Cricut expression review

As a scrapbooker, we all love to have variety of shapes and fonts to unleash our creative side. With Cricut personal electronic cutters, what you can cut is limited to what cartridges you have. So the more cartridges you have, the better. Unlike before, with the Sure Cuts a Lot software (SCAL) you can cut fonts and shapes you design without actually owning a cartridge for it.

Cheap Cricut Cartridges

With cartridges costing $30 to $50 on average, scrapbooking can quickly become an expensive hobby. You might need a couple of designs from this cartridge, and another one from a different cartridge – it all adds up!

Sure you can wait for Cricut cartridges to go on sale at your local store, but it can be a pain if you really need that design for a specific project that needs to get done. If you’re following this strategy, however, it will be opportunistic and you need to be prepared for a rush of people during “sale days”.

You can still find cheap cricut cartridges though without waiting for Christmas sale, but you need to know where to look. You may have to scour every arts and crafts shop you happen to pass by. If all else fail, don’t worry, you can still find cartridges online that won’t cost you a fortune.

Here are the top 3 places where you can find the cheapest cricut cartridges being sold online:

1. Amazon

It’s no wonder really – Amazon is the biggest online retailer so you can also find crafting cartridges in their online store. Amazon has this FREE  Super Saver shipping where you can get free shipping for orders over $25. They offer one of the cheapest prices online and they’re backed with a guarantee so you’re getting your money’s worth without the risk of getting ripped off.

They have several buying choices with their wide array of sellers, offering both new and used stocks. You can easily check the seller’s reputation based on the feedback, so you can make an informed decision.

2. eBay

Being the largest auction retailer online, eBay offers some of the cheapest cartridges for Cricut Expression and other Cricut cutters. You can get the best deal by buying a pre-owned Cricut cartridge, however you need to be very careful who you buy from. You can also buy new but they may be more expensive. Do your research first so you’ll know your threshold price.

Always check how much the seller asks for postage and packaging as this is not reflected in the bid price. You might be surprised at the total amount you have to pay once you factor in the P & P.

3. Scrapbookpal.com

When I did a Google product search for ‘cheap cricut cartridges’, I found that Scrapbookpal.com offers the cheapest prices for some cartridges – even beating Amazon! Also, like Amazon, they offer free shipping once you order at least $25. They also offer PayPal payment option, and have a wide selection of cartridges available in their online store.

Here’s some more good news.

These stores also offer seasonal sales and discounts, so these cheap prices might be slashed down ever further so you don’t have to make do with what cartridge you have and treat yourself to a new one. You can even use your Amazon gift certificates (if that’s what you got for Christmas).

With cartridges this cheap, it won’t cost your relatives an arm and leg to get them for your birthday.

Apart from the usual care instructions (e.g, avoid excessive heat or cold, keep it dry and dust-free, keep away from food and liquids), there are other things you can do to the extend the life of your Cricut Expression to maximize its use. Of course, the Cricut is made of durable high-quality materials, but you still need to put in additional care to make sure it’ll last.

There are two parts of the Expression that are in constant use and as such, need extra care. These are the cutting blade and the mat.

Caring for the Cricut Expression cutting blade

Provo Craft estimates  that your cutting blade will make about 500 to 1500 cuts before it will require a replacement. But the actual blade life will depend on the type of materials you cut, your settings and how frequent you use it. When your blades get dull and you notice your cuts tearing, then it’s a sign to get a new blade. It is ideal to have an extra replacement blade so you don’t have to stop right in the middle of a project.

Make sure you check the blade holder. Sometimes it can get filled up by paper debris and cause problems with the blade as it will not be able to rotate properly. Clean it thoroughly and your blade will cut perfectly again.

Different materials require different cutting styles and settings so it is essential that you use the correct setting for each material.

If you do need to replace the blade, always make sure to unplug the machine first.

Provo Craft has released a new Cricut Deep Cut Blade that can be used for the Cricut Expression. The Deep Cut blade will make it easier to cut through thicker materials like chipboard, without your blade getting dull easily which happens when you use the standard blade. But try to use the “multi-cut function” so it goes over it and make a clean cut.

