5 Easy Ways to Organize your Home with Cricut Joy

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Cricut. All opinions are 100% mine.

Have you seen all the fun posts and projects made with the new Cricut Joy? I was so excited to tear the box open on mine and get creating. I was already excited about the new machine but actually getting hands-on with it and seeing all the neat features got me even more excited. I whipped up a few fun projects and wanted to share these five easy ways to organize your home with Cricut Joy.

We’re inside for the time being and it’s the perfect time to catch up on some projects or household tasks. Reorganize that linen closet, label all the containers in the pantry, or sort through the kids’ rooms. Cricut Joy is small enough to easily be carried from room to room so you can use it to help you get the house in tip-top organizational shape!

What to Know About Cricut Joy

New machines can sometimes feel a bit overwhelming and I love that Cricut makes it so easy to jump in to the latest designs. Cricut Joy is no different … and even simpler to use than the other machines.

You simply plug it in and it automatically turns on.

Cricut Joy uses bluetooth pairing so when you first unpack this compact smart cutting machine you’ll have to go into your computer settings, add a device under bluetooth , select Cricut Joy, and you’ll be ready to go. If you’re using a phone, the bluetooth settings should automatically pair it.

This little machine even has its own tote, with a special spot for cords, so you can easily carry it outside the home for crafting nights, scrapbook retreats, or on-the-go projects. I think it would be a dream for professional organizers!

With its unique features including mat-free and long cuts, the Cricut Joy is the perfect companion to the Cricut Maker or Explore Air 2.

I tested it out with a few different projects and materials and I can’t wait to show you why it’s the perfect tool for home organization! You can grab your Cricut Joy, set it on the kitchen counter, a coffee table, or a bedroom dresser, and whip up any of these projects in fifteen minutes or less!

Easy Ways to Organize Your Home with Cricut Joy

Customized Notebook Labels

I’ll admit I’m super Type A but I love to label everything. And the cuter the label, the better.

In my real estate business, I have a notebook where I write all kinds of information and ideas and it’s vital to my existence but the cover is plain and ugly … with a brand name in the lower corner. It’s totally fine but I’d much prefer a cute label on the cover.

Using Smart Label Writable Vinyl {one of my absolute favorite Cricut Joy materials} and Cricut pens, I created a really simple label to cover the branding on the notebook cover.

If you’ve read other Cricut posts I’ve written, you already know how much I love the pens so I was really happy that Cricut Joy can also use pens. Writable Vinyl isn’t compatible with metallic markers or gel pens though so be sure you’re using the right ones. There’s a whole variety of Cricut Joy-compatible pen types with different line weights so you can write and draw in a variety of styles.

I created a label template in Cricut Design Space and you can modify this label to suit any of your notebooks by changing the key to another image, altering the text, or adding designs. Or you can use it as is.

If you alter the design, be sure you select the cut lines and the draw lines, as desired, then attach the image together so the machine will create it properly.

When you send the design to the machine to make it, you’ll use the Writable Vinyl without a mat. {Cricut Joy has a whole pile of brand-new materials that don’t require a mat so you have less to buy, fewer steps, and quicker results.}

The machine detects when you insert the material and pulls it in rather than pressing a feed button. There’s also no go button on the Cricut Joy like there is on the other machines. Instead, you press go on your computer or device.

As with all the Cricut machines, you’ll be prompted to insert the right pen or blade as the project is being created.

Once the design is complete, you’ll be prompted to unload the material.

Transfer tape can destroy the surface of the Writable Vinyl so just use your fingers to peel it off the backing …

… and place it on your project.

Making your own labels is so quick and easy and a really fun way to customize any book. My girls can’t wait to add some cute labels to the covers of their school books.

Customized File Folder Labels

Using the same technique that I used to create the notebook label, I also created coordinating labels for my file folders. Again, if you want to use the labels for another business, simply modify them and add an image that suits your business.

You’ll have to detach the image first before you can make the changes. If you change the image, don’t forget to attach it again before sending it to the machine.

Rather than writing on the labels, I left them blank and will hand write in the empty space, depending what I use the folders for.

Customized School or Art Caddy

In our home office or study, we have a school or art caddy that we use to hold supplies that everyone uses: pencil crayons, sharpies, glue sticks, scissors. It’s full of all the things that we regularly use for school or art projects. And now that the kids are home from school for a while, this will be used like our old homework caddy.

I love the color of this caddy but I thought it would help it stay organized if the kids always knew which space was supposed to house each item so I decided to add cute pictures to the front of the caddy.

I used the Cricut Joy along with Smart Vinyl and transfer tape.

I found all of the coordinating images in Cricut Design Space and simply adjusted the size and direction of each.

Smart Vinyl can also be cut without a mat. It may seem like no big deal but it really does speed up the project when you can eliminate the step of carefully placing the vinyl on a mat.

Once cut, I used weeding tools to get rid of the pieces I wouldn’t need …

… then placed transfer tape over the designs …

… and adhered them to the front of the caddy. I placed a piece of tape across the top of the caddy to make it easy to apply all the images at the same height.

The white vinyl looks so cute against the distressed turquoise finish …

… and I’m hoping this will stop the kids from sticking crayons in with sharpies. But probably not {wink}.

Pantry Labels

With the same technique, using vinyl, I’ve labeled most of the containers in my pantry.

The labels can be created using text or images and Cricut Design Space even has a whole pile of ready-made pantry labels that are really cute.

Since it’s so easy to move the Cricut Joy around, you can set it up on a kitchen counter right next to the pantry, and get the job done all in one spot.

Craft Closet Labels

Years ago, I used my Cricut to make magnetic labels for the containers in the craft closet. I still love them but as my younger kids have gotten older and are using more and more things in my craft closet, they’ve been knocking the magnetic labels askew, or off altogether. I decided to clean and organize my craft closet and update the labeling system.

I used Deluxe Paper with adhesive backing {a new product for the Cricut Joy} along with orange vinyl to create these labels.

To make the labels in Cricut Design Space, I inserted a label image then added text.

I used one of my favorite fonts, birthday bash. It’s chunky and a bit whimsical and I use it all the time! If you want to see some of my other favorite Cricut fonts, be sure to click on that link to see a post I recently wrote.

To ensure the sizing is correct, center the text over the label and adjust as needed. Don’t attach the layers because you want them to cut separately from two different materials.

Before I got this machine, I wondered whether I could use regular vinyl with the Cricut Joy. I know most of us have a huge stash and the idea of spending more money on supplies might be daunting to some. The answer is yes! You can use all of your regular Cricut vinyl with the Cricut Joy! Simply cut a piece to fit the mat {or a smaller piece if you’re cutting a small design} and use it along with the Cricut Joy standard grip cutting mat.

When you’re making a project, you’ll be prompted to select the way the materials will be loaded.

Cut the materials, apply the vinyl text to the label {I went with a colorful print because I can’t get enough color but a neutral label would look great, if that’s more your style} …

… and apply the adhesive label to the front of the bins or buckets. I love this adhesive-backed paper and think it would be ideal for scrapbooking and card making!