This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Cricut. All opinions are 100% mine.
I recently got the Cricut Explore Air 2 Machine, and I have to say I wish I had gotten it sooner. With the holidays fast approaching and being at home more than normal this machine is getting a lot of use. The Cricut Explore Air 2 is a cutting machine that can cut a wide range of materials, and it continues to surprise me with everything it can do. It’s perfect for any crafter, designer, blogger to make home decor projects, crafts, personalized gifts and so much more.
Here are 5 things I’m loving about my Cricut Explore Air 2 machine.
CRICUT EXPLORE AIR 2 EASY TO USE
1) The Cricut Explore Air 2 is simple to use for a beginning crafter and it's also perfect for a more experienced maker/designer. The Cricut Explore Air 2 has an easy learning curve and was up & running in no time the first time I used it. I was able to make custom water bottles for my newly engaged sister easily andit was fun to see how surprised she was when she opened them. If you are a more experienced designer you can also upload your own design files from illustrator, procreate or other programs as it supports a variety of vector files. It cuts the most detailed intricate designs flawlessly and it’s 2x faster than the previous version.
CRICUT EXPLORE AIR 2 MATERIALS
2) You may be wondering what materials I can cut with my Cricut Explore Air 2. The Cricut Explore Air 2 can cut over 100 different materials, from paper and cardstock to specialty vinyls, htv and foils. There are new Cricut materials constantly being released on Cricut.com. I’ve been loving the wide range of iron on products they offer - my favorite is the glitter vinyl, holographic vinyl and iron-on infusible inks. What I love about the iron-on materials is it takes your project to the next level with a clean finished look.
CRICUT DESIGN SPACE
3) The Cricut Explore Air 2 machine uses a program called the Cricut Design Space. The interface is easy to use and you can upload your own designs or pick from a selection of wonderfully designed projects ready to make. I love creating my own designs, but when I want to make something fast you can search the design space for a lot of great options. There are free cut files available as well as unlimited access to designs for a small monthly fee. All the projects here are using existing designs except for my daughters names which I personalized myself.
PERFECT FOR UPCYCLING & CUSTOMIZING
4) I love to upcycle projects. From finding different items in my house that could use a refresh, to thrifting items that can be used as blanks for vinyl. There’s nothing better than finding something where you can see the potential to give it a 2nd life and make it better. I’ve been using the Cricut Explore Air 2 to upcycle some of my kids t-shirts, make trendy pencil pouches, and personalize water bottles and reusable canvas bags. The Cricut can help transform your project and make it one of a kind.
GREAT DESIGN
5) The Cricut Explore Air 2 looks as good as it cuts. I love good design. The attention to detail that went into designing this cutting machine is very apparent. The design of the machine is sleek, it’s intuitive to use and I’m happy to have it out on display on my desk at all times and ready to use. Some extra features include bluetooth so you can use it wirelessly if needed, there is a big knob so you can easily select the material, and an option to select for fast mode for cutting. There is a space built in to hold extra tools such as scissors or weeders which are convenient to grab when using the machine. You can also use it with a pen to have it draw as well as cut. It comes in a range of colors - but the mint color is my favorite and matches my home decor.
Here is one projects I made recently with the Cricut Explore Air 2
While I was browsing designs in the Cricut Design Space I found the rise & shine lettering design that would be perfect to put on a pencil pouch. I used the cricut makeup bag blanks for this, but you could also use a different pouch or bag.
I'm loving all things holographic right now - so I choose the StrongBond Holographic Iron-On vinyl Miami Sampler 3 pack. Once I picked out the design I selected the correct settings on my Cricut Explore Air 2 to cut the design. Since the design will be ironed on the bag it needs to be mirrored when cut. You can easily mirror it in the Cricut Design Space.
The Next step is to weed out the excess holographic vinyl to reveal the quote to transfer. The Cricut Weeding Tool Kit makes removing the extra tiny pieces of vinyl from your design easy. The design will still be mirrored until it's transferred on.
Once the design is ready to transfer you can prepare your bag to iron on the design. I used the Cricut EasyPress 2 Iron & Cricut EasyPress Mat to transfer the design. Cricut.com has a Heat Guide on their site where you put in the type of material that you are using, type of fabric, your machine and and it tells you exactly how long and what temp you need to transfer the design. You can use a regular iron as well.
The Cricut EasyPress 2 heat guide and machine take the guesswork out of transferring your designs and heats up quickly to use.
Once the design is cool to the touch you can remove the clear transfer sheet to reveal your design.
Love how this one turned out! Hoping it gives my daughter that extra motivation as she starts school each day.
I'd love to hear your favorite projects and things about your Cricut Machines or any questions you have.