Caring for your Cricut Expression Cutting Mat

You can expect to have 25-40 full cuts on your mat before it needs a replacement, as recommended by Provo Craft. For smaller cuts (those that don’t fill the entire mat), you can expect more. You can rotate the position of your smaller cuts so that the pressure is spread evenly throughout your entire mat, making your cutting mat’s life span last longer.

Here are some more tips in caring for your Cricut mat:

1. Keep your mat clean.

Remove all debris from the mat after cutting. This includes those little pieces that is left from the materials you cut. You can use a spatula or a scraper to remove those small pieces. After using your Cricut Expression, put the plastic protective cover back on the mat to keep it clean and dust-free. This will maintain the Cricut mat’s adhesiveness.

2. When you notice that your mat begins to lose its stickiness, try using a repositional mount spray.

Crafter’s Companion Stick and Spray is good temporary adhesive you can use to spray on your mat. This will prolong the life of your mat so you won’t have to buy a new replacement mat that often.

This is especially good if you have a lot crafting projects and do a lot of cutting with your Cricut Expression. Spraying an adhesive does not void your guarantee, in any way.

A word of advice though. When you do this, make sure you put a thin strip of paper on where your mat goes under the roller bars. This helps keep the adhesive spray particles from coming in contact with the roller bars.

3. Use the correct settings for appropriate for the type of material you’re using.

Using heavy pressure settings on paper-thin materials can damage your mat and cut through it. So make sure you use the correct settings and the the right amount of pressure for each type of crafting material you’re cutting.

Still sitting on the fence about getting the Cricut Expression?

Watch this YouTube I found which goes through the features of the Cricut Expression machine, along with real life examples of cuts and the actual machine itself:

So basically, the video gave a brief overview of the Cricut Expression. The video also showed several actual cuts from the machine which gives us a good idea of the power and the endless possibilities of the projects we can create from the Expression.

It’s also great for mass production. If you found the design you want and would like to print dozens more of that same exact design, you can just put in the ‘quantity’ section how many you’d like to cut and the machine will do it for you. Ain’t that neat?

Also, if you’ve got a smaller design and you want to print several copies of it, you can just hit the “Autofill” function and the machine will automatically fill in the blank spaces in the cutting section of the mat. A really smart function! This saves you from having to manually fill it in.

The “multi-cut” function allows you to cut thicker materials like chipboard. This makes the Cricut E versatile when it comes to the materials it can cut.

If you want to cut different shapes and designs, you can use the “mix ‘n match” function to print it all in one mat. Also, the “flip” function will allow you to cut a mirror image of the design, so if you want a symmetrical design where the left one is the exact mirror version of the right, then you can make use of this really cool function!

CRICUT Original (2006)	CRICUT Expression (2007)	CRICUT Create (2008)	CRICUT Imagine (2010)	CRICUT Expression 2 (2011)
RRP: $ 179	RRP: $ 299	RRP: $ 199	RRP: $ 299	RRP: $ 349
1 " up to 5 1/2 "	1/4 ' up to 23 1/2 "	1/4 " up to 11 1/2 "	1/4 " up to 11 1/2 "	1/4 " up to 23 1/2 "
weighs only 7 lbs.	- can cut bigger and smaller die cuts than the Original Cricut - great for mass production - ideal for cutting bigger die-cuts for classroom decor, scrapbook layouts and signage	Portable	Portable does both printing and cutting full-color LCD touch screen	Have all the features of the original Cricut Expression, and it also comes with: - full-color LCD touch screen - mat preview and cutting area light to let you see where you're cutting on the mat - multiple mat cutting (up to 6 mats per project) - independent image sizing - default and customizable settings for materials (saves you from having to change your settings every time you cut a new material) -
Discounted Price: from $ 111	Discounted Price: $ 249	Discounted Price: $ 133.88	Discounted Price: $ 254	Discounted Price: from $359

The product comparison table above highlights the differences between Cricut Personal Electronic Cutters.

