The Cricut Mini Electronic Cutting Machine

Cricut Mini *

I have a small confession to make, when the Cricut Mini arrived on my doorstep I squealed like a kid at Christmas!  This nifty little machine hooks up to your computer, just like a printer, and allows you to cut out perfect shapes from a wide range of craft materials.  The Cricut Mini is the ideal Christmas gift for the craft enthusiast.

The machine works by placing your cardstock (or vinyl, craft foam, fabric...) onto the cutting mat, which is sticky to keep your material in place.  The cutting mat is fed into machine with the touch of a button.  You can adjust the depth of the cutting blade and its pressure depending on the material you are using.  On your computer, decide which of the thousands of shapes on the Cricut Craftroom software you want to create and click 'Cut'.  Simple.

Setting up the machine and software is really easy - I was all ready to go in about 15 minutes.  In the box is your Cricut Mini, along with cutting mat, instruction booklet and card to get you started with your first project.  The Cricut Craftroom has lots of shapes and fonts to get you started and you can purchase further cartridges or single shapes to add your cutting repertoire over time.

I've already had a go at a couple of quick projects, including a glittery feather mobile and an adorable Rudolph who will be adorning a Christmas card very soon!  The crafting possibilities with the Cricut Mini are endless and I'm already planning lots of gift tags for presents and also backdrops for photos for my online shop, Isobelle's Pantry.

I think the Cricut Mini is a great investment piece for any crafter and would make a lovely gift, if it's within your budget.  I can see I'm going to get a lot of use from this fab machine.  Expect to see more projects popping up on here soon!

*This post contains a PR sample.  All opinions remain my own.