, there is always something I’d love to have branded and now I can easily achieve amazing results using my Cricut! The price of the machine is worth it for this perk alone!
Item’s I’ve created:
- Branded t-shirts. My holidays ones were such a hit, many people asked to purchase for themselves!
- Labels for my drink dispensers
- Tags for gift sets
- Packaging stickers. In the heart of my busy season, I ran out of stickers, but I was able to make my own! Whew!
- Chalkboard signs
Stickers!
My planner is EVERYTHING…especially since I suffer from major #MomBrain. We’ve been creating so many fun stickers using the Printable Sticker Paper and our inkjet printer! The Cricut cuts them perfectly and it’s so fun to have personalized planner stickers. I also have created stickers to label our home library of books, since my girls tend to lend them out to friends.
I found these super cute snowman mugs at the Dollar Tree and I knew that I could make fun, customized hot cocoa/soup mugs for my girls. The best part about this project is that you can make different seasonal mugs for all of your gifting needs.
Dollar Store Snowman Mugs
Looking for a fun starter glitter Cricut project? This one is so fun for a gift...or just everyday home use. Who doesn't like a personalized cup?
Materials
- Fun Mug from Dollar Tree
- Black Glitter Vinyl
- StrongGrip 12x12 Mat
- StrongGrip Transfer Tape
Instructions
- Find a fun mug from the Dollar store. They have great seasonal options, such as this snowman mug.
- Use a fun font to create the names desired. This is Jolly Unicorn.
- Set your Cricut dial to Custom Material, then "Glitter Vinyl" and "More" above.
- Place vinyl on the StrongGrip Mat. This makes weeding glitter much easier. Cut your design with the Cricut.
- Weed the negative vinyl away from the designs. This can be hard to see, at first. Just take it slow and steady!
- Cover with StrongGrip Transfer tape and use your Scraper to transfer the vinyl onto the tape.
- Remove paper backing and center your name on the mug. Carefully peel away the transfer tape.
- Enjoy your custom creation!
Notes
This contains affiliate links.
What do you love about your Cricut Air Explore 2? I’d love to hear about your favorite project!
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