Beneath each name I’ve posted the year of release so we’ll have an idea of the timeline of Cricut products. You see, so many people get confused which model is newer and better. With each new update, Provo Craft (the original manufacturer) has added features and features that are sort of like an upgrade of the previous model. For instance, the Cricut Expression allows you to cut bigger and smaller cut-outs than the Original Cricut. Then Cricut Create came out, which combined the portability of the Original Cricut with the added functionality of the Expression. Afterwards, they released the Imagine which features a full-color LCD so you can design even without a computer. It has both printing and cutting capabilities too.

The row below the RRP describes the cutting range of each model – it defines the smallest and the largest possible cut-out size it can cut. Knowing this can help decide which machine will suit your needs.

The Recommended Retail Price (RRP) described above is based on the Cricut website. Oftentime, if you buy it at retail stores, it can be higher than the price set by the manufacturer to allow for profit margins. With the popularity of online shopping, it has become more convenient to shop online with the increasing number of products that can be bought online. I have searched the web for deals, special offers, and discounted prices on all Cricut Machines and I’ve shared them all with you in the table above.

All Cricut Machines can cut various types of materials, with the Cricut Expression as the most versatile in terms of the thinness or thickness of the material it can cut. From vellum, cardstock, posterboard, vinyl, Cricut Machines can cut more than just paper, which makes it the leading product in the scrapbooking industry.

What is Cricut Expression?

The Cricut Expression is a personal electronic cutter designed and manufactured by Provo Craft. It is an extremely versatile machine used to cut designs and alphabets for scrapbooking, paper crafting, card making, home décor and a lot more.

Larger than other Cricut machines, it uses 12″ x 24″ mat or the 12″ x 12″ mat.

How does it work?

Since the Cricut Expression (same with other Cricut machines) is a cartridge-based system, you will need cartridges to cut. The beauty of that is you don’t need to hook it up in a computer to be able to cut designs.

Once you have the fonts or designs you want in the cartridge, just attach the cartridge to the machine and you’re ready to cut. It’s perfect when you want something done quickly.

Previously, Cricut owners who prefer to cut their own designs used the “Sure Cuts a Lot” (SCAL) and “Make the Cut” (MTC) software to design, however Provo Craft (the manufacturer of Cricut) filed a lawsuit to these companies so they no longer support Cricut machines. Cricut machine owners who have SCAL and MTC may still be able to use them as long as they don’t update the machine’s firmware.

The good news is, Cricut has DesignStudio software which lets you design projects virtually – all cartridge designs are available to use, although you will need to have the actual cartridge to cut. It is bit pricey, though, costing nearly $60.

Cricut Expression – What can it do?

The Cricut Expression has a lot of uses, among them:

Ok, so you’ve come to this page looking to buy Cricut Expression, right?

If you’re considering trying the Cricut Expression for yourself, there are a few things you need to know.

First, there a number of websites that sell the Cricut Expression but they’re far from being all the same. They sell different quantities at different prices… they take different amounts of time to get to your door, and sometimes there are fake websites selling something completely different and could totally rip you off.

After researching, I discovered that the safest option would be to go to the official website at Cricut.com. But this is not the cheapest place to buy.

Take a look at what I found…

Cricut.com is the official website of all Cricut products. The regular price for the Cricut Expression is $249.99, which is probably cheaper than what other retailers offer. Retail shops like Walmart and Best Buy will have to add a few extra dollars on top of the manufacturer price for them to make a profit, which is why buying online could be the cheaper option.

Compare this to Amazon…

As you can see, Amazon has an online Provo Craft store, the original manufacturer of Cricut Products. What’s more, since this product is sold through Amazon, then it is covered by a 30-day money back guarantee. You can then register your product on the cricut.com website to claim your warranty (you will only need the machine’s serial number).

Buying it through Amazon does not only cost cheaper, it also comes with FREE SHIPPING. It normally takes 5-8 days for your product to be delivered, but knowing Amazon, it’s usually earlier than that.

What’s Included:

When you buy Cricut Expression through Provo Craft’s Amazon store, you will get the Plantin SchoolBook™ font cartridge, the Accent Essentials™ shape cartridge and 1 12 x 12 cutting mat, on top of the actual machine itself.
This is the same bundle you will get when you buy it through their official website, Cricut.com.

It also comes with an insructional DVD to help you get started.

CLICK HERE to buy the Cricut Expression through their official Amazon store and get FREE SHIPPING