![]() ![]() If you’re sensing a theme of extra add-ons here, you’re not wrong. We found a 3-foot roll of Smart Iron-On on sale for $8.99, a 3-foot roll of permanent Smart Vinyl for $4.79 and a pack of Smart Paper Sticker Cardstock for $8.39. (Definitely take advantage of the free 30-day trial first.)Īs mentioned, the Explore 3 also requires “smart materials.” These are specially designed rolls and sheets of vinyl, cardstock, iron-on paper and more that are made to be fed directly into the Explore 3 feeder, with no special mat needed, as other Cricut versions require. It gives you unlimited access to 200,000-plus images, 700-plus fonts and more, plus 10% off purchases and exclusive deals. If you plan to use your Cricut a lot, you’ll likely want to subscribe to Cricut Access for $9.99 per month. It includes a large selection of images, fonts and ready-to-make projects - and also allows you to upload your own images and fonts. A fine-point blade and a few sheets of practice material are included in the box, but you will need to download Design Space, the company’s free app for Windows and Mac (and iOS and Android). Hooking up the machine takes no time at all: Just plug it in and connect it wirelessly via Bluetooth or use the USB cord to plug it into your computer. ![]() It also features a handy little docking stand to hold your phone or tablet and a built-in cubby to store some of the tools you’ll need to buy separately (more on that later). At 22.2 inches wide by 7 inches deep by 5.9 inches high (and weighing 11 pounds), it requires a relatively small space and is light enough to easily move around if you don’t have a designated crafting area. It seems a bit silly to call a cutting machine pretty, but the Explore 3 comes in the loveliest shade of soft mint green and, right out of the box, just made us smile. To see if we could use the product to up (or even, honestly, start) our crafting game, we put the Cricut Explore 3 to the test. The machine also features a pen feature to draw fonts, designs and patterns on your materials. The Explore 3 also works twice as fast as its predecessor, the Explore Air 2, and can make projects 12 inches wide by a whopping 12 feet long - great for porch signs, for banners or to cut several logos at once to make multiple iron-on T-shirts for, say, a family reunion. They generally cost a couple of bucks more than “everyday” materials, but - here’s the good news - they feed directly into the machine without the need for a mat. If you’ve been using an earlier model, you will need to invest in new “smart materials” for the Explore 3. These cuts can then be used to create stickers, greeting cards, iron-ons, signs and so much more right from the comfort of home. With three current models (the petite Cricut Joy, the popular Explore series and the pricier, made-for-serious-crafters Maker series), Cricuts look a lot like printers but are really smart die cutters that can make precision cuts on more than 100 materials - delicate foils, vinyl, cardstock, cork, fabric, glitter paper or even balsa wood - all at lightning speed. If the well-stocked Cricut aisle at your local Michaels or other craft supply store is any indication, the machines have become extremely popular. Your CNN account Log in to your CNN account ![]()
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