If you are new to the world of Cricut, let us be the first to welcome you! The Cricut Maker 3 is the ultimate tool for anyone with a creative heart who wants to bring their imaginings to life. The Cricut Maker 3 can tackle anything from adding vinyl graphics to shirts to a new acrylic calendar for your wall — but first, you need these few Cricut Maker essentials.
While we love a good paper craft now and then, here at Saltsy we’re most interested in projects that can add style and flair to our home decor. This blog post is all about the top tools for the Cricut Maker that will help you tackle projects that elevate your interiors one handmade treasure at a time!
1. The Knife Blade
Cricut is known for its ability to cut more heavy-duty surfaces such as balsa wood or leather. This makes it an amazing tool for home decor projects, but you will need the right blade to make these projects. Get a Cricut Knife Blade & Drive Housing to keep with your supplies. This will thick, dense materials such as balsa wood, Cricut Chipboard, leather, and craft foam up to 2.4mm.
2. Rubbing Alcohol & Baby Wipes
These surprising essential tools are actually really basic supplies that you likely have lying around your home.
We find that using rubbing alcohol to clean the surfaces of our blank projects before adding our creative embellishments makes all the difference. It preps your surface by removing any dust or fingerprints, which can be hard to see but will affect how well your Cricut art sticks over time. Test to make sure the surface won’t be damaged by the rubbing alcohol, then apply a small amount to a cotton ball and gently wipe down the area where you’ll be applying your Cricut artwork. Allow the surface to dry completely before applying your design.
Baby Wipes are also handy to have around. They are perfect for cleaning off your Cricut mats after a project. Trust us, after you cut your first chipboard puzzle, that mat will need a good cleaning!
3. A 12 x 24 StrongGrip Mat
Many home decor projects are larger than a design you might create for, say, a greeting card. To get a nice, continual cut get a 12 x 24 size of the Cricut StrongGrip mat. This is the best way to make larger projects, like a cute wooden Welcome Wreath:
4. Masking or Painter’s Tape
This is a game-changing tool when you’re cutting out thick materials. You need to secure all the edges of the material you are cutting to your mat; even if you are using a Cricut StrongGrip Mat, the tape adds extra stability necessary to prevent shifting when cutting. There is nothing worse than having your project all ready to be made only to discover you can’t find tape anywhere — trust us, get a roll that lives in your craft room!
Get Inspired to Start Creating Cricut Decor!
Now that we have shared a few of our Cricut Maker essentials we can’t resist a project roundup to help you get inspired! You can use your Cricut Maker for home decor projects from custom coasters to creative furniture accents. What will you make? Here are some creative Cricut projects that we’re loving right now:
Personalized Planter Labels
Wouldn’t it be cute to make your own custom planter labels?! Cricut Chipboard, Acrylic, or Balsa Wood would be the perfect choice for this project.
Custom Coasters
The possibilities are endless for making custom coasters! You could cut out shapes with balsa wood or chipboard, add vinyl embellishments to marble tiles, and more.
Home Signs
How cute is this house number sign? You can make your own welcome signs, house number signs, and more! Use your imagination to incorporate your own style.
Add Vinyl to Mirrors
Create your own messages and affirmations to add to your mirror! Be sure to use Cricut Removable Vinyl if you don’t want the message to be a permanent fixture.
Accent Furniture
Embellish your accent furniture with a personal touch. We love this cute table and could see using our Cricut to make a custom Chess or Checkers table or adding fun shapes and colors to children’s furniture. This is a great way to spruce up thrifted pieces and make them feel like your own!
Wall Art
Make your own wall art! We love this tutorial from Michelle’s Party Plan It. This would be so cute hanging in a craft room.