Cricut, Designs

What is the Cricut Joy?

Every creator and small craft business owner is fond of new machines that help for their perfection and enhance their creativity. There are several machines in the market, but choosing the most suitable for the creators is a challenge. If you have heard about Cricut Joy and how it helps to upscale material and make it look cool, and if you want to understand the machine better before owning it. It is the best place to learn more about the Cricut Joy machine. 

What is the Cricut Joy?

If you are fond of upcycling a material, either for your use or for your business purpose or If you are fond of creating stickers, printing designs on mugs, wall hangings, curtains, and to draw on cardstocks, Greeting cards, Vinyl materials and to cut it, Cricut Joy is the machine, that is going to help you on it. It is small in size, and hence you can carry anywhere, fix it in any place and work on your project. It weighs less too.

With this tiny device creating stickers, Cards, and Labels are possible in no time. The size might fool you. But once you get comfortable using this machine, you can witness much difference in things that you create. 

The Cricut Joy has amazing features that other machines do not have, for example, without the use of Carmat making cards is possible in just less than 5 minutes. 

Cricut Joy Specifications

Compared to some other high-end machines, the Cricut Joy can meet the quality with these features and specifications. They are as follows:

 

  • The weight of the Cricut Joy is 3.9 lbs.
  • Dimensions are just less that you can carry in a bag easily: 8.4 x 5.4 x 4.2 inches (In the box).
  • Cricut Joy can cut over 50 types of materials. 
  • It connects via Bluetooth to operate. 
  • Without a Cricut Mat, it can cut many materials. 
  • Including “Smart writing vinyl”, it can draw over many types of materials. 
  • By cutting a single image up to 4.5 in x 4 ft. long at a time, by repeating the same, it cuts up to 20 ft. long.
  • By using an IOS device or a desktop computer, offline usage is also possible. 
  • Free Design Space app with the opportunity to upload your images.

What can I cut with the Cricut Joy?

There are 50+ varieties of materials in Paper and vinyl, and Cricut Joy cuts all those 50+ Varieties. Considering the size of the machine, 50 is a substantial number, I would say.

Follows a list of the materials the Cricut Joy can cut, and there is much more. 

  • Corrugated Cardboard
  • Flat Cardboard
  • Foil Poster Board
  • Glitter Cardstock
  • Medium Cardstock
  • Insert Card (Cricut Joy product)
  • Everyday Iron-On
  • Glitter Mesh Iron-On
  • Holographic Iron-On
  • Smart Iron-On
  • Cricut Infusible Ink
  • Smart Iron-On Glitter
  • SportFlex Iron-On
  • Faux Leather (Paper-thin)
  • Adhesive Deluxe Paper
  • Foiled Embossed Paper
  • Pearl Paper
  • Smart Label Writable Paper
  • Sparkle Paper
  • Shimmer Paper
  • Adhesive Vinyl
  • Dry Erase Vinyl
  • Chalkboard Vinyl
  • Premium Vinyl (frosted, holographic, etc.)
  • Party Foil
  • Window Cling

 

What can I make with the Cricut Joy?

This tiny machine assures perfection in the project, it takes over. Here is the list of its potential. 

  • Personalizing the kitchen utensils
  • Cutting vinyl type material for large horizontal decals, suitable for sticking in the walls
  • Creating Decals for small objects like a Phone case.
  • Making Cards for occasions in less than 5 minutes
  • Personalizing School supplies like Pouch, Backpacks, and Cubbies. 
  • With Iron-on and Infusible Ink, personalizing the T-shirts is also possible. 
  • Making Decals for Bikes, Cars, and Motorcycles is also possible. 

 

Cricut Joy Accessories

Cricut Joy requires Accessories in the case to achieve perfection. For example, it makes design in a minute but removing the minute pieces requires tools. 

 

Cricut Joy Blade

The Cricut Joy has a “Fine Point Blade.” The Fine point blade and housing are unique and contrast from all Cricut machines, and it’s quite tiny.

If you are unaware of Cricut machines, knowing it in more detail about help to understand. 

  • Cricut machines have the blades and housings.
  • The blade housing keeps the blade in place, and that is what you install on your machine. The blade remains at the bottom of the housing.
  • In the case of the blade turning blunt or not delivering the final product as good as in the beginning, it requires only blade change. 

 

Installing Blade on Cricut Joy

Cricut Joy has Housing, where you place the blade. 

