Learn how to use the Cricut Maker storage compartments on the top and front door of the machine, and what to store in them.
One of my favorite features of the Cricut Maker is all the helpful storage compartments incorporated into the design. Even though the machine does all the work, there are still a lot of tools and accessories to keep on hand to turn your cut vinyl, paper, and fabric into something beautiful. Unless you have a full-sized craft room, you probably don’t have a ton of space to store all your craft supplies. This tutorial will walk you through the basic ways to use the Cricut Maker storage compartments and show you what tools fit, along with some ideas of what to keep in there.
Top Compartments
Let’s start with the top cups on the Cricut Maker. There are two cups built into the Maker; one that’s deep and one that’s shallow. These are my favorite part of the Maker’s design because they’re incredibly handy and versatile. Whoever was creating the Maker was definitely thinking about organization-minded people like me and you, because having an easy drop spot is so helpful.
Deep Compartment
The deep compartment can be used two different ways. You can store your basic tools inside for easy access when working with vinyl. Having your weeding tool, scissors, tweezers, TrueControl Knife, and scoring stylus right there makes your project session a lot more organized and streamlined.
Alternatively, you can keep your Cricut pens and markers inside the deep compartment. If you use the pens and markers often, especially if you do a lot of paper crafting, this may be the most useful option for you. Keep your go-to colors in the top compartment and store your other shades elsewhere. Here’s 7 ideas of where you can keep your Cricut pens and markers.
Shallow Compartment
The shallow compartment has a silicone-lined bottom, which makes it perfect for holding the Cricut blade housings. The silicone keeps the inside of the cup from getting scratched, but also protects your blades from getting chipped.
While you can keep these housings in the inside storage compartments (more on that in a minute) or inside a specialty container like the Cricut Machine Tool Organizer, keeping your main go-to’s on top of the Maker makes swapping blades fast and easy. I like to keep my perforation blade, knife blade, and scoring wheel inside this cup because I use them most often. I keep all my other housings and blades elsewhere.
Related Blog Post: Cricut Machine Tool Organizer Review And Test Drive
Front Door Storage Compartment
A lot of Cricut newbies have mentioned to me before that they didn’t even realize there was additional storage space in the front door of the Cricut Maker. It’s kind of hidden, and I love a secret compartment! This spot is prime real estate for your main Cricut tools and supplies, so let’s go over what fits inside and how to use the compartments in the smartest and most helpful way.
Cricut Maker Hidden Compartment Layout #1
This is the “standard” way to use the hidden compartment in the Cricut Maker front door. It’s the way Cricut suggests in their YouTube channel and the most basic and simple way to set up your machine when you first get it. This is how I was using the compartment when I got my Maker for the first year, and I recommend it for beginners since you don’t have many tools and supplies yet.
In the largest compartment of the Cricut Maker front door, you’ll keep your Cricut Basic Tool Set. The next one over to the left will hold your scraper. Over one more to the left holds your Cricut blades and housings, and the small pocket with the magnetic strip holds the tiny blade replacements.
One thing to note about storing the blade housings and Quick Swap housings is that they will only fit if you place them a certain way. When you look at the clear cap around the top of the housing, you’ll notice there is a flat part. That flat part must face down inside the front door compartment in order for the door to close. As you get more housings, you’ll need to find another place to store them since too many will keep the door from closing.
Hidden Compartment Layout #2
This is an alternative way to use the compartments in your Cricut Maker front door storage area. It’s a great option if you keep your basic tool set and blade housings in the top cups or elsewhere in your craft room. I love this option because as you gain experience with your Maker, you’ll also accumulate more specialty tools and supplies.
In this layout, you’ll store an array of Cricut pens and markers in the large compartment on the right. The next one over would hold your scraper. The compartment on the top left will hold your TrueControl Knife blades, and the bottom one would hold replacement blades along the metal strip.
More Cricut Maker Storage Layout Ideas
If you want to organize the compartments in your Cricut Maker based on your main crafting hobby, this blog post shows you specific Cricut Maker storage layouts. I show how to organize the compartments for paper crafting, Infusible Ink, and sewing projects. This is a great way to keep what you need on hand if you typically focus on one type of project.
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