5 Essential Cricut Craft Tools

Hi creative friends! When attempting a sewing, crafting, or DIY project, the right tools can make all the difference. Have you ever been excited to cut out a pattern out of your favorite fabric, and then shortly after became frustrated that your scissors or rotary blade wasn’t cutting smoothly? I’ve been there too many times to count, and today’s post, sponsored by Cricut, will hopefully be a good reminder for all of us of the importance that the right tools are for a successful project outcome. These Cricut Craft Tools are 5 of my favorites to use, whether I’m sewing, working with paper, or working on my latest DIY project for my home!

While I often share my love for Cricut machines, behind the scenes are these great tools that help me prepare my materials, and are often used for projects where I don’t even use my Maker or Explore Air II.

I’ve been in the process of making over my sewing room (click here for the before) for the past few months, and I love that these tools are not only functional, but pretty! They come in both lilac and mint color, and the mint color is the perfect addition to my decor. I can leave the tools out, and it makes them both easy to grab, and also makes my room prettier!

Helping with cutting and measuring, having these 5 tools in my craft room covers me for just about anything I can dream up to create.

The self-healing mat, rotary cutter, acrylic ruler, true control knife, and cutting ruler can each help with your projects in a unique way, and below I’m sharing what you need to know about each of these Cricut craft tools!

Cricut Self-Healing Mat

If you’ve been reading my blog for any amount of time, you know that a self-healing mat is literally used in almost every project I make. I always have my mat out on my table, ready to be used! Use it to protect your work surfaces anytime you’re using a blade or knife. And I love that the gorgeous mint colored Cricut self-healing mat actually makes my sewing and crafting space prettier! One side is a soft mint, with a beautiful pattern…

Flip the mint side over, and the opposite side is a grey color with all the grid and angle lines that we need when measuring precision cuts. Having two sides to the self-healing mat gives double the opportunities to use it, and it’s a must have for use with the rotary blade and true control knife.

Cricut Rotary Cutter

Speaking of the rotary cutter, this goes hand in hand with the self-healing mat in my DIY eyes. The surface underneath where you’re cutting should always needs to be protected when using a rotary cutter. I use the rotary cutter for cutting fabrics, and love it because it results in cuts that are much smoother and precise than scissors can give. You can use it either free-hand (like I do when cutting pattern pieces out) or with an acrylic ruler when cutting straight lines.

And if you’re a lefty like me, good news! The rotary cutter blade is both lefty and righty friendly, which hasn’t always been the case with other rotary cutters I’ve used. Since it’s designed symmetrically, there’s no fuss needed to switch from righty to lefty, just turn it over and you’re good to go!

A couple of safety notes on the rotary cutter – because the blade is so sharp, and will slice easily through several layers of fabric at once, it’s super important to always watch your fingers and use the rotary cutter carefully! The quick release button will help you keep the blade away from fingers and other unwanted cuts when the blade is not in use, but always be aware of where the blade is and if it’s engaged or not.

Cricut Acrylic Ruler

If there was a trifecta of tools, the acrylic ruler would be joining the self-healing mat and rotary cutter as the perfect trio. I have acrylic rulers in a variety of sizes, and I love that the 3×18″ size is handy for smaller projects.

As crafters, we know how important it is to cut our materials precisely, and this ruler will help you do just that. It’s pretty mint color coordinates beautifully with the other tools, but the frosted finish still lets you see your project beneath it, whether you’re using it to mark with a pencil or cutting fabric with the rotary cutter.

Cricut True Control Knife

There are so many times in crafting and DIY projects where I need to quickly reach for a blade to cut something that my rotary blade isn’t ideal for, and the true control knife is the right one for the job 90% of the time. After years of using my husband’s Exacto knives, this little tool is a breath of fresh air ;). Because of the pen-shaped design, it’s super user friendly to maneuver on detailed cuts, and the cushioned grip keeps more detailed cutting jobs fatigue free.

As a maker who’s ended up in the ER with stitches thanks to my crafting blades, one thing I especially love about this knife is that the blades are changed in a (patented!) hands free way. Less chance of cutting myself = a big plus in my book!

So, what kinds of materials can the true control knife be used on? The true control knife is appropriate for many materials, including paper, cardstock, thin plastics, canvas, and more! I even tested it out on one of my favorite mediums, Cricut Genuine Leather, and it sliced through it like a butter!

Cricut Cutting Ruler

The 18″ aluminum cutting ruler is my go-to for use with the true control knife. With a stainless steel straightedge, I use it when I need to cut (or draw!) straight, precise lines.

The reason I like to use it with the true control knife the most is because of the protective guard (see note about previous ER trip above ;)), which keeps your hands away from the cutting area.

The cutting ruler also has a textured non-slip base, so it grips the work surface really well and there’s less worry about it sliding out of place while in use.

There you have it! Which Cricut craft tools are your favorite? Are there any other must-haves that you’d add to the list?! I’ll be back soon sharing a project with all of these tools in action!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.