 

To change the blade, 

  • Press the little plunge on the housing and remove it. 
  • Carefully pick up the replacement blade and insert it.

The housing is also available separately in case of any breaks. 

 

Cricut Joy Mats

Cricut Joy Mats are mats having sticky surfaces. It ensures to keep the material stable while the machine cuts them. 

Using Cricut Joy materials labelled with “Smart” does not require a sticky Cricut mat. For using general card stock and vinyl materials, Cricut mats help to achieve perfection.

 

Cricut Joy has three different types of mats.

  • LightGrip Mat – Blue: Thin materials like adhesive vinyl, copy paper, and iron-on can get a grip with this. 
  • StrandardGrip Mat – Green: Use for medium weight materials like glitter cardstock, Infusible Ink, glitter iron-on, corrugated cardboard
  • Card Mat: Use with insert cards. You can also use your paper and cut it the same size as the insert cards.

The Light grip and the StandardGrip mat are available in two sizes. 

  • 4.5 x 6.5 inches and 
  • 4.5 x 12 inches

Note: While cutting with a mat (blue or green), the design has to be smaller than 4.25 x 6.25/11.75 inches. While using the Card Mat, your design has to be smaller than 4.25 x 6 in.

 

Cricut Joy Pens

Cricut Joy Pens are specific to fit the machine; it is not suitable to fit with any other Cricut devices.

Cricut Joy Pens have a wide variety of colors and styles, including:

  • Gel Pens
  • Glitter Pens
  • Metallic Markers
  • Infusible Ink Pens & Markers

These Cricut Joy pens (except for infusible ink) are suitable to draw on “Smart Writable Vinyl” to make labels. For creating vinyl adhesives for labeling and organizing your pantry, spice drawer, kids’ toys, etc.

 

Cricut Joy Starter Tool Set

If the Cricut Joy is your first machine, getting a starter toolset helps you weed and lift your projects from your mat. It is a highly recommended tool for start-ups. 

This set has three different tools:

  • Weeder: For weeding or eliminating unwanted parts of vinyl projects.
  • Spatula: For removing delicate cuts from the Card mat. 
  • Scraper: A handy tool that helps to smooth out materials on the Cricut mat and to clean it. The scraper comes in handy while trying to adhere to the vinyl cuts for tape transfer. 

There are some other advanced tools for weeding. Check them out without fail on planning to work with a lot of vinyl materials.

 

Cricut Joy Storage Bag

Cricut Joy Storage Bag is a cute little storage bag made exclusively for Cricut Joy. It looks trendy on carrying with the Cricut Joy Storage bag. 

It’s not a necessary thing to buy, yet, if you wish to flaunt the machine, no wrong in getting it. 

 

Cricut Joy Materials

Cricut Joy Materials are nothing but the materials used in your project. For example, a vinyl sticker material.

 

Cricut Joy Insert Cards

Cricut Joy Insert Cards are one of the lovely products that Cricut has!

Card making is just fun as a cherry on a cake top with a Cricut Joy card Mat and Cricut Joy Insert cards. 

Most of the time, I make a card in my mind but fail to transfer it in physical form. By employing the Cricut Joy machine, my creativity reflects on the final product. That intrigues me to create more projects. 

Insert card packs come in several varieties at an affordable rate. When you buy in-store a single card is available for 2 – 3 dollars. 

 

How Does Cricut Joy Insert Cards work?

We want drawings and cuttings to be on the front page without touching the back one. By using an Insert card, the machine cuts only the front page of the Greeting card. 

 

Cricut Joy Smart Materials

Cricut Joy Smart Materials are meant to avoid the Card Mat. By using Cricut products named as “smart”, those materials do not require an additional mat for the support. It is just cool to use. 

 

Smart Vinyl and Iron-On

We have seen Vinyl stickers everywhere like stickers in cars, Decals, and so on. There are several varieties in Vinyl, based on the project choosing a Vinyl type is the best idea. Usually, vinyl sticks to a wide variety of surfaces. Glass, Wood, Metal, Ceramic, and also on fabrics, etc. are the surfaces suitable for Vinyl.

Vinyl based on Transferring to the surfaces differs in two types, Adhesive Vinyl and Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV). 

Adhesive vinyl: It is just like a sticker. It has an adhesive surface; it sticks to surfaces as soon as the pressure is applied after placing it on the surface. 

Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV): It is also called as Iron-on. For transferring this project into a surface, requires Ironing. For example, Iron-on Vinyl is mostly used in Fabrics. 

Smart Iron-On (Heat Transfer Vinyl): This Smart Iron-on is the Heat transfer vinyl, which does not require any Mat at the back while designing, drawing, or cutting it. 

Smart Vinyl (Adhesive): The adhesive smart vinyl does not require any card mat for drawing and cutting. It comes in 20 feet in height. 

Adhesive Vinyl requires Transfer tape, to transfer the cut product to the surfaces. Cricut Joy also has Transfer tape in their product lists suitable for Cricut Joy Adhesive Vinyls and smart vinyl. 

 

Smart Writable Vinyl

Smart Writable Vinyl is an Interesting product from Cricut. Because, in general, writing on Vinyl material is impossible. Cricut claims that the Cricut Joy Smart Writable Vinyl can be used for writing, and it is capable of holding the design life long. 

 

Cricut Joy Adhesive-Backed Deluxe Paper

It is just like a sticker. You design it, cut it, and paste it over the objects that you want to upscale. 

 

I am ready to use the Cricut Joy – How Do I Get Started

The above-listed products might look like a big list, and you might feel exhausted to even read it. But when your end-product needs to be awesome, some effort is essential.

  • Cricut Joy
  • Cricut Card Mat
  • Light Grip Mat
  • Standard Grip Mat
  • Cricut Pens – Buy Gold and Silver, which is suitable for both light and dark colors. 
  • Insert Cards Variety Pack – Choose one. 
  • Smart Vinyl: Choose a color that you like most and suitable for your project. 
  • Smart Writable Vinyl – When you want to personalize 
  • Smart Iron-On: If your project involves fabric, choose Smart Iron-on in the required color. 
  • Infusible Ink. Go through the guide about Infusible Ink, before buying it. 

I bet, when you have completed a project, you keep buying things and playing with the Cricut Joy machine just like any other kid got it’s a favorite toy.

 

Pros and Cons of the Cricut Joy

Every machine has Pros and Cons, and this machine is not exclusion. I have listed my personal opinion regarding it. Your need and my need varies, you can go through it and decide about buying it. 

 

Pros of Cricut Joy

  • Cutting cards do not take over five minutes with Cricut Joy, Insert card, and Card mat. 
  • Make your label yourself by drawing, and cutting smart vinyl. 
  • 4ft continuous cutting is possible
  • When you buy any vinyl materials, it comes as 20ft in length. 
  • Easy to carry it anywhere. Size and weight are less. 
  • It simplifies your crafting, so you get more time for creativity. 
  • Compared to other Cricut machines, this product is easy to learn. 
  • If you are not going for the big projects, Cricut Joy helps to create stuff, beautiful, perfect, and soon. 

 

Cons of Cricut Joy

  • It works only via Bluetooth devices. There are no USB ports available for using it with the devices without Bluetooth. 
  • No lengthy projects greater than 4.5 inches * 4.25 inches is possible. 
  • This Cricut Joy machine is an expensive one. You can opt for Cricut Explore Air 2 if it does not suit your budget. (Check the comparison table of Cricut Joy and Cricut Explore Air 2 on the FAQ section in this article).
  • It cannot cut larger or thicker materials. 
  •  Prices are high for the accessories on comparing the other former machines. For instance, For the price of a single 4.5 x 12 inches mat, with a two-pack 12 x 12 inches. Mat for Explore Air 2 material. So almost double the price is paid for the material here.
  • This is an excellent entry-level machine. For first-time machine owners, it is an easy to learn device, but those people can also outgrow it pretty soon when they want to scale up your projects to the next level. 

 

Would Cricut Joy be my only machine for all the needs?

Probably, not. Even after cutting a large Decals is possible. This Cricut Joy could outgrow, while always trying to use it on large projects. Most of the Iron-On projects are 6 x 6 inches minimum, for large projects, the machine is not at all suitable.

 

So, Is the Cricut Joy Worth it?

I feel that Cricut Joy is my best mate for my upscaling projects. I use it for a Hobby and play around with things in my house. It burst my stress using Cricut Joy for sure. My sister, on the other hand, borrows it (It is tiny and handy to carry, so she always borrows. Pff…) For her event planning business. 

