Wondering what Cricut materials you need for your next project? I’m breaking what materials you should have on hand for any type of project. This post is sponsored by Cricut. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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You guys know I absolutely love my Cricut machines. I currently own the Cricut Joy and Cricut Explore Air 3. I’ve also owned the Explore Air 2 and the Maker 2. I use them for making crafts for everything from birthday parties to holidays. My Cricut Joy is amazing for making things like labels, cards and crafts with my kids. One of my biggest hurdles when I started crafting with Cricut was figuring out the right Cricut materials to use for each project. There are so many materials with multiple uses.

Tips for Choosing the Right Cricut Materials for Your Next Project

Picking materials for your Cricut project depends entirely on your project. The first step in selecting materials is deciding what your project is and what it will be used for. Some of the most common projects people use their Cricut machines for are t-shirts, cards, party decor and labeling.

If you’re wanting to creating a project for long term use you’ll want to use materials like permanent vinyl or infusible ink instead of removable vinyl. Foil is a great alternative to pens and markers if you are looking for a bold gold or silver accent to your project.

Types of Cricut Materials Available

Every Cricut material is carefully designed to work flawlessly with your Cricut machine. There are multiple Cricut materials available for the Cricut Joy, Explore and Maker machines. Each material is pre-calibrated for perfect compatibility with every Cricut machine.

Here are the types of materials that I’ve used along with sample projects I’ve created using the materials listed. The possibilities are endless with these Cricut materials.

Iron-on Heat Transfer Vinyl vs Infusible Ink

I’ve used both of these Cricut materials to create everything from t-shirts to tote bags to reusable wrapping paper. I love them both for different uses.

Heat transfer vinyl is a great option when you are creating fabric based projects. The great thing about iron-on vinyl is that it is permanent and can be used on almost any fabric. Once you transfer HTV to fabric it can be washed and last a long time. The variety of colors available in iron-on HTV is huge. There are multiple colors and shades available. You can layer the design like in the hoodie design shown below.

Infusible Ink is a great option if you are wanting to created a printed design or even a single color design. You can also use Infusible Ink on materials like mugs and coasters. Unlike Iron-On HTV, Infusible Ink fuses with the fabric to create the design you are wanting. However Infusible Ink can only be used on select fabrics listed on Cricut’s website. Similarly you can wash fabrics with Infusible Ink and they will last a long time as well.

Check out more projects you can create with your Cricut here.

Permanent Vinyl vs Removable Vinyl

Choosing which type of vinyl to use solely depends on the type of project you are working on. Permanent vinyl is great for things like this move night board in the picture below. It’s also great for notebooks, labeling, and signs. Permanent vinyl is great for creating designs that you want to last long. I love using permanent vinyl to create signs especially seasonal signage that I can use for decor. It’s a great affordable way to spruce up your home during the holidays.

Removable vinyl is great for temporary designs. I’ve used Toy Story Removable Vinyl to create closet dividers for my son. It’s ideal for labeling or home decor projects.

Cardstock

You can create endless project with Cricut. One of the thing that I love about Cricut cardstock is the quality is amazing. I prefer it to other brands because it is thicker and of a higher quality. It’s great for making cards, party decor such as banners, gift boxes, bookmarks and so much more. I’ve used cardstock for cards and these amazing coloring bookmarks.

Foil Transfer Sheets

I am absolutely obsessed with the foil transfer sheets that Cricut have. They come in gold, silver and a small variety of colors. You can use the sheets with the Joy, Maker and Explore machines. They are absolutely a Cricut material that I suggest everyone has in their craft supplies. I used it for this Hocus Pocus theme banner and it came out so beautifully. You can use the foil in conjunction with things like cardstock, balsa wood, kraft paper, and more.

Smart Cricut Materials

Cricut Smart Materials were designed exclusively for the Explore Air 3 and Maker 3 Machines. You can use them in conjunction with the machines and without a mat. They allow your machines to be more efficient and cut significantly longer projects. Smart Materials are specially designed for easier making and continuous or extra-long cuts up to 12 feet long. The current Smart Materials available are Smart Paper, Smart Iron-On, Smart Vinyl (in removable and permanent) and Smart Label Writable Vinyl.

Cricut Pens & Markers

Cricut pens and markers are great when you are wanting to achieve a handwritten look on your projects. They are great for cards or even party decor.

Still not sure which Cricut materials you need for your next project? Grab a bundle of materials for your first project or start with Removable Vinyl. This will allow you to get the hang of using vinyl.