28 Cricut/Design Space Hacks That Beginners Should Know

Owning a Cricut is very exciting. It can also be a little intimating and overwhelming for a beginner. Whether you are a beginner or a more seasoned Cricut crafter, these 28 Cricut Hacks and Secrets will save your sanity and help you stay more organized along the way.

Keep reading for 28 AMAZING CRICUT HACKS!

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1. Peel your mat away from your material

It may seem instinctual to peel your material (cardstock, vinyl, etc.) away from the mat but it is actually better to gently curl and peel the mat away from the material. This helps to prevent too much distortion to your craft materials.

2. Use IKEA plastic bag storage for vinyl

Another one of my favorite Cricut hacks, which has already gained some popularity over the last few years is IKEA plastic bag storage holders. They work well for holding rolls of vinyl. You can also find some here online!

3. Sharpen your blade with tin foil 

You can easily extend the life of your fine-point blade by sharpening it with tin foil! In fact, when you use tin foil you can make the blade last 3x longer! To sharpen the blade, remove it from your clamp and run the tip of the blade through the tin foil 10-12 times.

4. Store your blades in your Cricut

This may seem very obvious, but when I was a new Cricut owner I was unaware that the inside of my machine could hold my blades and small tools for dust-free, safe storage.

5. Use a lint roller to pick up small pieces from your mat or design (Works for glitter too)

If you have an intricate design that is cut out on paper or vinyl you can easily collect the excess small pieces on a lint roller to save time!

Oh, and this works fabulous to pick up stray glitter on your workspace too. We’ve all been there!

6. Use pen adapters to use more than Cricut pens with tour machine

Having your Cricut machine write for you is an amazing feature. At some point, you will probably wish you could use pens other than the Cricut brand.

The good news is if you own an Explore 2 or newer you can purchase pen adapters to use nearly any brand pen! I’m talking sharpies, brush pens and more! Check out my full post and video tutorial on how to use these adapters here.

7. Use a nail polish holder for vinyl scraps

This is probably one of my favorite Cricut hacks! Buy a cheap nail polish holder to collect tiny vinyl pieces when weeding.

8. Learn to make your own SVG cut files for free in Inkscape

Finding freebies and purchasing Cricut Access are awesome ways to get SVG files for Design Space. But what about creating your own?

After all, sometimes we need to bring an exact vision to life or personalize an item. Inkscape is a free open source program that can be downloaded to create SVG files from scratch OR convert images to layered SVG files. You can learn more about how to do this in my program here, FREE the SVG!

9. One-click magic to convert an image to an SVG

If you are not yet ready to learn how to design your own SVG files then try the one-click image to SVG converter. This post here will walk you through step by step!

10. Use a pegboard to store all your Cricut supplies 

Pegboards are so essential to keeping my supplies organized, plus you utilize bare wall space! Pick these up at IKEA or Amazon! Plus Cricut hacks like this totally add to the prettiness of your craft space.

11. Clean your mat with baby wipes. Resticky the mat with Easy Tack

Breathe some fresh life back into used Cricut mats by cleaning debris off with baby wipes. You can also re-sticky any mat for 5-10 more uses by spraying a few layers of Easy Tack onto the surface.

12. Use slap bracelets to keep vinyl rolls tight

I have LOTS of vinyl, so I tend to have more than one way to store my rolls. Cheap slap bracelets offer an easy way to hold vinyl rolls together!

13. Keep your vinyl organized by type in wood bins

It’s important to keep track of your types of vinyl (iron-on, adhesive, textured, etc). Using bins can be a simple way to store by type and label each bin for quick recognition.

14. Use a straight edge to trim vinyl to avoid uneven edges

Vinyl is one of those things that is easy to waste if you aren’t careful. Trimming your vinyl before using it to cut can help keep edges straight and eliminate too much waste.

15. Find amazing SVG freebies

Free SVG files for Design Space can be found in places like blogs and Pinterest searches. Here at Abbi Kirsten Collections, we have a large Freebie Vault that has well over 150 free SVG and printable templates! Sign up below to access them.

SUBSCRIBE AND OPEN THE FREEBIE VAULT

16. Use painters tape for thicker materials

If your items are sliding around on your mat, then painters tape will be your best friend. It is especially important with wood projects and chipboard materials.

