This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Cricut. All opinions are 100% mine.
The summer is upon us! That means no school work and lots of time on our hands.
We love to make memories and start traditions. Every summer I try to plan fun ideas and activities for my kids. Projects they can do on their own and some they can do with little assistance.
That is why I was so excited to hear about the Cricut Joy. It is the perfect cutting machine for little projects that are quick and kid friendly.
This post contains affiliate links to products I recommend. I do make a portion off any you may purchase. See full disclosure here.
What makes the Cricut Joy so perfect you might be asking? There are a lot of reasons actually, but to answer that question, there are a few other questions we need to address first.
What is the Cricut Joy?
The Cricut Joy is the smallest smart cutting machine ever! That means it can fit anywhere you might need like in a small cubby, on a countertop, in the living room on a shelf. It is compact and attractive.
Since most of our kid crafting happens upstairs at the dining room table, we store our Cricut Joy on a shelf in our living room. It fits perfectly and can go behind our decor or by a part of the decor without looking off.
With it's small size, we've pulled it out for quick projects like graduation cards, kitchen labels and even made a small sign for our end of the school year parade.
With it's small size, we've pulled it out for quick projects like graduation cards, kitchen labels and even made a small sign for our end of the school year parade.
How is the Cricut Joy different from other Cricut machines?
The Cricut Joy is different from other Cricut machine not just in size, but also in the materials it can cut and it's NEW cutting mats.
The Cricut Joy uses what is called Smart Vinyl and Smart Iron-on. This vinyl is designed to be fed into the Joy without a mat!! Isn't that amazing. You don't have to have a mat to cut on the Joy with Smart Vinyl. Less supplies means you don't have to find where to store more stuff.
But what about all my "regular" vinyl? The Cricut Joy can cut that too. Just grab one of the new Cricut Joy StandardGrip or LightGrip Mats to cut your vinyl like on other Cricut cutting machines.
The Cricut Joy is also different because it has a new design that cuts professional looking cards in a matter of minutes. With the beautiful Cricut Joy Card Inserts kits and the new Cricut Card Mat, you can cut cards for any occasion right from home. You just add the card to the mat and send it to cut. I'll show you more in just a bit.
The Cricut Joy is also designed to cut long projects. In fact, you can cut up to 20 feet of repeated designs on the joy. Just feed that Smart Vinyl into the machine and let it cut.
You can also write with the Cricut Joy. With various pen types and weights, you can still create beautiful text using the Cricut Joy.
That means the Cricut Joy can do what other Cricut cutting machines can do, but it is smaller, easier to transport and perfect for all the little projects you need to get done.
That means the Cricut Joy can do what other Cricut cutting machines can do, but it is smaller, easier to transport and perfect for all the little projects you need to get done.
How does the Cricut Joy work?
It is super easy. Open Design Space on your phone or computer. Use the Bluetooth feature to connect your device to your Joy. Select your project and cut!
It really is that simple.
Maybe you are thinking to yourself, I already have a cutting machine. Why do I need the Joy?
I debated the same thing. But I finally gave in and I am so glad that I did. Since getting my Cricut Joy, my kids and I have pulled it out to make t-shirts, cards and vinyl signs. We've busted out last minute birthday cards and decor.
And since it is tied directly to my phone, we don't even need to connect to the computer. Plus, there are tons of designs in Design Space already that you can open and cut with right away.
Let me share with you these 3 little Cricut Joy projects I did with my kids so far this summer.
Easy Cricut Joy Projects
#1 - Little Tees with Cricut Joy
Making a t-shirt was never easier. With Cricut Smart Iron-on, you simply load the vinyl and cut. It is super fast and kids will love creating their own designs.
Materials Needed
- Unicorn Design - grab it in Cricut Designs Space
- Holographic Smart Iron-on Vinyl
- Cricut Joy
- Cricut EasyPress or Iron
- Weeding Tool
Step 1
Open up unicorn design in Cricut Design Space. Feed the Holographic Smart Vinyl into the machine. No need for the mat.
Follow to promptings on your device and start cutting.
Step 2
Remove design from Cricut Joy and weed.
Step 3
Place design on your t-shirt and press using the Cricut EasyPress 2. Learn all about the Cricut EasyPress.
Remove iron-on backing and you've got a custom tees in a matter of minutes!!!
#2 Home Decor with Cricut Joy
These are the quickest cards you will ever make. The Cricut Joy card insert sets make creating beautiful cards SO easy. Even kids can do it.
Materials Needed
- Mermaid Thing Canvas Art- grab it in Cricut Designs Space
- Cricut Smart Vinyl
- Cricut Joy
- Weeding Tool
- 8 x 10 Art Canvas
- 3-4 colors of acrylic paint
- 1 gallon sized Ziploc bag
Cut open the Ziploc bag along the two side seams. Open the bag flat and place the canvas on top of one of the sides.
Using one color of acrylic paint, add between 6-8 blobs of paint around the canvas. Repeat with all 3 or 4 colors of the paint.
Fold the top of the plastic bag over the entire canvas. Press down on the paint blobs until they all meld together.
Peel the top of the bag off the canvas. Allow to drive completely.
Send your cut file to the Cricut Joy.
Weed your cut design and add transfer tape.
Step 5
Carefully place the weeded design onto your painted canvas. Now you've got a fun piece of art you can hang in a bedroom or give as a fun gift to a friend.
#3 Quick Cards with Cricut Joy
One of the fun projects we took on this year is having pen pals for all 3 of the kids. They've really enjoyed not only getting mail, but coming up with what to send to their pen pal.
The Cricut Joy made this process some much more fun. Each of the kids was able to pick a card design from Design Space and cut it out on the Cricut Joy. The cards are fast, unique and perfect for kids to cut and send to family and friends.
Materials Needed
- Trophy Card- grab it in Cricut Designs Space
- Cricut Joy
- Cricut Joy Card Inserts
- Cricut Joy Card Mat
- Weeding Tool
Step 1
Open Design Space and select the card you'd like to cut out. Make sure to look under Cricut Joy Insert Cards. There are loads of cards to choose from.
Step 2
Select "Make It" and open the design. Once you get to materials, select Cricut Card Insert.
Step 3
Using the Cricut Joy Card Mat, slide the Cricut Joy Card Inserts in between the plastic and the mat. I'm pretty sure this is our favorite feature of the Cricut Joy. The Card Mat really makes card making so fast.
Step 4
Load mat into the Cricut Joy. Select "Go".
Step 5
Wait patiently for the project to cut. Unload mat and weed the design.
Weeding is super easy because most of the pieces will stay on the mat.
Step 6
Place one of the inserts into the slots in all four corners of the card. You are done!! It is that easy.
Now you've got a simple and great looking card to send to that pen pal or give as a gift.
See how quick and easy those projects were! The Cricut Joy makes crafting fast, fun and super easy.
So let's revisit our talk at the beginning of the post, what makes the Cricut Joy so perfect?
It is easy to use, easy to store, and makes creating happen in minutes. It really is a perfect machine for fast, little and even last minute cutting projects.
And yes, all the Cricut machines create amazing projects. But the Cricut Joy is so easy to pull out and use for those simple and quick projects. Everyone can benefit from having one handy.
No comments
I'd love to hear from you!