You know I love sharing all the latest from Cricut—I am a HUGE fan of my Cricut Explore electronic cutter. today I’m talking about their brand new Cricut Explore Air 2 (in particular I have the Air 2, but this series works for all Cricut Explore machines). I think these posts will really be helpful if you’re on the fence about getting one for yourself or if you have one and have never taken it out of the box.
WHAT IS THE CRICUT EXPLORE AIR 2 ?
The simplest explanation is that the Cricut Explore Air is a die-cutting machine (aka craft plotter or cutting machine). You can think of it like a printer; you create an image or design on your computer and then send it to the machine. It can cut paper, vinyl, fabric, craft foam, sticker paper, faux leather, and more!
The Cricut Explore is different than the older Cricut machines. Instead of cartridges, you can get access to their enormous library of cut files. You can upload and cut your own files. You can use the software on your computer or tablet, online or off. It cuts more than 100 different materials. You can also draw, score, and engrave with it.
I never cease to be amazed at the precision with which it cuts materials. Use Cricut Design Space (their online design software) to take any text or shape from the library and send it to your Cricut to be cut out. You can even upload your own designs if you want!
The Cricut Explore Air can cut materials up to 12″ wide and has a small cutting blade mounted inside the machine. When you’re ready to cut something out, you load the material onto a sticky mat and load the mat into the machine. The uses for the Cricut Explore machine are far beyond the scrapbooking sphere. If you love any type of DIY, party ideas, or crafts, you’ll love the Cricut Explore.
WHAT CAN I DO WITH THE CRICUT EXPLORE AIR 2 ?
There are TONS of things you can do with a Cricut machine! If you need something cut out (or drawn or etched or scored), odds are, the Cricut can cut it. Here are just a few project ideas:
- Iron-on vinyl for t-shirts
- Make a leather bracelet
- Paper gift boxes and tags
- Stencils for wood signs
- Vinyl quotes for coffee mugs
- Felt coasters
- Address an envelope
- Customized tote bags
- Monogrammed water bottles
- Paper flowers for bouquets
- Vinyl labels for your pantry
- Coloring pages
- Create your own wall decals
…and tons of other projects that are too numerous to list!
Hope this post helped you start to discover why you might want a Cricut Explore! I highly recommend the Cricut Explore machines! I use mine pretty much every day, and it rocks!