17. Cut slits in your transfer tape when applying vinyl to curved surfaces

How do you get your vinyl smooth on a curved surface?

I’ve definitely heard this question before! Aside from practice, one trick is to cut slits around your transfer tape at the edges. This allows the tape to have more give as you are placing the design. See an example in my Glitter Christmas Ornament Tutorial here!

18. Use cheat sheets to remember what all the functions are for

Understanding Cricut terms and the functions of Design Space can be a lot to remember – using a glossary cheat sheet can really help. Go ahead and download mine here! Enter your email and it will go straight to your inbox!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD DESIGN SPACE TERMS

19. Store vinyl scraps in a magazine holder

Don’t waste those odd and end vinyl pieces! They can still be used for small cuts. Store your scraps in a clear magazine holder to easily see what you have to work with.

20. Use a setting guide printable

Just like Design Space functions, trying to remember all those material settings or custom settings is nearly impossible! I’ve created a handy guide to this that is free inside the Freebie Vault as well! Click on the teal button below to have it sent straight to you!

Click Here to Download the Cricut Cutting Chart!

21. Use iron-on vinyl (HTV) on wood 

Yes! You can use iron-on vinyl on wood! Cricut even has a heat guide right here to help you. I LOVE the look of heat transfer vinyl even more than some adhesive vinyls, so I like that this is an option.

22. Use iron-on vinyl on tumblers with the Cricut Easy Mini-Press

In 2019 Cricut released a mini version of the Easypress – the Easypress Mini! This little tool is so cute and handy, it even makes it possible to iron-on vinyl to your tumblers!

23. Check Cricut design space for freebies

Did you know that every single week Cricut shares a new set of freebies available to everyone, even those without Cricut Access?! Find the freebies under Images > Filter > Freebies!

24. Know where to find the best materials

Sorting out where to buy the best-priced Cricut materials can be time-consuming and a lot of trial and error. Lucky for you, this girl happens to be a 9 year Cricut veteran, and I know exactly where to find the best deals right here!

25. Download free fonts online

If you haven’t yet discovered the power of installing free fonts for your Cricut you are really missing out! Check out my list of the 60 best free and paid fonts PLUS my exclusive Christmas font post!

26. Use character maps to import specialty designs to design space

Downloading fonts is one thing but learning to make a word look like a million bucks is a whole other skill! It took me a while to discover that you can use your “character maps” or “glyphs” on your computer to access those special scrolly letters.

1. Go to your “search” on your PC and search for character map or character viewer on Mac.
2. Then use the drop-down to select your font of choice.
3. Scroll through until you find the letter you need.
4. Click on it to select and then copy.
5. Paste your font character into the text box in Design Space.

27. Keep track of your favorite vinyls

So many vinyls, so hard to remember! There are loads of vinyl types, textures and brands to keep track of. To help keep track, store scraps of vinyl with the brand and type of vinyl on a metal ring, so you can always find your favorite vinyl!

Don’t have a favorite resource yet? I LOVE Expressions Vinyl and they even have sample rings you can order!

28. Use storage carts for materials and machines

Storing your supplies and machines is important. One of my favorite ways to do this is with a storage rolling cart! Find some amazing options here or try your local Michaels store!

Wanna be a Cricut Master and learn to create your own craft design files like me?

Do you own a Cricut machine or want to own a Cricut but maybe you are overwhelmed when you look at the Design Space software and feel lost with all the functions?

Maybe you wish you could create your own design files rather than being forced to spend money on every design for each project you make?

Let me share with you the 3 biggest mistakes Cricut crafters make and my proven steps to not only master your Cricut but also transform yourself into a craft designer!

If that sounds like it’s for you be sure to join me here in my FREE masterclass!

I hope you enjoyed that list of Cricut hacks! I’d love to know which ones surprised you the most or if you have any others I should add to my list. Leave me a comment below!

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About Abbi Kirsten Collections

I have spent the last 9+ years building my creative skills and sharing them with others. My flower designs are created with simplicity, color and crafty fun in mind. If you haven’t yet, be sure to join the subscriber community to gain access to all my freebies or visit my signature design shop here!

Want to join my Facebook community to share your crafts and learn from the best? Click here to request access to my group, Crafters and Cricut Lovers.