Dun dun dun dun....
The best Cricut® for paper flowers is....
Well, ok let's keep the suspense in the air first. Before we get to that, I want you to check first the chart below from https://home.cricut.com/ :
By looking at this chart, the best Cricut® machine to make paper flowers with then is...
Well, it will largely depend on you, the USER.
(who will be making the flowers or project).
The biggest factor to consider here is:
The use of the machine for you.
So, What will you use it for and how, my dear?
That leads to another important factor
Materials you will be using.
What materials are you planning to use it with?
Which opens a whole pandora box of questions like (all of which are connected to the craft and making of paper flowers and we will be recommending a machine per question later on)
Will it just be for a hobby?
Will you use it for the business of paper flowers?
Are you going to make and sell hard copy templates?
Are you gong to make flowers for a paper flower wall or bouquets?
Or are you gonna be like me (Deaney) who makes digital templates and just make samples?
Then, what material do you plan to use? Are you just gonna use card stock or thinner materials like construction paper? or are you also gonna use fine crepe paper? or fabric for fabric flowers?
Besides from paper flowers, are you also planning to make and cut crafts that use thicker materials?
So I believe there's not one concrete and definite answer to this question, it would solely and largely depend on you, the future user.
It is like when you are choosing the right phone for you– if you are the type who only use a cellphone just for calling and texting (though there might be a minimal percentage who is like that nowadays but for the sake of this argument), then why would you get an iPhone X plus, right?
Here's my brief summary per model based on the chart above:
Let's begin with
It only has one tool holder (that houses the fine-point blade that is included in the set) you can then purchase a scoring tip with housing if you want to score your paper. It does not have bluetooth capability and all the other features the new ones have. So this is your very basic right here, if you don't have a budget, and is just looking for a tool to help you cut on your projects, then go for this one. (Cricut® does not have a stock right now, I'm afraid)
This is my machine!
It connects your phone and/or tablet to the machine via bluetooth technology, which I find really awesome because there are times that I find myself lazy to open my computer to have my materials cut. So if you want convenience and have an extra budget, go for this one.
The second feature that this one has that the first machine doesn't have is the double tool holder. Besides from the scoring tool (which is different than the first one), you can house pens that you can use to write on your material (Tools are sold separately, or are included if you get their bundle).
Side note:
You can use your pens for paper flowers!
Here's an example:
(Provided by @deaneyweaneyblooms)
The Cricut Explore Air™ 2 has the same features of Cricut Explore Air™, it just cuts and writes faster.
So this is best if you are or will be doing things on a larger scale, like you're cutting templates for example, or are doing tons and tons of large paper flower for a back drop wall or small flowers for hundreds of bouquets, and saving time is a factor, go for this one.
And they do come in different colors!
The iPhone X of crafters. The latest in the line of their cutting machines: it's as fast as The Cricut Explore Air™ 2 but has the capability to cut broader set of materials like fabric, crepe paper and thicker ones like wood and chip boards. It comes with a rotary blade (which can cut fabric and crepe paper) and many other tools and materials.
It can house the knife blade which can cut thicker materials (but is sold separately). Can it cut intricately on wood though? No. If you want that capability like I do, let's go for a laser machine which costs around $7,000.00. You see the big difference? Let's just go for the Maker in the mean time :D
So yup, if you're a paper florist that use crepe paper or is planning to jump into making flowers with crepe paper later on, then invest in the Maker.
So now I've somewhat explained the machines, let's answer the questions I listed above:
(*Disclaimer: for the sake of familiarity, I just used what I would normally call the machines, air 2, air, the maker, etc)
Will it just be for a hobby?
If you're not looking at a line up of jam pack projects and is just looking for a machine that will help you make your crafting easier and faster, then you can consider the basic ones, Explore One* or Explore Air*.
However, I do highly suggest considering the 2 more powerful ones, Explore Air 2* and the Maker* as these machines allows you to do more projects.
Are you going to make and sell hard copy templates?
Then time is most probably important. I suggest go for Air 2* or the Maker*
Are you gong to make flowers for a paper flower wall or bouquets?
Time would also be a factor, go for Air 2* or the Maker*
Or are you gonna be like me (Deaney) who makes digital templates and just make samples?
I'm good with my Air (1)* and I'll explain the reason later why I'm sticking with it for the next year or so still.
But Air 2* or a Maker* is nice to have.
Then, what material do you plan to use? Are you just gonna use card stock or thinner materials like construction paper?
If you are only using paper materials like card stock, construction paper, bond paper, etc. Then even the Explore one* can do, so you can choose between the four machines, just consider if you plan to use it for a different purpose later on.
Or are you also gonna use fine crepe paper? or fabric for fabric flowers?
Then the Maker* is the only one for you :D
Besides from paper flowers, are you also planning to make and cut crafts that use thicker materials?
The Maker* is also the one for you :D
No doubt, if you have big plans for your crafting career, the Cricut® Maker is the best one to have, again it's kinda similar to having an iphoneX or a Samsung Note 9 (or whatever you think is the most high-tech phone there is) but then again, what I ask of you is to think deeply of those two factors:
What are you gonna use it for? and What do you plan to use it with? (Materials)
Here's one example case, well.... dun dun dun dun, Me!
Case Study: Deaney
Deaney is a 30 year old paper flower specialist.
She makes and sells digital paper flower templates as a side business.
She also has a full time day job so the use of her machine is not that heavy.
She makes her paper flowers as a sample for her template business and she occasionally makes few pieces of large flowers and small ones for bouquets– like probably once a month.
She does not use crepe paper and plans to stick with card stock and other paper materials like construction paper, vellum, etc since she feels there is more to explore there.
She has a Cricut Explore Air™ Machine, and she's happy with it, and is enough for her for now.
You see my sample and situation here?
I'm the best example of "only uses her phone for call and text" sample.
So why would I jump to an iPhone X when my need for the tool will just be this and that?
I'd end up not using the full capability of the machine.
But again as I've said, it would be nice and best to have the latest one, because you just have more options that you can craft and do in the future.
So there you go, I hope this helps you, my dear reader, to decide on what machine to invest in ^_^
Shoot me a message at hello@deaneyweaneyblooms.com if you have some comments and/or thoughts with regards to what I wrote here!
Toodles!
Lots of love,
Deaney