Revolution or apocalypse?
The rise of crafting in the last few decades has elicited mixed reactions from both the artistically inclined and the casual hobbyist. What was once a simple activity, supported by a few plastic containers filled with felt-tips, paints and perhaps a miniature home guillotine if you were really fancy, has snowballed into a veritable movement with a devoted TikTok community to boot.
Instead of a few drawers dedicated to art supplies, individuals are clearing out entire secondary bedrooms and transforming them into luxurious craft rooms, featuring innovative fold-away storage solutions that even the designers of Ikea’s BILLY bookcase system couldn’t have dreamt up.
From rubber stamp collections and hordes of alcohol-based markers to highly organised folders bulging with scrap fabrics and luxury cardstock, these craft havens are filled to the brim with enough materials to stock your local Hobbycraft.
Yet one accessory has emerged as the premier, must-have device for the modern crafter: the humble die-cutter. Not just any die-cutter either, but one from the cult-favourite brand Cricut. Founded in June 1969 as Provo Craft & Novelty, Inc., Cricut was renamed as such in 2018. The first Cricut machine, however, was launched before the full rebranding in 2003.
While manual and digital die-cutters alike can cut out intricate shapes using a specialised die-cut piece, newer, technologically advanced machines by the likes of Cricut do so at lightning speed and on a variety of materials. They’re designed with the home-crafter in mind and make creating custom vinyl decals, specialised engravings, stickers, cake-toppers, premium birthday cards, and so much more accessible to the untrained but eager enthusiast.
One of two new launches, which includes the Cricut Maker 4, the Cricut Explore 4 is being touted as a better value, highly accessible die-cutting machine for craft enthusiasts of all levels across the globe. It’s yet another addition to an already bustling fleet of craft machines, so I’ll go ahead and break down the difference between all the options currently available at Cricut before getting into the nitty gritty of this review:
So, what’s so special about the Cricut Explore 4? Is there anything left to innovate?
According to Ashish Arora, CEO of Cricut, the brand has “added even greater value to each machine by including tools and materials to help creatives get started right out of the box […] coupled with improvements in our Design Space platform [which] will empower everyone to make projects easily for their loved ones.”
I’ll be the judge of that. Keep scrolling for an in-depth review of the much-anticipated Cricut Explore 4.
Key specifications
What’s included?
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User-friendliness
Don’t be fooled by that glorious, sleek and sophisticated exterior, for the Cricut is an absolute demon to get to grips with. It requires you to sacrifice your sanity for approximately three hours in exchange for a ticket down to the deep, dark underbelly of crafting. Like any deal with the devil, it’s sunshine and roses for a little while until the demonic entity returns for its ultimate prize; your soul, which sucked away slowly through multiple ‘critical error’ pop-ups and consistent connectivity failures mid-cut.
Apologies, I’ll be clearer.
Initial set-up of the machine is fine, so long as you don’t opt for USB connectivity, which simply doesn’t work. I did so on the premise that it might stay connected for longer, in contrast to my historical experience with Bluetooth printers. The fact is, it’s the opposite for a Cricut. Always go with Bluetooth.
Once you download Cricut Design Space on your chosen device (Mac, PC or tablet), it’ll walk you through a simple set-up and calibration before prompting you to cut out a test vinyl decal with the included practice materials.
What’s great about Cricut is that the Design Space is home to a myriad of helpful instructional videos which walk you through the design process for just about any craft. I just happen to be incredibly impatient. I like to be good at things straight away, and despite promoting itself as a premium device for even the most novice crafters, I couldn’t help but feel I needed a degree in Graphic Design to get started with creating original pieces for my machine to cut.
If you purchase a Design Space subscription for an additional £71.88/year or £7.49/month, you’ll have access to thousands upon thousands of pre-designed graphics. But if, like me, you’re artistically inclined – it feels like stealing at worst, and a waste at best. If I’m not producing original pieces with my Cricut for birthday cards and menus, surely I’d be better off popping to Scribbler, or even Liberty, for some premium stationery?
Functionality
Despite my qualms, I pushed on with creating a series of cards. I started with a silly little design utilising a free wombat illustration and my own added text. I printed this onto yellow vinyl with the hopes of transferring it onto bright blue cardstock.
I’ve since learned that if you’re attempting to transfer itty bitty text, it’s helpful to pop a border around it. This way, the transfer tape can lift the border, revealing the teeny tiny letters, which can then be transferred with another piece of tape. This is not what I did the first time around, so I found myself having to lift and transfer each individual letter with the included dentist-like “weeder” tool. The result was abominable. Pictured below for readers to ridicule.
While vinyl can be inserted straight into the machine, cardstock needs to be popped onto a semi-sticky reusable mat. I used cardstock for my next project, which was to be a cut-away birthday card design that I grabbed from the Design Space. This one went rather swimmingly, and I could feel myself becoming a Cricut convert.
Next, I decided to go a little bit bigger. I imported some images of myself and my partner, which, once uploaded to the Design Space, became intricate layered images. I could then choose how many layers I wanted to proceed with, and I opted for a simple three-layered design instead of a complicated nine-layer option (I simply didn’t have enough cardstock for that).
This is where the Cricut finally convinced me of its skill. Despite frequent critical error codes and restarts for my previous two crafts, this more complex design proved rather simple to execute. Better yet, it was entirely original.
Design
The Circuit is beautifully designed and looks premium on any worktop. It’s not a machine that needs tidying away and can sit comfortably in your craft space without being an eyesore. Online, the machine looks like an eggshell/off-white colour, but in person, it appears to be a lovely, subtle pastel pink. I also enjoyed the handy built-in tool pot, perfect for storing your weeder, spatula, pens, scissors, scorers and more.
Verdict
Cricut Explore 4
Despite its streamlined exterior, the Cricut Explore 4 isn’t for everyone. It requires patience, dexterity, and a willingness to frequently repurchase the relevant materials for your chosen crafts, so it’s one for older teens and adults.
If you’re familiar with the Cricut Design Space already and know your way around the digital grid, you’ll enjoy the extra-fast cut speed, sleek design and larger range of compatible materials.
If you're looking to save money on greeting cards and place cards, it may not be the savviest investment for you. This is because, unless you’re willing to take the time to make your own original designs, the vast majority of templates are only available via the Design Space Access+ subscription. If it’s label-making, stickers, simple vinyl decaling and speedy cutting that you’re after, opt for the compact and value-for-money Cricut Joy instead.
The Cricut Explore 4 is fun to use once you get the hang of it, but I’d only recommend it to individuals who are willing to commit to the craft.
Price is for machine only.
Buy now £269.99, Cricut
