Cricut Joy Xtra Review

This Cricut Joy Xtra Review is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Cricut. All opinions are 100% mine.

I’m so excited to share my Cricut Joy Xtra Review with you all! In this post I will walk you through the specifications of the Cricut Joy Xtra, what materials you can use with it, what projects you can make it, and more to help you decide if it is the right machine for you. I’ll also be showing you how to make some water bottle stickers so that you can see how easy it is to use.

Functions

So what can you do with this machine? You can use the Cricut Joy Xtra to cut various types of vinyl and paper, to draw and write on paper and vinyl labels, and transfer foil to projects.

Compatible Materials

So what materials does the Cricut Joy XL work with? You can use it with vinyl, iron-on vinyl, infusible ink, paper, cardstock, writeable labels, and printable sticker paper.

Size

The Cricut Joy Xtra is 12.5 x 6 x 5.5 inches and it weighs 6 pounds. It has a cut size of 8.5 inches x 4 feet in length.

Potential Projects

I’m sure more than anything you want to know what you can make with the Cricut Joy Xtra. One of the things that I love about this machine is that you can make a wide variety of things. You can use it to make vinyl decals, written labels, cards, gift tags, custom mugs, full colored stickers, personalized apparel, and more.

Components Included

The Cricut Joy Xtra includes the Cricut Joy Xtra machine, the fine-point blade, power cord, a mini weeding tool, and an envelope containing setup instructions and a few materials to practice with. The Joy Xtra envelope includes some smart vinyl, smart label material, and transfer tape to help you get started making.

If you would like more materials to get you going then you should check out the great Cricut Joy Xtra Everything bundle. It features a variety of materials to help you get started making even more. They also offer the Cricut Joy Xtra Everything bundle + Cricut Access subscription.

Your Cricut Joy Xtra comes with a free trial trial subscription to Cricut Access, a monthly or yearly membership that allows you access to thousands of additional fonts, images, and project instructions. You do not have to have a Cricut Access subscription to use Design Space or your machine but it will give you a whole lot more that you can do with those extra fonts, images, and projects. I have found it to be an incredible value and I highly recommend it as it gives you access to so many ideas and resources.

Cricut Joy Xtra Pros

• Great for beginners: I know that starting something new can be intimidating but the Cricut Joy Xtra is easy for any crafter to learn to use. You do not need to have any experience with any cutting machine to be able to use the Cricut Joy Xtra.
• Affordable: Right now the Cricut Joy Xtra retails for $199. I think that is a great price for everything that you can do with it.
• Compact Size: Not everyone has a giant craft room. Many makers just have a little corner or spread out on their dining room tables to work and the Cricut Joy Xtra is small enough that it can work well for smaller spaces.
• Stickers: I’m really loving the print then cut feature of the Cricut Joy Xtra and I think it’s such a fun feature!

Cricut Joy Xtra Cons

I wouldn’t really call these cons I would say they are more limitations.

• Size: The Cricut Joy Xtra is limited by that 8.5 inch x 4 feet cut size, which is big enough for what a lot of people want to make. However, if you are looking to make bigger projects then you would need a bigger machine like the Cricut Maker 3 or the Cricut Venture.
• Materials: The Cricut Joy Xtra cuts a variety of vinyl and paper but if you are looking to cut a wider variety of materials like leather, fabric, craft foam, wood veneer, etc. then you should consider the Cricut Maker 3 or the Cricut Venture.
• Printer: The print then cut function of the Cricut Joy Xtra is such a fun feature but to use it you need to have an ink jet printer, you cannot use a laser printer.

Overall Thoughts

The Cricut Joy Xtra is a fantastic machine that is a great value for the versatility that it offers. You can make so many different things with it and it’s extremely use friendly. I would give it a rating of 9 out of 10 stars.

If you need some help with getting started you should check out my Cricut Joy Xtra Unboxing and Setup and I’ll walk you through it. Once you do I’ll help you make one of my favorite projects- stickers!

Water Bottle Sticker Tutorial

Supplies Needed

• Cricut Joy Xtra
• Cricut Printable Waterproof Sticker Set
• Cricut Joy Xtra Light Grip Mat
• ink jet printer
• Images from Design Space or your own Designs or the project file I used

Tutorial

Design

To make stickers you would first choose the images that you want to use. Once you choose the ones you like you will need to adjust their size and then change the Operation to Print then Cut.

Next you will want to make any color adjustments. You can do this by selecting the part of the image you want to change the color on and then clicking the little square to the right of the Operation. I changed a few colors on my images since I was making some stickers for a water bottle and I wanted them to coordinate.

Once you have your images how you want them you will need to flatten them. Select an image and then click Flatten on the bottom right side of Design Space. Flattening the parts of the image will make it all get cut out as one sticker together instead of as parts.

Offset

Now one thing of note. What I did above is how I made the stickers for this water bottle. You can make stickers slightly differently by offsetting them.

To offset you would need to first select one of your images. Then click offset in the top toolbar. You can adjust how much of an offset. Then click apply.

Once you have applied the offset to your image you will need to select the image and the offset on the right hand menu and then click Flatten.

Calibrate

Now you are ready to make your stickers. The first time you make stickers you will have to calibrate your Cricut Joy Xtra. Design Space will walk you through this process.

First you will print a calibration sheet. Then you will load the sheet onto the Light Grip mat and load it into your machine.

Once you load the mat into the Cricut Joy Xtra it will begin to make cuts on the calibration sheet. Once it finishes and unloads you will check to see which cuts were most accurate and enter them into Design Space. Design Space will walk you through the entire process and save the settings for future print then cut projects.

Print

Ok, so now you can get to printing your stickers. You need to select whether you want Add Bleed or not. If you select bleed it will allow the colors to bleed over a little. I opted not to do this with my stickers because for example when I tried it with my stickers the white spaces in the leaves of the succulents disappeared. Also note I opted to adjust the size of my stickers to make them smaller to better fit on my bottle.

Once you have your settings how you want them you will print onto the sticker sheet. This is the sheet in the waterproof sticker set that is white on front and it has green lines on the back with the Cricut logo.

Laminate

Now that you have printed the stickers you will prepare them to cut by laminating them. First You will apply the laminate layer to the front of your sticker sheet. To do this you will peel the top section off of the laminate layer and apply it to the top of your sticker sheet. Then peel the rest of the backing off of the laminate layer, very carefully smoothing it down as you go.

Cut

Now you are ready to cut. Design Space will walk you through selecting your material and loading it. Once you do that you click Go and the Cricut Joy Xtra will cut your stickers.

Then you will peel your stickers off and apply them to your water bottle!

I love crafting and making projects for both myself and others. As a mom it’s really fun to be able to make my kids all kinds of personalized things. Over the years I have made them personalized shirts, school supplies, hats, and more.

In addition to making projects for others I love how I am able to design and make my own decor, especially seasonal decor like Christmas ornaments and wreaths. I think that the Cricut Joy Xtra is perfect for anyone looking to make a variety of personalized items for yourself, friends, and family.

I hope that you enjoyed this Cricut Joy Xtra review and that it helps you figure out if the Cricut Joy Xtra is right for you. Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below!

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