diy brides - is a cricut worth it?

They are not cheap and many people say they take time to learn. Your time and sanity cost money at minimum wage per hour and not all DIY saves money. They are a good investment if you plan to use them regularly after the wedding as a business venture. Otherwise, you’re better off purchasing custom items from Etsy.

I was looking at buying one for DIYing some elements of my wedding but realized that once I bought the machine, all the supplies, and learned to use it I would have been better off getting something from Etsy or asking someone if I could borrow theirs. FH has practical uses for vinyl decal cutting so we still may get one, but it won't be for wedding stuff.

My friend has one that we are using for some wedding things like addressing envelopes and signs, but TBH I do not think they are worth the cost or hype. Addressing takes FOREVER and I wouldn't be using the cricut to do it if it wasn't for her kind offer.

I agree with the above, if you have been wanting it and would use it outside of the wedding then yeah, go for it. But if it is just for the wedding I would skip it and just order things.

I got a Cricut prior to wedding planning just because I like crafting. That said, if your goal is to save money, then definitely don’t buy one, just order off Etsy/minted/zazzle. The machine is very expensive plus you need another $100+ in tools/accessories (and there is a lot of wasted material when making stickers/decals/iron-on). Everything needs to be designed in the Cricut software (if you can convert to .svg files then you can import) which is not the most user friendly program. You will also need to buy fonts/images for use with the software bc the ones it comes with are very basic OR spend a lot of time finding free ones or converting clip art into svg files. Honestly, I didn’t even print my signs with it bc the color/style I wanted was going to be a lot of trouble to make with the Cricut.
TLDR - Only buy a Cricut if you want one for non-wedding crafting as well

Honestly, my FH had bought a used Cricut to make some Christmas gifts last year. So we still have one and a lot of stuff to go with it. But with not knowing how to fully use it and the tools/materials we would still need to but in order to DIY things… I’m still going to be ordering off Etsy our other online shops for things. DIY is great for some, but the opportunity cost can outweigh it.

I would say if you enjoy crafting and plan on using it after the wedding then I would say it would be worth getting. (Which is why I got mine). But If your main goal is just wedding stuff, it would be better to just buy the stuff you need.

I got married a few weeks ago and if I could give any advice it would be to invest in a cricket! I did not and wish I had one the whole time I was planning.

Check with your Public Library! Seriously, most libraries of "libraries of things" now that you can borrow-sewing machines, cake pans, Crickets all kinds of stuff. (I work at at public library so it's kind of a passion )

I honestly love my cricut and made so many cute things for my wedding. I bought mine during Christmas and you can sometimes find really awesome deals. It's a lot of fun once you get the hang of it. I honestly recommend getting one if your leaning towards it. Just watch a ton of YouTube when first starting out.

They’re expensive! If you are into crafting and just love that stuff, it could be worth the investment for personal enjoyment. If it’s just for the wedding invitations and never looking at it again, you’re better off getting laser cut invitation folds from Amazon, Wish, or Cards and Pockets. Get a $10 paper trimmer (or use the ones at like Staples), a self healing mat/ruler/xacto knife kit, and you should be good with most things. For DIY printing your invitations, I found printing multiple pages on a single sheet to be the most cost effective at like UPS or Staples. They’re like 50-60 cents per sheet single sided if you bring your own paper. Double that for double sided. You could also just use their white cardstock, which is actually pretty decent if you’re planning on paneling them against a heavier cardstock. I wanted shimmery paper though for our invites so I got those from Cards and Pockets and Amazon. For my STDs and Rehearsal Dinner invites, I bought these 120 lb cardstock from Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/b0114muooo?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_image They’re a really good price for how heavy it is. A lot of card makers use them as a base. You probably won’t be able to print on them at your home printer though so definitely get Staples or UPS to do it for you.

