Beginner's review of the Cricut Maker 4 Smart Cutting Machine

Cricut has launched two new iterations of their smart cutting machines, the Cricut Maker™ 4 and Cricut Explore™ 4.

Cricut machines are a one-stop-shop for creatives looking to create anything from iron-on labels for kids Book Week costumes to birthday cards with clever cut-outs and decorative decals.

A Cricut machine is a learning experience and requires a bit of research (including media reviews, how to YouTube videos, and more) before committing to buying a machine.

Once mastered, the sky's the limit in terms of creativity, as Cricut can work with a range of craft materials, including cardstock, vinyl and even balsawood.

While I consider myself a creative person, when it comes to craft projects, I still feel like a beginner.

So, when the Cricut Maker™ 4 arrived on my doorstep, I was excited to try it but also, honestly, nervous that I might not make anything worth our reader's time.

But as Ralph Waldo Emerson would say, "every artist was first an amateur", so you'll have to excuse my first attempts.

Below, I run through the steps to getting started with the Cricut Maker™ 4, the essential things you need to know about the (Cricut) Design Space, and the special project I worked on for my father's retirement party.

The Cricut Maker™ 4 comes in at about seven kilograms. Upon opening the box, I see that she is a magnificent beast, slightly intimidating in size, but I'm hoping this machine has the wherewithal that I need to succeed in this project.

According to CEO of Cricut, Ashish Arora, the Cricut Maker™ 4 is designed to "help creatives get started right out of the box."

Unlike previous models, the Cricut Maker™ 4 includes a starter pack, consisting of Smart Vinyl™, Cardstock, Smart Iron-on™, Transfer Tape, and essential tools like the Mini Weeder and Light Grip Machine Mat.

These added materials empower users to kickstart their creativity with everything they need to complete their first 10 projects, without having to splurge on extra bits and pieces.

At this point, I would've liked to know what these 10 projects might look like and what each tool is used for, or how best to use these particular materials, so I could visualise what I could make.

Once in the Design Space however, there are how to videos, beginners projects and more on the homepage, offering step by step instructions and assembly videos in each project, and loads of inspiration on @cricut_anz socials.

But of course, professional 'Cricuters' would have no issue with this. This is simply the state of a noob.

Overall, I was pleased with the clarity of the instructions and the easy-to-follow onboarding process, which involves creating a vinyl sticker label of your name to press on a water bottle, or whatever household object you'd like to bedazzle.

The Design Space is a magical, Canva-like wonderland where you can recreate projects posted by people in the Cricut community or simply make your own from scratch a huge library of images including local artist imagery, and fonts or upload your own.

The process of making a design is pretty intuitive and it shouldn't take long for new community members to make their way around the platform.

To begin, I decided to make an origami-like flower - a pre-existing Cricut project - which cost me about $2, although there are free community designs which can be made. A Cricut subscription will also give you complete access to the platform, so you won't need to pay for each individual design. This is free for a month.

Once I had my materials ready, including a mat and cardstock, the Cricut Maker™ 4 was fast and accurate. In fact, the Cricut Maker™ 4's cutting speeds are up to twice as fast as previous models.

Where I fell flat on my face, however, was in putting the flower together, as I didn't have any glue handy.

The learning lesson here is that if you buy a Cricut machine for yourself or someone as a gift, make sure to include all the extra materials that you anticipate will be needed to create projects. The starter pack is handy to get you started but it may not last the distance. Having some materials to spare will help keep up the creative momentum.

Another handy trick that I learned is to access and edit projects in the Design Space on your desktop before using your smartphone for the final cutting process. It's simply too fiddly to design straight from your smartphone.

The actual possibilities of what you can make on the Cricut are endless. Think t-shirts, kids' costumes, holiday-themed stickers, mug decals and wedding invitations.

While the latest Cricut Maker™ 4 retails for a steep $698 (and is the most expensive model on the market), with enough opportunities for use, I can see how the Cricut Maker™ 4 would offer cost savings long-term.

I also wouldn't be surprised if I heard that a large number of Etsy small businesses are using a Cricut machine as part of their workflow. Not only is the Design Space super intuitive, the cutting process (once mastered) is also fast and satisfying.

So, if you're thinking of starting a crafty side hustle, a Cricut may be a justifiable expense.

I have to remind myself at this point that no new skill comes easy at first. Give yourself the space to go through iterations of trial and error and make sure to watch a few tutorials online.

Once you've mastered the skills of the Cricut Maker™ 4, it will be like riding a bike and you'll forget you were trying in the first place.

This time, I decided to make a cake topper that said, "Happy Retirement" in cursive - a community design that clearly reassured other users that this was as easy as it gets.

Again, I needed to source the supplies, which included thick glitter cardstock, glue dots and cake topper sticks. Upon reflection, it may have been better suited to a more sturdy material such as balsawood.

Once the supplies were acquired, this project was super easy to follow and assemble. The final result was a cake topper design that - while a little bit flimsy - I could imagine buying at a store. A success, I figure.

If you have kids, you probably already have a craft cupboard with Cricut supplies handy, and I couldn't recommend a Cricut Maker™ 4 enough for families.

The magic of designing a project and seeing it transform before your eyes is not lost on me, and I'm sure it's not lost on kids either.

The Cricut Maker™ 4 is also the perfect device for last-minute dioramas or costume days at school, for times when the note about this from school gets lost at the bottom of your kid's schoolbag.

Being the cream of the crop of the Cricut collection, the Cricut Maker™ 4 is also recommended for professional crafters or people serious about pursuing craft as a hobby. It is the perfect device for making craft projects at the drop of a hat, but by the same token, it requires patience and practice. The Cricut can do things you simply can't do by hand, or at least not at the speed offered by the Cricut Maker™ 4.

Overall, the Cricut Maker™ 4 is an impressive smart cutting machine that is perfect for serious crafters and families.

While it requires time spent watching tutorials to properly understand the features and how the device works, as well as money spent on materials and supplies, the Cricut Maker™ 4 is a satisfying machine that teaches new skills in design and connects you with a passionate community of like-minded creatives.

The Cricut Maker™ 4 feels like an investment that, with enough use, could actually pay off - in joy, savings and maybe even profit.

Rating for beginners: 4/5

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Please note: this item was gifted and returned for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

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