This gift guide is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine. This blog post contains affiliate links.
Do you like to upcycle and repurpose? I love to hit up the thrift store, or haul something out of someone’s trash pile, and transform it, usually with a little paint or the help of my Cricut machine. If you’ve been thinking about getting a Cricut machine, I thought it would be fun to share a Cricut gift guide for the upcycler. These are some of my favorite must-have items for transforming trash into treasures and adding a personal touch to thrifted finds.
Must-Have Cricut Products for the Upcycler
If you’re asking for Cricut products or giving them to a few lucky souls this season, these are my favorites … and I’ve got you covered for ideas from the big stuff down to stocking stuffers!
Cricut Maker
I love the Cricut Maker because its cutting capabilities are so broad. It can cut wood, aluminum, fabric, cereal boxes, and so many other items, making it insanely versatile for enhancing and upcycling items. I’ve used my machine to upcycle a cereal box into a cuckoo clock and to add fabric monograms to upcycled placemat stockings. Having a Cricut Maker in your crafting arsenal makes it so easy to personalize and update big and small items.
The Maker is the top of the line but, if you’re looking for a more affordable version, the Cricut Explore Air 2 is also an amazing machine {check out the things I love about the Cricut Explore Air 2} and can cut more than a hundred items. I’ve even used it to cut aluminum cans to make flowers for a wreath!
Cricut Access Yearly Subscription
If you know someone who loves using their Cricut, whether they’re upcycling or crafting, give the gift of a Cricut Access yearly subscription. Cricut Access is exactly as it sounds: access to over 100,000 images {with more added regularly}, hundreds of fonts, ready-to-make projects, plus discounts on everything Cricut. I love my subscription and love being able to find any image I need in Cricut Design Space without having to pay extra for it. The subscription allows you to use any of the fonts that have the green ‘a’ next to them, allowing so much more creativity!
Rotary Blade
The rotary blade, an interchangeable blade for the Cricut Maker, came out a couple of years ago and it’s one of my favorite items. It has a gliding, rolling action which allows it to cut through fabric and other soft, delicate materials like tissue paper and cork. With a regular blade, tissue paper tears as you cut through it but the rotary blade cuts through flawlessly and was the perfect tool when I made the upcycled tissue paper wall art in my daughter’s room.
If you like thinking outside the box and creating projects with materials beyond vinyl and iron-on, a rotary blade is a great thing to have in the supply stash.
Vinyl
Vinyl is one of the best, and easiest, ways to create and update. You can not only add vinyl to projects {like I did with these thrifted knife garden markers and upcycled magnolia leaf placecards} but you can also create stencils and use them to make signs from old cabinet doors or add a design to a piece of furniture. I’ve used the stencil technique in the past to make a cabinet door and spindle pantry sign, an upcycled vintage oil painting sign, and an etched catchall made from a wine bottle.
Vinyl is such a simple way to add instant personalization.
Transfer Paper
If you love vinyl, you also need a supply of transfer paper and I recommend having both regular transfer paper and strong grip transfer paper in your stash. Wrap up a roll along with a roll or two of colorful vinyl and you’ll have a gift that any crafter or upcycler would love.
Iron On
Like vinyl, iron-on makes it so quick and easy to alter hats, shoes, tote bags, or other clothing items. I’ve used it to add a monogram to a jeans pocket coffee cuff and a necktie coffee cuff and I’ve completely updated a regular pair of tennis shoes into the cutest cactus shoes! You can even use it on a wood surface which means you can grab those old signs at the thrift store, add a coat of paint, and use iron-on to create your own wall art.
EasyPress 2 and EasyPress Mat
If you’re using iron on, the EasyPress 2 is a must. It comes in a variety of sizes and it takes iron on to a whole new level in terms of staying power.
I used to avoid using iron-on because it just wouldn’t last well when I was adhering it with my regular iron. The EasyPress 2 has a consistent temperature and a timer and those features make the iron-on game so much better. I’ve had flawless results since I started using it. And now, you can even get an EasyPress Mini which is perfect for adding monograms to stuffies or updating shoes and hats. Don’t forget the EasyPress mat as well!
Pens
I don’t think any crafter should be living without Cricut pens {wink}. I have a bit of a love affair with them and use them to make tags and labels all the time. You can update metal thrift store baskets with magnetic labels or simply add a cardstock label to books and baskets.
Fabric
I live in the South so naturally I love adding monograms to all the things {wink}. Both the Cricut Maker and the Cricut Explore Air 2 can cut fabric {it just has to be bonded fabric with the Explore Air 2} so adding fabric embellishments is easy. I’ve used placemats to make stockings and then added monograms and I’ve upcycled plain gift bags into personalized gift wrap by adding fabric. Cricut fabric comes in bundles with a few coordinating pieces of fabric which makes it really easy to craft and create.
Rotary Cutter and Mat
Whether you sew, craft, or upcycle, you need the Cricut hand tools, especially the rotary cutter, self-healing mat, and the acrylic ruler. I use them all the time and they’re a must-have if you want to slice thrift store shirts to make a market bag or to upcycle plastic grocery bags into a coffee cuff. The rotary cutter and ruler make simple cuts so quick and easy and I often opt for these tools over scissors.
Those are some of my favorite items for the art of upcycling. What do you use your Cricut for and what are your must-have items?
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