Are you looking for an easy guide on how to use Cricut Joy? You are in the right place. Cricut Joy is one of the smallest cutting machines, and it is great for beginners and anyone who wants to craft occasionally. Its lightweight, compact, and portable design makes it unique and a good choice for crafters. This machine can be used to make last-minute projects as it can be carried anywhere.
Read this beginner guide to explore what you can do with this crafting machine. Follow this guide to the end to make the most of Cricut Joy’s features.
The very first step is to unbox your machine and assemble all the tools and supplies in one place. Let’s look at the list of materials under the box:
Cricut Joy machine
Welcome book
Power adapter
Fine-point pen
StandardGrip mat
Sample of smart vinyl
50 pre-made projects that you can use for your design
Before you continue, discover how to use Cricut Joy to make your DIY projects. Here’s how to set up your machine for the first time at home.
Open the box and remove your machine. Then, put the machine on a flat, clean surface.
Next, switch on the power button, and a light will illuminate the device.
This step is very important. In this step, you will read how to add your machine to the computer. Make sure your machine is placed on a flat surface and is 10-15 feet away from your PC. Now, follow these simple steps:
Initially, open the Start menu and hit the gear icon, which is Settings.
Then, you need to click on the Devices option.
Now, check if the Bluetooth is on or not.
If not, turn it on. Once you have done so, click the Add Bluetooth or other device option to add your machine.
Next, wait for some minutes while your system searches for the available machine.
From the list, select your machine’s name to connect.
Once you have installed and logged into the Design Space software, it’s time to launch your machine into the application. Here, click on the drop-down menu, and then select the New Machine Setup option, and choose your machine model from the list.
You will need some materials to complete your project with this machine. Here is a complete list.
Smart vinyl
Unfinished tissue box
Cricut machine
Transfer Tape
Above, you read the materials you will need to create your project. Here, you will be reading how to make the design in the program and then how to use Cricut Joy to cut out your design:
Open the Design Space app and click the New Project option to start the project.
After that, you have to create your design, choose an image from the Image section, or upload an SVG file. But here, we are using the Text option, so type your text and then change the font from the Fonts section.
Once your design is ready, click on the Make It button. Since you are using texts here, you have to mirror it.
Now, search for vinyl from the All Browse Materials option and select it as your material.
Next, load your vinyl without using a machine mat and hit Continue to start the cutting process. You do not need a mat if you are using smart vinyl.
When you are done loading your vinyl, click the Go button in the lower corner of the screen.
After finalizing your design and the machine has finished cutting, it will automatically unload your design. Next, you can use the weeding tool to remove the excess parts from the design.
Now that you have removed extra parts from your design, it is time to apply them to your desired surface. To do this, cut the transfer tape a bit larger than your design and use it to the design. After that, place the vinyl on the wood with the adhesive side up. Then, scrape off the transfer tape on your wooden box and carefully remove the tape from your vinyl to get the results. You can use a scraper tool to make sure that the design sticks properly to the wooden box.
Note: Remember to mirror your design in the Cricut app before cutting. This is done so your machine can cut your text and leave the liner intact with the design. If you do not do this process, your text may appear backward.
Hopefully, this write-up will help you know how to use Cricut Joy to create your first project. It is an amazing crafting tool that gives you many options, and crafting projects with this machine are endless. You can make decals, cards, gift tags, stickers, and more. Here, we have discussed setting up the machine and using it with other tools to complete your project in detail. It is not difficult to understand if you follow this guide thoroughly.
To add your machine to the smartphone, you can use Bluetooth to pair both devices:
First, plug the power adapter into the machine.
On your mobile device, go to Settings, then Bluetooth.
Check whether Bluetooth is on. If not, then click on the toggle.
After that, go to the Available Devices section.
In the available section, choose your device and click the Pair option to add your device.
Finally, your crafting machine will be paired to your mobile.
No, you cannot connect this machine by using a USB cable as it does not have a USB port like Cricut Explore and Maker models. It is a small machine that uses Bluetooth technology. So, if you want to connect your device to this machine, you can only connect it via Bluetooth.
Yes, you do need the Design Space software to access the machine. With this app, you can use your machine to cut your design. To start using the machine, you have to install this program to create unique designs for your projects, connect your machine to the device, and send your design for cutting.