Yesterday I attempted my first Cricut project using vinyl and it was a huge success! Now that I know how to use vinyl, or at least I think I do, I cant wait to try more projects.The most challenging part of the entire project was finding the vinyl itself in stores.

First I tried Hobby Lobby, vscocam-photo-1 (1)my go to place for all things crafty.Unfortunately their selection was very limited and they were sold out of most Cricut supplies that they do carry, however I was able to get the transfer tape.  I love the staff at Hobby Lobby and their mobile app saves me so much money every time I shop there. Even though their mobile 40% off coupon specifically states that it is not applicable towards Cricut products the cashier still applied the 40% off for me. Even though that only saved me a couple bucks, the fact that their employees want to get you the most bang for your buck made a huge impact on me.

Next I tried Joann Fabrics and bought the printable vinyl because it was the only white vinyl I could find (they were sold out of almost everything else). After getting home and doing some research I realized even if I didn’t print on the vinyl it couldn’t get wet. I have found the biggest flaw with Cricut is that there instructions and descriptions for their products and projects are very vague and leave a lot open to interpretation. There was almost no discription of how the printable vinyl could/couldn’t be used on the packaging.

Finally I went online and did some research and saw that Michael’s carries the Cricut Vinyl Starter Pack, this includes 12 sheets of vinyl in different colors. With fingers crossed I headed over to my local Michael’s Store in search of the right kind of vinyl… I usually avoid Michael’s at all costs. Their staff is usually in Zombie mode, although kind there is usually about two people working in the store at any given time. Only one person working the register while the other strolls the aisles. Even though the store is pretty empty of customers I almost never make it through their checkout line in under 20 minutes. However this trip was worth it since they did have the starter pack I was looking for!

Now that I finally had my supplies I simply followed the instructions I had googled and youtubed. I had to do a lot of research and taught myself through other peoples tutorials. Using the Cricut Explore is very easy, the hard part is learning how to actually do your project and what supplies you need. In the end I figured it out although it did take some trial and error I loved the end result and can’t wait to try more projects in the future.