The Versatility of the Cricut Cartridge

The Cricut machine made great advances in the world of paper crafting and scrapbooking. A Cricut is a machine that uses cartridges to make custom die cuts when you need them. This means a Cricut cartridge helps to eliminate waste and save money as you only put out what you intend to use. No more purchasing expensive die cut packages because you like a couple of the dies. No more throwing out die cuts that you do not like or do not pertain to what you are doing, or saving them forever in hopes you might find a way to use them.

Die Cuts

What is a die cut? Unlike stickers which can be more pricey, a die cut is a paper cut out of an image that is inexpensive to make. The great thing about die cuts is that they are embellishments that can be added to the page at the end to give it more character. A die cut also gives the page some depth and plenty of visual appeal. Die cut alphabets are popular for journaling and page titles. Some even use die cuts a frames for a photo. Before current technology, crafters had to either buy die cut kits or design and print their own.

Cricut Machine

The machine itself will print, color and cut all kinds of material from paper and cardstock to vinyl , chipboard, and silk screens. It is a stand alone device that does not require a computer to use. Newer machines can handle materials that extend to 24” in length so crafters are not confined to 8 ½ x 11 pages and prints.

Cricut Cartridges

The Cricut cartridge is inserted into the machine and enables the user to pick from all the designs and choices on that cartridge. The cartridge is much like a drive, as it stores the design information. Then you simply choose which of the die cuts you want to use – size and color it appropriately – and print it out. There are over 100 different cartridges to choose from including popular characters like Disney, Elmo and Superman. There are also plenty of holiday-focused cartridges and themes from school to cooking to fashion.

Where to Buy

You can buy the Cricut machines and cartridges from any number of scrapbooking and craft stores. Home shopping networks often feature this machine. Even the major department stores have begun to stock the Cricut cartridge due to its popularity and demand.