Cricut Joy Xtra review: Why it’s a DIY pro’s dream

While I love writing as a hobby and for my job, art was one of my favorite subjects in school. Still today, I know my way around a pair of scissors, glue and construction paper. That’s why I jumped at the opportunity to try a Cricut machine. The brand’s well known in the DIY crafting world for its line of digital machines that let you create and print personalized designs on different materials like vinyl and cardstock so you can make wall decals, monogrammed coffee mugs, classroom decorations, logos and more.

The brand sent me a sample of its Joy Xtra machine, its newest model, which launched last year, along with some accessories so I could get started crafting. Below, I walk through my experience using it for a month.

SKIP AHEAD What is the Cricut Joy Xtra? | How I tried the Cricut Joy Xtra | My experience with the Cricut Joy Xtra

The Cricut Joy Xtra ($199) is an electric crafting machine (12.5 x 6 x 5.5 in, about the size of a small shoe box) that prints and cuts a range of shapes, photos and letters on different materials — like cardstock or iron-on fabric — that you can then use to turn your designs into decals, stickers, greeting cards, flyers or T-shirts. It operates via Bluetooth and a desktop application called Cricut Design Space, which lets you draw your own designs, purchase templates, watch video tutorials, and get design inspiration.

The Joy Xtra is compatible with three main types of material: vinyl, iron-on (a type of heat-safe vinyl) and cardstock/paper.

To begin, you’ll download the design software on your laptop or desktop, plug in the machine to an outlet and connect it to Bluetooth. There’s no on/off button on the machine, just a small white light on the top that indicates that it’s on. From there you can add and edit designs, shapes, words and photos in the software and send it to the machine where it will print and cut your designs on your chosen material. Once you’ve laced your material on the adhesive cutting mat, and inserted it into the front of the machine under the metal roller, it does the rest of the work for you, pulling the mat in and out, cutting the material as it goes. Before cutting the material, you can choose from a range of card sizes in the app, so it’s important to choose the right size so the design comes out with the accurate scale.

The brand also sells additional supplies you may need like a Weeding Tool Set ($26.99), cutting mats ($35.99) and transfer tape ($11.99). The machine retails for $199, though you can also buy it in an Everything Bundle, which includes a cutting mat, tool set (scissors, tweezers, burnishing tool and a scorer), transfer tape, multiple types of vinyl and iron-on materials for $295.

In addition to the Cricut Joy Xtra, the brand sent me accessories and additional supplies to help me get started. This included a tool set, a cutting mat, cardstock, multiple sheets and designs of vinyl cutting paper, sticker paper, iron-on materials, machine-compatible pens and more. The brand also sent its EasyPress, which you can use to iron certain materials onto heat-safe fabrics such as canvas and cotton.

I set up the machine, which weighs about 6 pounds, on my desk against my wall (I’ll explain why this is important later on). Separately, I also downloaded and set up the Cricut Design Space onto my laptop. You’ll need to do so to use the machine, but it also helps make getting started easier, since there are several tutorials. This is also the place where I actually created my designs before “sending” them to the Cricut Joy Xtra. It looks similar — though not nearly as intricate — to design programs such as Adobe Illustrator or InDesign.

When using the Cricut my process was as follows: I’d add a design — whether it be shapes, words, letters — on the grid of the design space. I then click “make” in the top right corner, which lets me tell the machine which type of material I plan on loading into it and how much pressure it should use on it (which is important if you’re cutting on a thicker surface, such as cardstock). Lastly, I add my chosen material onto the machine’s mat (a reusable mat with a permanent adhesive coating) and click “go” which tells the machine to start cutting.

After removing the material from the machine, I cleared my workspace and got started using the tool set and the EasyPress as needed for each project. If I was making a decal, for example, I’d follow the tutorials in the design space to properly adhere my Cricut-produced cut-outs onto whatever I was decorating, such as a mug or bottle, using transfer tape. For any clothes or apparel, once the Cricut cut and printed my logos, I then carefully placed it on what I was designing (such as a tote bag) and used the heat press to adhere it.

“Pleasantly surprised” doesn’t do my experience with Cricut Joy Xtra justice. I quickly learned how versatile and interactive the machine is, and how helpful the online program is, especially for a beginner. I loved how easy it was to use the Cricut Joy Xtra to craft decals, make homemade greeting cards and accessorize plain T-shirts and tote bags. Below, I talk more about my experience with the Cricut Joy Xtra, including what I loved the most and what to know before buying.

My main worry before using the machine was that I would be overwhelmed by the learning curve. That said, my fears quickly subsided once I started following the detailed directions that came with the machine, where I was instructed to connect the device to my laptop using Bluetooth and to download the Cricut Design Space software. Once it was fully downloaded, I launched the app and was immediately met with helpful instructions on how to make sure the machine is on and working, how to add designs to my workspace and prepare them for cutting, how to cut on the mats and more.

One of the first projects that the app walks you through is how to use the machine to make a basic cut, like a logo on vinyl paper. Once I created my design in the software on my laptop and “sent” it to the machine via the application, the Cricut immediately cut my designs on my inserted material in a matter of seconds.

