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

If you have heard of the Cricut Maker before, then you know exactly how amazing this machine can be. If you haven’t, then be prepared for your mind to be blown.

I’m excited for you to learn all about it today, so let me tell you my 5 reasons why I love my Cricut so you can start having some fun too.

5 Things I Love About My Cricut Maker

1. It’s so easy to use!

I will admit that I was very intimidated when I got my Cricut Maker. Finally, after a few days of it sitting in the box, I decided it was time to hook it up. It’s so easy you literally just have to get it out of the box, plug it in, connect your computer and pull up Design Space. I was creating within minutes and have been addicted ever since!

2. Design Space

Design Space® is super easy to use and is available for iOS, Android™, Windows®, and Mac®. There are lots of make-it-now projects especially made for the Maker and its new features. I love that I can search for any project idea and find tons of inspiration. Then all I have to do is click “Make It” and the project comes to life so easily.

 

I can go right into the image folder and search “School” and instantly there are TONS of designs, ready to cut. Design Space has so many designs in a wide variety of styles, so you don’t get the same thing every time.

3. Personalize Everything

I always loved personalizing all the things. Once we moved to the South it’s definitely a way of life here, from shirts to notebooks and everything in between. The possibilities are endless. I can put my monogram on everything I own if I want to and give personalized gifts for holidays. The list goes on and on!

 

4. It makes party decorating so easy

I love planning parties and making my own decorations but now that I have my Cricut Maker making party decorations is so much easier! I can customize decorations to match any theme.

 

The Maker cuts over 300 different materials, from the most delicate fabric and paper to vinyl and leather. There are so many options when it comes to creating party decorations. My sister’s 21st birthday was a few weeks after I got my Cricut so I had to make her something for her party. I used a bucket from the Dollar Tree and made a decal with white vinyl for the words. Then I cut out embossed paper with the Cricut to make the flowers and the big 2 1 to stick out of the bucket. It was so easy and only took a few minutes!

5. Infusible Ink

I saved my favorite for last! I am absolutely obsessed with Cricut’s infusible ink. Infusible ink is basically an ink transfer product. The transfer sheets are made of a dry ink product, and when high heat is applied, the ink is actually transferred into (not onto) the base material.

 

Infusible Ink won’t ever peel, fade, crack, or warp – it actually becomes part of the shirt (or other blanks) that you’re using! There are SO many possibilities with Infusible Ink, and the results are incredible!

How To Use Infusible Ink

I want to show you how to use Infusible Ink for ceramic coasters, they are probably my favorite blank to use for the infusible ink.

Start by creating your design for your coasters in Cricut Design Space. If you are making your own design, the coasters are 3.5″ x 3.5″, so take that size into consideration. The coasters in the Cricut Image Library are sized properly.

After you have your design click Make It in the upper right corner. When you get to the Prepare screen, make sure to mirror your image if it needs to be on your coaster a certain way (mine did because I made my monogram.) Infusible Ink is like iron-on vinyl you will need to reverse your image for it to adhere correctly to the base. Then click Continue.

In the Make screen, select Infusible Ink Transfer Sheet as your material. Make sure you have the Fine Point blade inserted.

Cut Your Design And Weed

Place your Infusible Ink transfer sheet ink side up on a cutting mat. Then insert into your machine and cut!

I learned quickly you don’t need to use your weeding tool to weed the Infusible Ink. You can sort of just bend the paper and the negative space comes off easily.

Lay Out Your Coasters For Infusible Ink And Press

Next, we are going to make a stack for the heat press. Bottom to top it goes:

• EasyPress Mat
• White cardstock (this protects your mat)
• Weeded transfer image, colored-side UP.
• Coaster, shiny side DOWN, centered on the transfer image
• Butcher paper
• EasyPress 2

The EasyPress 2 will heat your image THROUGH the coaster.

According to Cricut’s Heat Settings Guide, the time and temperature for Infusible Ink on ceramic coasters is 400° for 240 seconds. Yes, it is a full four minutes on your EasyPress. This allows the heat to go through the coaster and into the transfer sheet, sublimating it onto the coaster.

Use The EasyPress To Transfer Infusible Ink

Once your EasyPress 2 is to temperature, place it carefully on top of the stack you made. Try not to let it move the coaster, or your image might shift, this happened to me the first time I used it. Then let the EasyPress sit there for 240 seconds with no pressure.

Then you have to wait, I know you will want to see what it looks like but I promise you it is HOT! Finally, after it has cooled unpeel your ink sheet and voilà!

I am extremely impressed with the way the Infusible Ink turns out. It is definitely one of my favorite things to use with the Maker. These coasters will be perfect Christmas gifts this year!

The Cricut Maker is the ultimate professional-level cutting machine. This machine is incredible and so powerful. If you can dream of the project, then the Maker can probably help bring it to life. I can’t wait for you to try it!