I love my cricut, but it did take awhile to get the hang of. I’ve always enjoyed crafts and had used an older model cricut before. If you have the time and will use it for more than wedding items it may be worth it. I think you can use images created in Adobe, but I haven’t done it myself. It’s expensive, beyond the cost of purchasing the cricut itself. The accessories add up (weeding tools, replacement mats, easy press, pens, different tools). Not sure if it’s actually saved me money, but I love being able to customize stuff how I want it.

1. Yes; you can definitely create your artwork in Illustrator. It has to be saved as a SVG file and then imported into the Cricut software. I did this so that I could use the same fonts throughout my invitations, envelopes, and signage.
2. The pens, tools, vinyl, etc. are sold separately. You can purchase fonts and graphics from with the Cricut software. If you are using Illustrator you shouldn’t have to worry about this, though.
3. No; you cannot print. The Cricut does have a drawing feature, though using pens. I was able to do all of my envelopes this way. One thing to note, though is that if you do use a SVG file for this the text will be drawn as outlines.

I found a great deal on a cricut and bought it to make DIY projects for my wedding. I LOVE my cricut and have used it for a ton of cute projects, as well as non-wedding crafting, however it is significantly more of an investment than just the machine itself! You'll need tools, mats, and a ton of vinyl! I didn't have an issue with a learning curve in terms of simple stuff, I'm still learning how to use more of the advanced features. Oh, and sign up for canva! Tons of free graphics and fonts, and you can just download your image as an .svg or a .png and upload right into cricut!

Over all, if you don't see yourself using it for non-wedding crafts, I think you'll save more in the long run just buying decals off etsy.

Cricuts can be pricey. The material gets skimpy sometimes. I used my cricut to make all my wedding signs. It was worth it because I had the cricut already and all the material but trust me the head ache it caused was so infuriating. It’s very time consuming and can be difficult at times and I’ve been using it for years now .

I love my Cricut, that said there is a bit of learning curve and the materials/tools can get pricey. If you do decide to get one the older versions of the maker and the explore air are currently on sale https://www.amazon.com/ideas/amzn1.account.AHTECS7ITMCAPWO4CDLEYTEEUWXQ/3DUCBR12WKR14 . As far as hidden costs there is a monthly subscription called Cricut access but it is currently optional. It is a monthly or yearly subscription to the Cricut Image Library of over 100,000 non-licensed images, thousands of ready-to-make projects, and 500+ fonts. ... It also provides savings on products, designs, and shipping. I think Cricut subscribers currently get 10% off all Cricut.com orders.

If you only plan on using it for wedding stuff it may not be worth it. You can use other programs to create designs but need to convert the file to an svg. As for as printing the Cricut itself does not print but you can print and cut (prints on your printer then the Cricut does the cutting) or the draw feature with Cricut pens/markers. Jennifermaker.com has some good tutorials and matchine comparisons that may help you make your decision.

Good luck and happy planning!

I wouldn't purchase a cricut just for your wedding. If its something you want because you are crafty anyway, and you think the time spent learning it would be well invested because you'd use it a bunch in the future, then sure.

My very crafty friend has a cricut and cut vinyl lettering for a sign for our wedding for us. Even though she's had it for years and uses it a lot, I think it still took her an hour or two to get the machine set up correctly and cut out our decals for us, and then it was another hour plus for my husband and I to do the transfer. A sign that likely would have cost us $100 or less was probably a full day of labor with cutting plywood, painting a frame, and doing the vinyl decals. My friend gifted us her labor and materials, but from what I understand the materials aren't cheap either. Its probably more cost and time effective to not DIY everything, but even if you DO want to DIY I think using old fashioned stencils and paint could be a less expensive option for signage. The stencil and paint we needed would have been about $10-$15 at Michaels.

I love the idea of using a cricut and creating you own invitations . I would love to see how it turns out.

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I'm going to get one. My aunt uses it all the time and it creates the most beautiful designs.

It’s only with it if you’re going to use it outside of the wedding.