You don’t need a degree in graphic design or even much art experience to make something creative using the Cricut, thanks to its extensive archive of shapes, fonts, color choices, templates and settings. You can add borders to designs, change the boldness of a word and increase the spacing between letters, just to name a few options. Some of these more intricate design choices require the use of Cricut Access, which is $9.99 a month. That said, the program comes with its own basic set of templates. You can move the templates onto the grid and edit them however you want before cutting them.

Of all its machines, the Joy Xtra is Cricut’s second smallest — it’s smaller than a shoe box, though once you set it up it requires around 10-12 inches of space behind it so it can properly move its mat back and forth as it cuts. Its plug isn’t bulky or awkward to use, though it makes some noise as it cuts; it’s not super loud, it sounds similar to a printer. I’d also recommend getting desk storage containers and file organizers to keep all of the additional supplies in place.

As mentioned above, Cricut sent me its EasyPress, a type of “smart” iron which I used to adhere decals and prints onto canvas bags and tees. It comes in two sizes: a 12 x 10 in. model ($249.99) or a 9 x 9 in. model ($199) , both of which come with a safety base and are sold separately from its machine. You can also get the EasyPress Mini ($69.99), if you plan on only ironing on small designs. The press has a large top handle and connects to a phone app so that all you have to do is input what materials you’re using on the app and it will automatically heat the press to the appropriate temperature and set its timer. This way, it minimizes the changes of you making a mistake or damaging your items.

I used it to iron a butterfly design onto a shirt and the letter “C” onto a canvas tote bag. The EasyPress can reach up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, so it’s important to use it carefully. You don’t need water (since it’s purely electrical) or an ironing board. The brand sells an EasyPress Mat, which you can place underneath the material you’re ironing to prevent it from heat damage, ensure even heat distribution and provide a flat surface.

While I made plenty of cool designs and DIY projects, it definitely takes time to get comfortable using the machine and program — especially if you want to do more advanced projects involving homemade stickers, cake toppers, etc. Some of these call for using multiple types of materials stacked on top of one another or using a printer in addition to the Cricut. While I made some things that I’m proud of, I had some mishaps (such as accidentally cutting something backwards or using the wrong size of cardstock). There are directions and reminders for how to avoid this, but they can be easy to miss as a beginner. That said, using it to make basic shapes or decals for monograms and words are quite easy to learn.

Cricut sent me all of the supplies required for using (and getting the most out of) the machine, including tools, different cutting materials and a cutting mat, though many of these are actually sold separately from the machine. You can buy pens and markers, customizable blanks, and crafting tools on Cricut’s website, either individually or in bundles. I recommend buying one of the machine bundles, which includes the Joy Xtra and some required materials including the cutting mat, weeding tools and a few materials.

Was able to make a lot of really cool things (monogrammed water bottles and totes, custom T-shirts and greeting cards), however, some projects, such as making custom stickers, require the use of an inkjet printer. The Joy Xtra has a “Print then Cut” feature, which allows you to print your own photo on sticker paper (ie: what you’d need the inkjet print for), and run it through the Cricut machine to turn them into personalized stickers. This is something to keep in mind if this is a feature you want, but you can still make many other things without a printer.

Who is the Cricut Joy Xtra best for?The best feature of the Cricut Joy Xtra is how much it can help you channel your creative side, especially if you love DIY projects, are an elementary school teacher who frequently needs to make posters or tri-fold boards or are someone trying to get their small business or Etsy shop off the ground. College students, particularly those in Greek life who need to make custom outfits or flyers for events, or resident advisors who make door decals, may also find this useful. I can also think of a plethora of reasons to use the Cricut Joy Xtra in my everyday life — it would be great to have on hand ahead of a concert, wedding or party, since you can make personalized goodies for your bridal party or loved ones.

As a whole, I enjoyed using the Cricut Joy Xtra and was proud of myself for making something from scratch, even if it was with the help of the machine. I loved seeing the genuine surprise on my co-worker’s faces after showing them the custom T-shirts and homemade greeting cards I made.

Cricut is known as the pioneer in the electric cutting machine/DIY space, though, as mentioned, their machines require you to download and use a separate software on your laptop or desktop. If you want a slightly more straightforward option, you could try the Scan n Cut DX SDX125 Electronic Cutting Machine ($399.99) from Brother, which has a small screen on the front where you can choose designs rather than needing additional software and another device, like with the Cricut. The Cricut also requires some manual work — you need to load whatever your chosen materials are onto the machine’s pad for cutting every time. If you’re looking for other similar options that require a little less work on your end, you could consider the Silhouette Cameo ($199.99), which is larger than the Joy Xtra, but includes a roll feeder for materials, so you don’t have to manually add them to the machine.

I’m a commerce editor at NBC Select, where I write about a variety of home and kitchen topics and cleaning and home appliances. I tested the Cricut Joy Xtra for a month paying particular attention to how easy it was to install, use tools and accessories and make custom designs.

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Cory Fernandez is a commerce editor for Select on NBC News.