This is a sponsored post about upcycled materials written by me on behalf of Cricut. All opinions and thoughts are mine. This post contains affiliate links.
I’ve said it a million times: I absolutely LOVE my Cricut. And the biggest reason I love it is that it’s so easy to personalize, update, or create. I’m an upcycler at heart and the Cricut Explore Air 2 and Cricut Maker can cut all kinds of upcycled materials. It’s the most versatile craft product on the market and I think every crafter should have one. {There are also some other great items that an upcycler can add to their Cricut stash so be sure to check out the Cricut gift guide for upcyclers that I shared in the past.}
Cutting Unique Materials with a Cricut Machine
When cutting non-traditional items with a Cricut, if the material isn’t in the list in settings, choose a material similar in thickness. You may need to experiment with a scrap piece in order to test settings and blades and see whether you need additional pressure or multiple pass throughs.
Cardboard Boxes
With all the online shopping many of us do, boxes are a common item in houses. And some of those boxes are pretty great, with decorated and patterned interiors {Bath & Body Works has a blue gingham interior on their boxes and other brands also have fun patterned boxes}. I love to keep those ones and use them as upcycled materials. Need some inspiration? Check out the monogram gift topper I made with a patterned box.
Don’t overlook those plain old cardboard boxes though. They can be painted or decoupaged to add a little color and pattern.
To cut cardboard, use a light grip cutting mat, a deep point blade, and select flat or corrugated cardboard in settings.
Cereal Boxes
Do your kids go through cereal as fast as mine do? Don’t ignore pantry items when it comes to upcycled materials. That thin cardboard is perfect for crafting. With a little paint, you can turn a cereal or tissue box into something adorable, like a cuckoo clock {yep, really}. Gift tags, cake toppers, and anything you’d make with chipboard or kraft board can also be made with a cereal box.
To cut cereal boxes, use a standard grip cutting mat, the deep point blade, and select poster board in settings. I’ve also cut cereal boxes using the fine point blade but you may need to do an extra pass, depending on the thickness.
Aluminum Cans
There are so many colorful aluminum cans on the market and they’re perfect for crafting! Sparkling water cans, like Bubly and La Croix, are some of my favorites because of the basic branding and bright colors. The cans can be snipped open, laid flat on a cutting mat, and cut into shapes or letters. I used soda can flowers to embellish a fall wreath and they added a really fun and creative element!
To cut aluminum cans, use a strong grip cutting mat, the fine point blade, and select aluminum in settings.
Leather Scraps
You can sometimes find leather scraps among craft items at the thrift store but you can also upcycle leather garments like belts or old wrecked leather jackets that can’t be worn any longer. Be sure the leather isn’t too thick or cutting will be difficult. Scraps of leather are perfect for creating vase wraps, luggage tags, or gift tags.
To cut leather, use a strong grip cutting mat {you may also want to use tape to hold the leather down}, move the star wheels all the way to the side, use a knife blade or deep point blade, and select leather in settings.
Fabric
So much donated clothing ends up in landfills so reusing the clothing as fabric is a great way to recycle. You can cut bonded fabric with the Cricut Explore Air 2 or unbonded fabric with the Cricut Maker. Use it to create unique signs, add a monogram to clothing or other fabrics, or decoupage onto gift bags.
To cut fabric, use a fabric cutting mat, the rotary blade on a Cricut Maker or fine point blade on the Cricut Explore Air 2, and select fabric in settings.
Paint Chips
Paint chip craft ideas have been circulating on pinterest for years but did you know you can cut them with your Cricut machine? Lay them on a cutting mat, like you would with cardstock, and select an image that fits the size of the paint chip. They can be repurposed into super cute flower magnets or tags!
To cut paint chips, use a standard grip cutting mat, a fine point blade, and select poster board in settings.
Plastic Bags
I have to add one more fun idea. This repurposed item isn’t cut with a Cricut machine but plastic bags are still worth including because they can be cut with Cricut hand tools. {If you haven’t checked out the hand tools, they’re worth taking a look because they add versatility to your crafting arsenal.}
Most of us have piles of plastic bags in a stash in the pantry. They’re great for reusing as bags but they can also be cut into strips, and used as yarn {also called plarn}. For those of us that love to knit or crochet, this opens up a whole new world of possibilities. What could be better than crafting and saving the planet all in one project {wink}? For some inspiration, check out the coffee cuff knit with plarn as well as a market bag that can be knit or crocheted with upcycled materials.
Embellishing Upcycled Materials with a Cricut
In case you love to repurpose as much as I do, I want to include some inspirational ideas for upcycled materials that can be embellished with a Cricut machine.
Sometimes the difference between average and amazing is a simple embellishment. I love to find inexpensive items at the thrift store or a junk sale and use my Cricut machine to add a personal touch.
Adding vinyl to almost anything is a quick and easy {and almost instant} improvement. I’ve added vinyl to thrift store knives to create garden markers, used it to create a stencil for etching a wine bottle catchall dish, created a sign with vintage wallpaper, made place cards out of magnolia leaves, and transformed an old thrift store painting.
Iron on and infusible ink are also a fun and easy way to embellish repurposed projects. I’ve added a monogram to a jeans pocket coffee cuff and made gift tags out of coasters,
When it comes to creative upcycling, the only limit is your imagination! What have you embellished or upcycled lately?
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