If you’re like me, lock down did all sorts of funny things to your priorities. Pantry organisation went to the top of the list, closely followed by sourdough starters, polymear clay earrings, plant propogation and gel manicures. Instagram showed me that plenty of others were able to master these tasks, but alas, I learned that for me, the majority of these are best left to the experts. My starter did not, ah, start, my polymear melted, my plants refused to sprout and the gel manicures required industrial amounts of acetone to rectify (and by that I mean remove). The exception to the rule was labelling. With a Cricut Joy by my side, I managed to whip that pantry into shape pronto. And now, I’ve got the Cricut Maker 3 to play with. Lockdowns may be over, but Cricut have just launched the Cricut Card Mat 2 x 2 and I am here for it.

The Cricut Joy is the smallest in the brand’s lineup but has the nifty ability to cut straight into folded cards, and only cut one layer. Custom greeting cards, birthday cards, whatever kind of card you need in seconds. Voila. Owners of the larger Maker and Explorer series were a bit (okay very) jealous and so now we have the Cricut Card 2 x 2. This card mat not only fits in the larger machines but allows you to cut four custom cards at once. Lookout all my friends and family, I’ve now got quad card abilities and I’m coming for your special milestones armed and ready. You can use Insert and Cutaway Cards with the mat, which can be reused. It’s tricky cito start but it does become easier to remove cards over time. If you’ve got a stack of cards to send (hello Christmas) you won’t mind the texture.

With 2 x 2, you can get quite the production line going, but what if you want to do four different types of cards at once? I have to admit that’s a little beyond my skillset but the Internet’s crafters tell me it is do-able. Google Cricut hacks and you’ll find your way to some instructions fast. As we’ve already established, instructions aren’t my fortay, so YouTube tutorials are the way to go for me. The good news is, whether you’re about Instagram, Tik Tok, YouTube or the world wide web, there are literally hundreds if not thousands of Cricut instructions out there. These cutting gadgets have a dedicated global following of folks who make everything from shop front signs and iron on labels, to stickers and jewellery. If you can dream it, it appears you can do it, especially with the bigger Maker 3. Just download your Design Space app, and off you go. You do need a few extra gadgets and materials, and there’s plenty to choose from.

You can find the new Cricut Card 2 x 2 at Harvey Norman and BIG W, and soon at Officeworks. The Cricut Maker 3 can be found at Harvey Norman, Spotlight and Officeworks.
https://cricut.com/en-au