Best Cricut Machine About This Page:

[disneydreamer33]

I am finally going to start my scrapbooking adventure. I have collected items since our first trip to WDW in 2005 and just haven't had time and disposable income to get in gear.
I am wanting to purchase a Cricut machine and got on their website and saw that there are 3 different ones and I have no idea which to choose. I want to be able to do more than just scrapbooking things. I want to do cards and different crafts and tshirts, etc. My girls are both very active in sports, dance, gymnastics and show choir, so I want to do tshirts and sweatshirts and sweatpants for them instead of buying them or having them custom made.

Any advice, comments, suggestions are greatly appreciated!
Thanks!

[Mom24Girls]

I was an avid scrapper for over 10 years, and started with the original Cricut... which was fine, but only cut up to 6". So I went up to the original Cricut Expression and love it. I have no desire to spend more on a "newer" model. It cuts from very small (less than 1") up to 24" (with 12"x24" mat). I also own this same machine, but the "Cake" model (Cricut Cake) and love it also! Does almost all my regular Cricut can do, but with fondant & gumpast (just can't cut as small).

I don't have any real experience with the newer machines (2nd generation Expression) or the one that prints and cuts... sorry!

[GingerJ]

I have the Cricut Expression 2, which is the newest. This is by far the best one, I think. JoAnn's has them this week for $180, which is a terrific price!

If that's a little steep, look at the original Expression machines. You have almost all the same functionality if you use that one and the Cricut Craft Room on-line.

Both Expression machines use 12x12 mats (even 12x24), and cut all the way down to 1/4", I believe. The nicest part about the E2 is you don't use your keyboard overlay....it has a little touch screen that shows the keyboard on it. You can also control the depth and speed of your cuts on the screen, instead of using a dial. The screen also shows your cut on a little grid with markings like your mat, so you can see the relative size of what you're making (this also helps in case you accidentally pushed the wrong button). The craft room does this, too. (I hope this makes sense to you!)

I wouldn't bother with the Cricut Imagine...that's the one that also prints. They're nice, but they're also quite big and heavy, in case you're planning to go to crops with your buddies, and they take different cartridges. My SisIL has an Expression and an Imagine, and I think she's planning to sell the Imagine because she doesn't use it.

You'll love it once you get it!

Ginger

PS: You can (and should!) look on-line to buy your cartridges...they hold the images that your Cricut cuts. cricutmachine.com is a good site, and I've also bought a bunch on eBay that were brand-new.

[KMB733]

I have the original Cricut Expression and I love it! I not only use it for scrapbooking, but I make most, if not all, of the cards I send out throughout the year. And recently I've been cutting fabric with it and making different crafts.

[mojjo]

I love my Cricut Expression. It's got more than I'll ever do. But if I were buying new I would go ahead and get the 2. Although I don't think I'll ever move up.

[mamasann]

I've got the Expression too! Even DS loves it and uses it for school projects, so it's user friendly. But I scrapbooked for years without one so it's not a necessity, just nice to have.

[trixiedixie]

Originally Posted by disneydreamer33

I am finally going to start my scrapbooking adventure. I have collected items since our first trip to WDW in 2005 and just haven't had time and disposable income to get in gear.
I am wanting to purchase a Cricut machine and got on their website and saw that there are 3 different ones and I have no idea which to choose. I want to be able to do more than just scrapbooking things. I want to do cards and different crafts and tshirts, etc. My girls are both very active in sports, dance, gymnastics and show choir, so I want to do tshirts and sweatshirts and sweatpants for them instead of buying them or having them custom made.

Any advice, comments, suggestions are greatly appreciated!
Thanks!

Do Not Buy Any Other Cricut other than the ORIGINAL Expression
It is the only reliable machine they sell. Before I decided to dump Cricut and get a Sillouette I was budgeting for another expresion because people hated the new ones.

Do Not Buy Expression 2
It doesnt work over 80% seem to be lemons. Read revies on Joanns and Amazons. Not a friendly interface with keypad either.
Do Not Buy Mini

STRONGLY encourage you to consider Sillouette Cameo as that is what I will be getting for Christmas

Ive had Cricut since 2006. I had 50 cartridges and a Gypsy 3 Jukeboxes I was set
Kept having problems - fought it severely this summer and started reading about other machines and have already started collecting the cut files for it including Disney ones. with Silhouette ANY google image can be cut.

DH sold all my cartridges and gypsy this summer and my expression is still for sale but he has it currently bundled with some other scrapbook things.

I get nervous at idea of doing something new but for a newbie - Disney cartridges are all discontinued and yes there is some availability on the cricut store download thing but actual Disney carts are going for $100 on ebay brand new in box. Versus googleing splash mountain characters and turning them into file....

Cricut is IMHO past its prime and going downhill fast but everyone has their preference.

I can tell you more if you are interested PM me your email and ill send you links to some of the disney SVG's for you to see.

You can google youtube for how to on Cameo or on Pinterest.

Whereas Cricut promises you can do the other art projects on Cameo you can! Cricut cant cut the intricate lines like on Disney or the lace patterns like it promises - you have to make the Disney characters about 6 inches before it begins to cut right...

Good luck deciding

[trixiedixie]

Originally Posted by Mom24Girls

I was an avid scrapper for over 10 years, and started with the original Cricut... which was fine, but only cut up to 6". So I went up to the original Cricut Expression and love it. I have no desire to spend more on a "newer" model. It cuts from very small (less than 1") up to 24" (with 12"x24" mat). I also own this same machine, but the "Cake" model (Cricut Cake) and love it also! Does almost all my regular Cricut can do, but with fondant & gumpast (just can't cut as small).

I don't have any real experience with the newer machines (2nd generation Expression) or the one that prints and cuts... sorry!

The one that prints and cuts starts fires they quietly stopped selling it Cricut Imagine

[minemoz1]

I second looking at the Silhouette products, either Cameo or Portrait. I've had my Silhouette SD for over 2.5 years and I haven't had an issue with it. You are not tied down to cartridges, and can buy the images you want 1 at a time, instead of paying $$$ for a cart you may use 1/2 the images. There are also MANY SVG designers with websites, including Etsy, so you have thousands of options and styles to choose from. Print and cut works great and you can use any font on your computer. The items in my signature are made using the Silhouette. My friend liked mine so much she bought one of her own. She had one of the less expensive Cricuts,

[trixiedixie]

Originally Posted by minemoz1

I second looking at the Silhouette products, either Cameo or Portrait. I've had my Silhouette SD for over 2.5 years and I haven't had an issue with it. You are not tied down to cartridges, and can buy the images you want 1 at a time, instead of paying $$$ for a cart you may use 1/2 the images. There are also MANY SVG designers with websites, including Etsy, so you have thousands of options and styles to choose from. Print and cut works great and you can use any font on your computer. The items in my signature are made using the Silhouette. My friend liked mine so much she bought one of her own. She had one of the less expensive Cricuts,

Hey Michele - Im starting to look at pricing looking for a deal -
Need to wait till after the trip

There is no way Michele could cut those wonderful designs on a cricut - the cricut would chew it up.