This $99 Cricut craft cutting machine helped me feel creative again

I’ve always been skeptical of products that claim to help you live a more creative life. But someone won me over recently. I spent three weeks with the Cricut Joy 2, a smart cutting and drawing machine that made it easy for me to get back into making stickers, cards, bookmarks, and more.

This little $99 tool isn’t perfect, but its capabilities and the templates the app provides were what I was looking for. Caregiving, self-criticism, and mental health struggles have made it difficult to doodle and draw like I used to, yet Joy 2 resonated with me. It pays quick dividends when you’re in the mood to get creative.

I tested the Cricut Joy 2 and the Ultimate Plus Bundle, which typically costs $229 and comes with a bunch of extras, including Smart Vinyl and iron sheets, as well as tools like a microblade. Getting started didn’t take much time. I plugged the machine in, installed Cricut’s Design Space software on my laptop (also available on iOS and Android), and ran my first test in less than 30 minutes. Watching the machine cut this first design made me clap with excitement.

This part was easy, but setting up the app takes some work. For something marketed as beginner-friendly, it’s not clear what to do next or how to take full advantage of the hardware. None of these things are difficult — knowing where to place them on the rug or properly aligning the materials — but none of them are completely obvious either, especially if you’re new to these concepts. Early on, I tried unsuccessfully to print something from scratch, and became frustrated after wasting some material.

The Design Space interface is partly to blame. It buries helpful tutorials and project checklists at the bottom of its landing page, and visual learners should know that a lot of the instructions are written. This is odd, since Cricut offers a wealth of clear, easy-to-understand YouTube tutorials online that seem perfect for the application.

To Cricut’s credit, they offer a free 30-day trial of Cricut Access, which costs $9.99 per month once it expires. It contains many templates, tips, and guided projects created by Cricut as well as other users who share their designs in the app’s community library. It helps to appreciate some structure in your creative endeavors. Most importantly, it teaches you how to use the materials and tools included in Joy 2. This is where the real fun begins. Projects came together much more quickly, and I once again felt the satisfaction of watching a design go from screen to finished product in minutes.

Simple projects are where the Joy 2 works best, but it can handle some more complex projects if you’re willing to get involved. For example, multi-colored designs must be cut in separate layers and assembled by hand, which takes time and concentration. This is not necessarily a disadvantage, but just something to take into consideration before starting new projects.

If you’re trying to make posters or other printed designs, such as iron-on t-shirts, Cricut’s “Print Then Cut” feature comes in handy. It lets you print a full-color design using an inkjet or laser printer you already own, then cut it precisely using the Joy 2. I was happy with the results, and the process is simple: Design Space adds cut lines around the design you’ve uploaded for the device to follow. You then insert the printed sheet into the Joy 2, and voila! Surveys and makes cuts.

Technically, the Joy 2 can handle larger projects, like large wall decals and full-length T-shirt graphics, but the machine can only cut about 4 to 4.5 inches at a time. You can divide your design into multiple sections, cut each piece by hand, then align and assemble them by hand. Then again, if you fancy yourself wanting to create larger designs more often, I suggest you purchase the Cricut Explore 5 at $199. Meanwhile, the $349 Cricut Maker 4 can handle thicker materials, such as canvas or leather, and can engrave, emboss, or perforate materials.

While my idea of ​​how a “beginner-friendly” on-board cutting machine differs from Cricut’s, the Joy 2 is a fun, relatively inexpensive tool that’s easy to recommend. I’m not about to reopen my Etsy shop anytime soon, but for the first time in a while, I want to keep creating.