If you already have a Cricut Maker, you probably saw all the talk about the new Cricut Joy and wrote it off as something you don’t need. But before you swipe away from the next IG post in your feed of a Cricut Joy project, read these 5 reasons why you might actually want to have BOTH machines.
Cricut Joy has a unique app for step-by-step labels, vinyl, Iron-On and paper crafts. To get started, here’s My Exact Guide To The New Cricut Joy App.
1. Cricut Joy Is Fast To Set Up
Since it’s small, light, takes up a tiny amount of space, and doesn’t require a mat for most projects, you can literally turn it on and have your project done in 5 minutes or less.
When was the last time your Maker made a project in 5 minutes? It takes that long just to get the vinyl on the mat, watch it cut, and then remove the mat!
Cricut Joy is PERFECT for last-minute easy projects, cranking out small labels, and quick-grab projects in Design Space that you don’t plan on customizing at all.
2. Cricut Joy Insert Cards Are Exclusive To The Machine
Yes, your Maker can make the Cricut Joy card designs in Design Space, but it will require a lot more work on your end. You’ve got to align the paper just right, add score lines, switch to a score blade, and do some customization to the initial design so it comes out right. Then you’ll have to cut another piece of paper to fit exactly into the corner slots.
All that work will clock you at least 20 minutes. Cricut Joy can crank out a card, from start to finish, in just 3-5 minutes depending on the design you choose! And the card kits already come with the insert piece AND the envelopes! Plus the Cricut Joy Card Mat is pretty much the most genius thing ever invented from the company.
See how I made an adorable birthday card and customized envelope in 5 minutes in this blog post I wrote last week.
3. Waste Less Material When Doing Small Projects
I was always so annoyed when I needed to make one small design with my Maker. When I made these emergency pet window decals, I only used a little bit of vinyl, leaving a lot of vinyl leftover from the roll with an awkward rectangle cut from it.
What I really love about Cricut Joy is the material size. The rolls are 5.5″ wide, so there I so much less waste, and so much less leftover vinyl scraps.
Since I’ve had my Cricut Joy, I’ve been using it for ALL of my small projects and saving the Maker for the bigger and more detailed projects.
4. Cricut Joy Is So Easy To Transport
This is really the big one for me. If I want to make kitchen labels, I don’t have to go up and down the stairs to and from my craft room four times just to complete the project. While the Cricut Maker is a fantastic and powerful machine, it’s also big, bulky, and heavy.
Cricut Joy is like the tiny Chihuahua in the purse of the lady in line behind you at Target. It’s small, light, and quiet, and you can literally take it anywhere.
To put this into perspective, the Cricut Maker weighs over 15 pounds and is almost 2 feet wide. Cricut Joy weighs under 4 pounds and is 5×8″ in length and width!
I can (and have) used it almost every single room in my house, and with the Cricut Joy Travel Bag, I can take it to clients’ houses and craft meetups without the struggle of lugging my Maker with me.
5. You Can Use Cricut Joy & Maker In Tandem
Here’s another biggie for me. If I’m helping my son with a school project and we’ve got a huge trip-fold board to fill up with paper AND vinyl, we can save so much time by having the Maker take care of the paper cuts and the Joy work on the vinyl… AT THE SAME TIME!
Cricut Joy is fantastic for vinyl since the Smart Vinyl doesn’t need a mat. And Cricut Maker is perfect for paper because I can load up full 12×12 sheets of scrapbook paper.
I can work to both of the machines’ strengths by having them tag team the project to get it done way faster. To do this, I just hook up my Maker to my computer with one part of the project and my Joy to the Cricut app on my phone for the other part of the project.
We can finish the school project in record time, and he can get back to his Xbox controller and dancing his way through Fortnite. And all the while, he’ll have confidence that the “most creative display” blue ribbon will be stuck on his presentation soon.
How To Get Your Own Cricut Joy
Cricut Joy is officially available! You can shop on cricut.com here, or you can buy it in-store where other Cricut products are sold, like Michaels, JoAnne’s, Hobby Lobby, Walmart, and more. And of course, you can also use your Amazon Prime membership to order it there and get it shipped super fast and free.
When To Use Cricut Joy Vs. Maker:
Since it can be hard to decide which machine to use based on the project you’re planning on, I made a little comparison chart that you can screenshot or Pin to your Cricut board. This will help you choose the machine you should use without having to weigh the pros and cons, and measure out vinyl to ensure it will even work with that project. Feel free to save it. 🙂
