How To Set Up A Brand New Cricut Maker & Do Your First Project!

Have a brand new Cricut Maker still sitting in the box? This step by step tutorial and video shows you how to get it set up and walks you all the way through completing your first project!

Having a brand new Cricut machine can be a little daunting; they are so powerful and there are so many possibilities for using them. But don’t worry, they aren’t actually complicated or hard to use! I’m going to walk you through the setup process for a brand new Cricut Maker machine, step by step: from pulling it out of the box and plugging it into your computer all the way through completing your very first project! (And if you don’t have a Maker, I’m working on setup tutorials for the other machines and will publish those ASAP, but in the meantime, the steps are pretty similar so you should be able to follow along with this tutorial!)

For those of you who are just getting started, I also have a complete guide to the accessories & supplies that every Cricut beginner needs (and which ones are just “nice-to-haves” that you can splurge on later if you want). And if you’re still on the fence or still have questions about the Maker, check out my post answering all the common questions about the Maker!

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How To Set Up A Brand New Cricut Maker In Under An Hour

• Time spent doing stuff: 40 minutes
• Time spent waiting around: 15 minutes
• Total project time: 55 minutes

Tools

• Cricut Maker
• USB cable (included in the box with the Maker)
• Power cord (included in the box with the Maker)
• Rotary Blade + Drive Housing (included in the box with the Maker)
• Fine Point Blade + Housing (included in the box with the Maker)
• Fine Point Pen (included in the box with the Maker)
• FabricGrip Mat 12″x12″ (included in the box with the Maker)
• LightGrip Mat 12″x12″ (included in the box with the Maker)
• computer, tablet, or mobile device that is connected to the internet

Materials

• the packet of first project materials that came with your Maker (or two pieces of cardstock and a small scrap of fabric)
• gluestick

Instructions

Check out the video below to see the entire Cricut Maker setup and first project from start to finish! The video will walk you through plugging in your Cricut Maker and connecting it to your computer, and then show you how to use the Design Space online software to make your first project.

Grab your Cricut Maker and your computer, and follow along with the video below to get started! (The link you need to go to in order to start setting up your machine is http://cricut.com/setup.)

***UPDATE:*** Cricut has recently changed their new machine setup tutorial and it no longer includes a full initial project. I’m working to get a new video filmed to walk you through the new setup tutorial, but in the meantime the first steps to get the machine actually connected to your computer and registered are still the same, it’s just everything after that part that has changed…sorry!

And don’t forget to check out my other Cricut tutorials and project ideas!

I hope this helps you to get started with your Cricut! If you’re brand new to Cricut, check out some of my beginner tutorials:

• What Is A Cricut Machine & What Can I Do With It?
• How Does A Cricut Machine Work?
• How Do I Upload My Own Images With A Cricut Machine?

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