To make the most out of your Cricut machine, you'll need a healthy supply of materials. Whether you have a love for cutting intricate papercraft patterns, are looking to make some funky stickers or want to try print designs onto clothes and tote bags, you'll want to stock up on the different types of materials used in conjunction with the Cricut Maker 3, Explore, Cricut Joy, and EasyPress machines.
Our buying guide includes a list of the 10 best Cricut materials, such as blank materials and embossing materials, as well as pens, vinyl, transfers, and much more. We've also included advice on how to use them to help you get the most out of your Cricut machine. Whether you have a small business or are just a beginner looking for cheap materials to start creating your own works, you'll be able to find everything from UK sites like Amazon and John Lewis.
Quick List - Top Cricut Materials
Cricut
The Most Useful Material When Printing Designs Onto a Wide Variety of Surfaces
Cricut
Create Sets of Heat-Proof Coasters With These Circular or Square Blanks
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Table of Contents
When looking at the different Cricut materials available, you'll want to ensure they're compatible with the machine or machines you're working with. Many materials are designed to be used with several machines, while others are only compatible with specific models.
To make your lives a little easier, our buying guide lists the machines each material is compatible with and the machines and other materials they work best with. For example, a plain tote bag or t-shirt would be compatible with several machines but works best with an EasyPress machine or Infusible Ink.
There are many different types of consumable Cricut materials available for covering a wide variety of projects. We've broken these down into their most basic types so you have an easier idea of understanding what's best for you!
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Cricut Infusible Ink Transfer Sheets | ![]() | The Most Useful Material When Printing Designs Onto a Wide Variety of Surfaces | |
2 | Cricut Smart Vinyl | ![]() | Cut Out Decals and Designs Without the Need for a Cutting Mat | |
3 | Cricut Printable Vinyl | ![]() | Create Bright Vinyl Decals With Ease With This Printable Vinyl | |
4 | Cricut Ceramic & Aluminium Coaster Blanks | ![]() | Create Sets of Heat-Proof Coasters With These Circular or Square Blanks | |
5 | Cricut Ultimate Fine Point Pens | ![]() | A Pack of 30 Pens, Perfect for Intricate Designs on Paper and Card | |
6 | Cricut Classic Fine Point Pen Set | ![]() | Classic Fine Point Pen Set, Perfect for Adding Bright Colour to Your Projects | |
7 | Cricut Tote Bag Blank | ![]() | Create Unique Totes With These High-Quality Blanks | |
8 | Cricut Blank Mugs | ![]() | Mug Blanks and Boxes, the Perfect Accompaniment to the Mug Press | |
9 | Cricut Glitter Gel Pens (Joy) | ![]() | A Glittery Set of Gel Pens to Add Some Sparkle to Your Greeting Cards | |
10 | Cricut Joy Fine Point Pens | ![]() | A Great Range of Muted Coloured Pens, Perfect for Using With the Cricut Joy |
One of the most useful Cricut materials to own is Infusible Ink Transfer Sheets. These can be used with all Cricut machines and allow you to print your designs onto all manner of fabrics, ceramics, and any other materials you want to experiment with.
You can cut shapes out of it with your Maker, Explore, or Joy, use an EasyPress to print them onto tote bags or coasters, or even the Mug Press to create your own mugs! The possibilities are endless, just like the vast range of colours they come in!
If you're looking to create letters, shapes, and other designs to stick onto books, laptops, phones, walls, and any other surfaces you can think of, then the Cricut Joy Smart Vinyl is the cheapest and easiest way to get started.
Available in a wide range of colours, these rolls of vinyl are perfect for creating decals and lettering for labels. They're also a smart material, meaning that you can feed them straight into your Joy machine without the need of a cutting mat!
The Printable Vinyl from Cricut is one of the few materials that use a traditional inkjet printer to print your designs. These can then be cut out by an Explore or Maker machine or even just with a pair of hand scissors or scalpel.
It has a smooth matt surface and doesn't leave any sticky residue when applied. You can really let your imagination run wild without investing heavily in the full suite of products, which makes it a great entry point into how Cricut makes creating arts and crafts almost unbelievably easy.
Inside these packets, you will receive four coaster blanks that are either circular ceramic or square aluminium. These options provide the perfect way to easily create your own sets in a range of different designs.
Like all Cricut blanks, these are optimised for Infusible Ink transfers and are used with EasyPress machines, so you'll want to make sure you have your desired colours and styles in stock. These become one with the coasters themselves, so you won't have to worry about them peeling off.
Cricut pens are water-based, non-toxic, and acid-free, making them a great option for doodling designs onto cards and paper. These fine point pens are thinner than average, so are best suited to creating intricate patterns and delicate designs using your Explore or Maker machines.
The range of colours on offer in this 30 piece set is also suited to a more sophisticated and subtle aesthetic due to being a more pastel pallet. They dry permanently, but only after 24 hours, so you'll want to put your designs aside for a while to avoid smearing!
These colourful fine point pens are designed to fit with the Maker and Explore series of machines and are a great way to add eye-catching flourishes to stickers, labels, and greeting cards. Just make sure to leave plenty of time for everything to dry properly!
The five pens cover the primary colours you would expect and aren't too expensive when considering the quality, but you'll probably need a few more choices if you want to get really expressive with your designs.
These high-quality blank tote bags from Cricut are optimised for Infusible Ink, meaning that your designs are printed onto the fabric itself rather than something like an iron-on transfer. This means that they will not peel or crack over time like some other methods.
While it may be a little expensive for small business costs, as you only get one tote per purchase, if you're looking to create a personalised gift or a unique design for yourself, it's well worth trying out. These are also available in a larger size if you need something bigger.
If you own a Cricut Mug Press, these Blank Mugs are a must-buy for creating your personalised mug designs. The package includes two mugs and two boxes, which can be printed on to create a fully unique gift or product.
The mugs themselves are dishwasher and microwave-safe, even once printed on with Cricut's Infusible Ink, meaning that your designs won't peel or scratch off with regular washes. With these blanks, you'll be able to create long-lasting and unique designs with ease, but they're only compatible with the Mug Press, meaning they're not the most versatile material.
These three gel pens are designed to work with the Cricut Joy and are a great way to add glittery designs and flourishes to birthday and greeting cards. If you're working with papercraft, these are a great way to add some sparkle to your projects.
While certainly dazzling, the price of these three pens is on the more expensive side, and they aren't as versatile as other, plainer colours. If you're a fan of all things sparkly, though, these are well worth picking up!
Similar to the ones designed for the Explore and Maker models of machine, these fine point pens are specifically made for the smaller Joy. The pastel colours and thin nibs make them a great option for elegant, muted designs.
The Joy is often seen as a less expensive, beginner-friendly option for those looking to pick up a Cricut machine on a budget, so it's a little disappointing to see the high price tag on this item. However, if you can afford it, these are a fantastic range of pens for your miniature machine.
Written and researched by David Sexton
No. 1: Cricut |Infusible Ink Transfer Sheets
No. 2: Cricut|Smart Vinyl
No. 3: Cricut|Printable Vinyl
No. 4: Cricut|Ceramic & Aluminium Coaster Blanks
No. 5: Cricut|Ultimate Fine Point Pens
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