I feel that not a penny wasted on buying the Cricut Joy. I have many machines, and I have not used any other machines so many times compared to Cricut Joy. Because of its ease of use, I get used to it.  

If you own a Cricut Maker or Explorer, there is no need to run and buy a Cricut Joy machine. I will suggest this machine for sure for first-time machine buyers. I have to tell you that it’s just a perfect companion to carry anywhere easily. And I am sure you’ll love all the things you can do with it!

It is the best choice for Students. Students can handle the machine easily and do craft projects with minimum or no guidance and improve their creativity.

 

Cricut Joy FAQ

I have covered all the topics in this article. Yet there are some questions from the readers, for which I am obliged to answer. I have listed a few important questions below. 

Please compare Cricut Joy vs. Cricut Maker & Explore Air 2

The Cricut Joy is a good machine to play with, without any doubt. Even children can easily handle the machine for their school projects. Yet, there are limitations too. Follows the comparison table as per the request of the reader. 

Feature

Joy

Explore

Maker

Air 2

Weight

3.9 lbs

16 lbs

24 lbs

Max Material

4.5 in

12 in

12 in

Width

Max Material

20 ft

24 in

24 in

Length

# Materials

50+

100+

300+

can cut

CardMat

Yes

No

No

Bluetooth

Yes

Yes

Yes

Free Design

Yes

Yes

Yes

Software

Cut

Yes

Yes

Yes

Draw

Yes

Yes

Yes

Scoring Stylus

No

Yes

Yes

Rotary Blade

No

No

Yes

Wavy Blade

No

No

Yes

Scoring Wheel

No

No

Yes

Engraves

No

No

Yes

Perforates

No

No

Yes

Debosses

No

No

Yes

USB Port

No

Yes

Yes

Print then

No

Yes

Yes

Cut

Light

Colored

 

Paper

Paper

Price

Joy

Explore

Maker

 

2. Should I get the Cricut Joy or any other Cricut machine?

The Cricut joy fits any small space in your cubbies or a bag; it is up to you based on your need. If it fits your budget, and you do not care about any large project, go for it. 

 

3. Can I Print then Cut with the Cricut Joy?

Printing is not a wise choice with this device or material. If your projects are based on printing and cutting, you can opt for Cricut Explorer Air 2 or Cricut Maker. 

 

4. Can I use Cricut Joy materials with the other Cricut Machines?

Cricut Joy uses small blades compared to other devices of the Cricut. By logic, the other machines have bigger blades, so it should cut. But the Cricut says the Cricut joy is compatible to cut several materials compared to other machines and highlights it. 

 

Practically, the materials listed in the Cricut Joy looks costlier. If you prefer to cut using other machines, why Cricut joy material? Anyway, it is your call. 

 

Check on the Bigger Machine’s compatibility of cutting the specific material that you have chosen. Because, there is a list of materials, that the Explore Air 2 or Cricut Maker can cut as per the manual. If the material you have in your hand is the same as listed in the bigger machine go for it. Otherwise, the bigger machine can cut the material of Cricut Joy for sure, but we should check on the perfection in the end-product. Because a smaller blade can cut the intricate designs compared to the larger blade. So there is a cache. You better choose simple designs, when you change the material. 

 

Note: Cricut Joy Blade, Pens, and Mats are exclusive for Cricut Joy and not suitable with any of the other machines.

 

5. Do I need a computer to use the Cricut Joy?

No, Not necessarily. There is an App in both IOS and Android, you can use it. But I prefer the desktop version, which is scalable in including the designs, compared to Mobile Apps.

 

6. Do I need an internet connection to use the Cricut Joy?

No, you don’t. Internet connection is essential just to download the software. Later, you can just use the Bluetooth to handle the drawing and cutting. 

 

7. Can the Cricut Joy Cut Fabric?

I checked on the material list, I could not see Fabrics in it. It mostly cuts the Paper and Vinyl material. As I have used the machine, I don’t think it is suitable for fabric. The blade is tiny. Do not experiment with fabric; you might end up replacing the Blade later. 

 

8. Does the Cricut Joy need a pen adapter?

No, Without the Pen adapter, the device catches the pen like a glove. 

 

9. How do I know if I can cut materials without a mat?

Cutting without a Mat can be possible for sure when you choose material listed as smart materials by Cricut. Otherwise, experiment on your own. I have some materials that I am ready to spoil. I will give a try and reply to you, soon. 

 

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