Learn how to use Cricut Joy in this ultimate guide of machine tutorials and project ideas!
The Cricut Joy has been out for almost three months now and, not to be biased, but it may be my favorite Cricut machine! I love that I can make projects quickly with the Smart materials that don’t require a mat to cut. I have been labeling all the things in my house with writable vinyl Smart Labels. And don’t even get me started with how AMAZING the card mat and insert cards have been!
There are a lot of design possibilities with the Joy, but it is quite a bit different from other Cricut machines. Whether the Joy is your first Cricut or if you already have an Air 2 or Maker, you might have some questions like:
- How do I use the Joy?
- What materials can Joy cut?
- What projects can I make?
Today’s post will answer all these questions and then some! Thinking about buying the Joy and wondering what it can do? Keep reading! If you’re still debating between the Joy, Air 2 and Maker, check out this post for a side-by-side comparison of the three machines.
If you are ordering a Cricut Joy or supplies from Cricut.com, use code TFSPRING to save 10% and get FREE shipping on all $50+ orders. That’s on top of the 10% discount Cricut Access members get automatically! Not sure what Cricut Access is? Check out this post!
How Do I Use Cricut Joy?
One of the things I love about the Joy is the sleek design. Because of this design and the size of the machine, everything is controlled in Design Space. There are no buttons to load/unload or start cutting. There is also no power button. To turn your Joy on, all you have to do is plug it into the wall!
What Materials Can Cricut Joy Cut?
When Cricut Joy was released there was also some new materials that were released too! Because the Joy has the capabilities to cut without a mat, Cricut created variations of their popular materials to be cut matless. These materials are called Smart Materials (Smart Iron-On, Labels, and Vinyl) and can all be used with the Joy WITHOUT a mat!
But you can still use other materials with the Joy with a cutting mat too! There is Joy sized Infusible Ink and the new Adhesive Backed Paper. You can also cut down any material you would cut with an Air 2 and put it on either a 6″ or 12″ cutting mat. You can find different cutting mats here.
There are also Joy sized pens and markers available too! NOTE – The Joy housing is different than the other Cricut machine housings so Cricut pens you have that are NOT Joy specific won’t fit. In turn, Joy pens will not fit in an Air 2 or Maker machine.
Want to learn more about what the Joy can and can’t cut? Check out this post!
What Can I Make With Joy?
Really the design possibilities are endless with the Joy! You can cut a design up to 4.5″ wide and you can cut designs up to 48″ (FOUR FEET) long. You can cut continually for UP TO TWENTY FEET! Check out these posts below for some project ideas:
How To Use The Cricut Joy Card Mat
Five Ways To Make Labels With Joy
How To Make Custom Card Designs with Joy
Rainbow with Cricut Joy Smart Vinyl
How To Make Kitchen Labels with Smart Vinyl
I hope this gives you a better idea of what all the Joy can do and what you can make with it! Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel to check out all the video tutorials, including lots of Joy tutorials. For more Cricut projects and tutorials, check out these posts. For tips, tricks and immediate help, be sure to join our FREE Cricut Joy Help Group.
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