A cutting machine is an electronic, computer-controlled device that’s used to precisely cut, score, draw or engrave designs on various materials like paper, vinyl, card stock, fabric and thin wood. Cutting machines are great options for people looking to work on home projects, home décor and personal art pieces. Cutting machines act like a printer, but instead of ink, they use small, sharp blades to cut designs created on a computer or mobile app.

A Cricut machine is a smart, computer-controlled cutting machine that can precisely cut, draw, score and engrave on over 100 materials like vinyl, paper, fabric and thin pieces of wood. It’s a great choice for experienced and beginner crafters who want to personalize their projects. Cricut machines use Design Space software on computers, tablets and smartphones that lets you create custom designs for projects like decals, t-shirts, labels and cards.

To operate a Cricut machine, you need either a laptop, desktop, smartphone or tablet in order to use the Design Space software or app. If you want to create more intricate and detailed designs, a computer is recommended so you can use Design Space’s advanced design features. The Design Space mobile app has limited functionality and features compared to the desktop software.

When it comes to crafting, the five main types are textile, decorative, paper, functional and fashion crafts. These categories cover a wide range of activities from creating household decorations to wearable pieces of art. Textile crafts involve working with fibers, fabrics or yarns like knitting and quilting. Decorative crafts focus on creating items for decoration, like ceramics, basketry and jewellery. Paper crafts focus on creating with paper like paper-mâché, card making and origami. Functional crafts focus on practical pieces of art like pottery and woodworking. Fashion crafts involve creating items designed to be worn like leatherwork and sewing.