Cricut Starter Guide 2026: What You Need & What You Don't

Some links below are affiliate links — we earn a small commission at no cost to you.

The short answer: You need four things to start making stickers, decals, and custom shirts — a machine, the right mats, a weeder, and transfer tape. That’s it. Everything else is optional, and Cricut’s entire business model depends on you not knowing that. 🌈
Start here:
🥇 Best Machine — Cricut Explore 5 Essential Bundle · the newest, 30% smaller, 65 projects in the box · read the full review →
🪡 Must-Have Tools — Cricut Basic Tool Set (5-pc) · $14.99 · 4.9★ / 45,400 reviews · read the full review →
🟩 Best Mats — Xinart 12×12 Variety 3-Pack · $8.99 · 4.7★ / 18,400 reviews · read the full review →
💷 Best Budget Start — Cricut Ultimate Starter Kit · $59.60 · 4.8★ · vinyl, mats & tools in one box
⚠️ And one thing NOT to buy: the Cricut Scoring Stylus ($9.99) does not work with the new Explore 5. Details below.

So you’re thinking about a Cricut. 🌈

Here’s what actually happens: you buy the machine, and then you discover there’s an entire universe of accessories, blades, mats, tools, bundles, and consumables — and every single one of them is presented as essential. It’s overwhelming, it’s expensive, and a lot of it you genuinely do not need.

I went through thirty-three of them, so you don’t have to. Here’s what’s real.

What you actually need (the honest four-item list)

The machine. Obviously.
Mats — and the right grip level, because using the wrong one is why projects fail.
A weeder — the little hook that pulls excess vinyl off your design. Non-negotiable. Weeding is 90% of the actual work.
Transfer tape — how you lift your finished design off the backing and onto the thing.

That’s it. That’s the whole starter kit. Everything below this line is optional, and you should buy it only when a specific project demands it.

<a name=”dont-waste-your-money”></a>⚠️ Don’t waste your money on these

🚫 The Cricut Scoring Stylus ($9.99) does NOT work with the Explore 5. This is the trap. It’s a popular, well-reviewed accessory (4.8★, 11,600 reviews) — and it was designed for the Explore 4 and earlier. The new Explore 5 requires the redesigned Scoring Tool instead. If you’ve just bought an Explore 5 and you add the Scoring Stylus to your cart because it’s everywhere and everyone recommends it, it will not fit your machine. Check compatibility before you order.

🚫 The Explore 4 is last-generation now. It’s been replaced by the Explore 5 (launched February 2026). Bundles are getting harder to find, and support will taper. Buy the current machine.

🚫 And if you already OWN an Explore 4 — do not upgrade. The Explore 5 is smaller and a bit faster, but it doesn’t cut anything your machine doesn’t already cut. Keep it. Spend the money on vinyl.

The machines

Cricut Explore 5 Essential Bundle — the one to buy. The newest generation (Feb 2026), 30% more compact, cuts 100+ materials, Print Then Cut for full-colour stickers, and 12-foot matless cuts with Smart Materials. The Essential Bundle includes enough supplies for 65+ projects on day one. Full review →

Cricut Ultimate Starter Kit — $59.60 · 4.8★ (631 reviews) — best budget entry Vinyl, mats, and tools in one box. If you already have a machine, or you’re building your supplies gradually, this is the single best-value bundle in the whole guide.

Cricut Joy 2 Deluxe Bundle — $159 · 4.6★ — the small one fits in your hands. Perfect for cards, labels, gift tags, and small decals — and it now does Print Then Cut stickers too. Buy this instead of the Explore if you only make small things and don’t need 12-inch cuts. Genuinely cheaper and genuinely enough for a lot of people.

Cricut Joy Xtra T-Shirt Bundle + Mini EasyPress — $249.99 · 4.6★ The compact shirt-making kit. Machine plus heat press in one purchase — a sensible bundle if apparel is specifically your thing.

Cricut Maker 4 T-Shirt Bundle + EasyPress SE — $599.99 · 4.5★ — the serious one. The step up. A Maker cuts things an Explore can’t — wood, leather, unbacked fabric, chipboard. Only buy this if you specifically need those materials. For vinyl, stickers, and HTV, the Explore does everything and costs a third as much.

Likcut Glee S501 — $89.99 · 4.2★ — the cheap alternative: A non-Cricut cutter with AI image generation, at a fraction of the price. Lower rated (4.2), and you lose the Design Space ecosystem and the enormous community — but if $90 is your ceiling, it exists.

