I am bougie and beautful on a budget, throughout the year I buy crafting items I find on clearance and hold onto them because I know that I will be able to use it one day. That day might be next month or two years from now. Either way it was on sale so I was actually losing money by not buying it… #GirlMath. A few Christmases ago my lovely husband bought me the Cricut Maker Explore 2 in the cutest shade of Lilac! It soon had a layer of dust on it because I was soooo overwhelmed on how to work it… but with the help of youtube university my Cricut Maker makes me money!
Here is a breakdown of the main things I make to make money:
Personalized cups
My most popular item I have sold to people is a personalized cup. If I have sold you a cup, STOP reading… I buy the $3 Sarbucks cold cups and a Hobby Lobby 40% off roll of vinyl and sell the personalized cup for upwards of $35! Cricuting is just a hobby of mine, a side piece to my actual jobs if you will. Like any other job you have to factor in the cost of materials, time and individual creativity. Most people love anything with their name on it, it is unique, it was made special for them and only them. If you add on a quote and small details like sybols then that will be their new emotional support water bottle.
Personalized clothing
Very similar to the personalized cups, having something that is custom made for you feels good when wearing because you know for a fact no one at the function will have the same outfit as you! You’d be surprised but I make the most money circuiting personalized shirts for birthdays and family celebrations Buying shirts in Disney for example will run you an arm and a leg so I cricut customizable “My **th Birthday”. A Gildan T-shirt from Walmart averages $4.25, use left over vinyl or again buying it every other week from the hobby lobby when it is 40% off, use free downloadable SVG files or purchase a 40 pack SVG bundle for less than $3 off of ETSY.
Helpful hack! I have an accordion folder with each sleeve labeled a different color to organize my vinyl scraps to use them for a future project.
Special occasion stationery
Birthdays are the most special holidays to me! I keep every single card I have ever gotten in a keep safe box. A cricut maker is GOLD when it comes to custom stationary! With the original cutting tip you can carve out spectacular 3-D or multi layered cards. With a writing utensil adapter and a pen/marker you could pick any font available through the Cricut app to hand address envelopes, draw a design or write a heartfelt message that comes out perfect every single time! If you know a bride, offer to take a load off her back and come up with a price to address her save the dates/ invitations/ thank you letters for her!
Helpful hack! You do not need to buy the expensive Cricut brand makers, Crayola Fine Line Markers fit the utensil adapter perfectly!
Etched glass
This one is so fun and EASY! Instead of using permanent vinyl to add words or pictures to something, you can use your Cricut to cut out the design BUT reverse weave it! This means instead of removing the inside and outside parts of the design, remove the design itself to create a stencil. *Remember you have to use removable vinyl for this to work! Once you reverse weave, place your removable vinyl on your piece of glass. I like to use shot glasses, baking dishes or ornaments! Now using a glass etching cream brush the cream inside of the vinyl stencil following the instructions and safety precautions on the etching cream bottle.
Metal engraving
Using the Cricut Maker Engraving Tool on metal you can create custom bracelets, earrings, dog tags and keychains! Attach the metal engraving tip and sell/ give a super personal item. One of my husband’s favorite gifts I ever got him was a keychain for his keys that said “Drive safe. I love you.” This was prior to my cricuting days so I purchased mine from Etsy for nearly $40 when the machine does the majority of the work! Hobby Lobby has every single jewelry making item you could think of to help you create something no one has bought before!
Helpful hack! Whatever it may be, your metal needs to fit in your Maker, it can not be very thick!
If you are tired of giving basic gifts, looking for some side change, or wanting to pick up a hobby, investing in a Cricut Maker is a decision you should contemplate. Or just get a cute boy to buy you one for Christmas like I did!