The mats — get the grip level right

This is the thing that decides whether your project works. Green for vinyl and iron-on, blue for paper, purple for the heavy stuff.

Xinart 12×12 Variety 3-Pack — $8.99 · 4.7★ · 18,400 reviews — best pick · Full review →
WORKLION 3-Pack — $8.89 · 4.7★ · 9,800 reviews — basically identical, equally good
Cricut Official Variety 4-Pack — $17.99 · 4.8★ · 10,400 reviews — the genuine article; double the price, marginally better adhesive life
AIRCUT 3-Pack — $9.99 · 4.7★ — another solid third-party option
ReArt 6-Pack — $26.99 · 4.7★ — bulk buy if you’re crafting constantly

Honest take: the third-party mats at $9 are an outstanding value, and the ratings prove it. Buy Cricut’s own only if you want maximum adhesive longevity.

The weeding tools — buy one, any one

Weeding is the actual work. Every one of these is well-rated and cheap; you genuinely cannot go wrong.

Cricut Basic Tool Set (5-pc) — $14.99 · 4.9★ · 45,400 reviews — best overall. Weeder, scraper, spatula, micro-tip scissors, reverse-grip tweezers. The highest-rated product in this entire guide. Full review →
Sooez 6PCS Weeding Tools — $8.99 · 4.8★ · Amazon’s Overall Pick — the budget champion
Generic 6pc Weeding Tools — $9.99 · 4.8★ · 7,000 reviews
tiptopcarbon 3pc — $6.49 · 4.8★ · 6,600 reviews — the cheapest thing that works
SHARKOOO 35-Piece Kit — $8.99 · 4.7★ — absurd quantity for the money
Cricut TrueControl Weeding Kit — $8.49 · 4.8★ — precision weeder with replaceable blades

Blades & specialty tools (buy when you need them)

Cricut Deep-Point Blade + Housing — $15.19 · 4.8★ · 11,700 reviews — for thick materials: chipboard, magnet, heavy cardstock
Cricut Rotary Blade Kit — $15.99 · 4.8★ — fabric and delicate paper (Maker machines only)
THANMAO 40-pc Replacement Blades — $7.99 · 4.6★ — blades are consumables; a dull blade tears vinyl
Cricut Brayer Roller — $23.99 · 4.9★ — presses material flat onto the mat; genuinely extends mat life
Cricut Essential Tool Set (7-pc) — $43.13 · 4.9★ — the bigger tool kit, if you want everything at once
Vowlove T-Shirt Ruler Guide — $8.99 · 4.7★ — for centring designs on shirts, which is much harder than it sounds
Calogy 10×10 Heat Press — $77.88 · 4.7★ — a proper press beats an iron for HTV, every time

The fun extras

MK. Bear Button Maker (58mm) — $39.99 · 4.3★ — make your own pins and badges. Peak Gen-Z, genuinely fun. 🌈
Convend Starter Bundle + LED Light Pad — $44.99 · 4.8★ — the light pad makes weeding dramatically easier; underrated
NICOGENA Double-Layer Carrying Case — $31.99 · 4.8★ — for when your supplies colonise the whole table
GO2CRAFT 90-Piece Accessories Bundle — $34.99 · 4.6★ — everything at once, cheaply

How to actually choose

Total beginner, want to make stickers/decals/shirts? → Explore 5 + Xinart mats + Basic Tool Set. Done.
Only making cards, labels, and small stuff? → Joy 2 ($159). Save the money.
Need to cut wood, leather, or fabric? → Maker 4. Nothing else will do it.
Already own an Explore 4? → Buy nothing. Buy vinyl.
Tight budget, no machine yet? → The Ultimate Starter Kit ($59.60) is the best value here.
Making shirts specifically? → add a real heat press ($77.88). An iron doesn’t apply even pressure, and your designs will peel.

One last thing

The machine is the fun purchase, but the truth is that a Cricut is only as good as your willingness to sit there for twenty minutes weeding tiny letters out of a sheet of vinyl. 🌈

Get the right mat. Get a good weeder. Get a light pad if you can.

And then go make something nobody else has.

Read the Cricut Explore 5 review →

Read the Basic Tool Set review →

Read the Cutting Mats review →

See the full DIY & Craft edit →

See more of Vicky’s full fall edit →

As an Amazon Associate, SparkTrove Trends earns from qualifying purchases — at no additional cost to you.

I love you all — stay sparkly and stay vivid. Vivid Vicky for SparkTrove Trends. 🌈