Cricut Joy: Ultimate Guide to the NEW Mini Cutting Machine

Cricut Joy is a BRAND NEW compact Cricut cutting machine that is PERFECT for home decor, adorable labels, and easy cards! The Cricut Joy is available for sale beginning March 1, 2020 and you can get a sneak peek at it HERE!

Cricut just announced an exciting new product that is going to change how you make labels, cut vinyl, and create cards! If you’ve ever wanted to make super-cute labels that basically write themselves, cut long strips of vinyl without a mat, and cut amazing cards super fast, you can do it with the new Cricut Joy! I can tell already the Cricut Joy is going to my new DIY BFF. And, also, it’s adorable, and portable, and affordable. The new Cricut Joy mini cutting machine will be at Cricut.com and other box stores starting March 1, 2020.

Watch the replay of the live announcement of the Cricut Joy here!

Cricut sent me my own Cricut Joy (squee!) so I can experiment and show you how this amazing little machine works in advance! I unboxed it and did my starter project live with everyone the day the Cricut Joy was announced — here is a replay of that fun peek at the Cricut Joy!

Let’s look more closely at what the Cricut Joy is and how it actually works! This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience (which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link I will earn a small commission but it won’t cost you a penny more)! Read my full disclosure policy.

What special things can the Cricut Joy Cutting Machine do?

Quick Links to Information in this Post

LONG CUTS: Cut a continuous image up to 4.5″ wide and 4 feet long!
EASIER CARDS: New “Insert Card” sets and new Card Mats cut just the top layer of a card!
AMAZING LABELS: New line of pens and markers can write on the Smart Vinyl and won’t rub off!
REPEATED SHAPES: Cut repeated shapes up to 20 feet long
CUT VINYL WITHOUT MATS: You can cut Smart Vinyl without a mat! No need to change mats when you change colors!
PORTABLE: Light enough (under 6 lbs.) and you can take it anywhere

Cricut Joy Tutorials Incoming!

Watch my blog for lots of fun and helpful tutorials and projects made using the Cricut Joy! Be sure you’re on my newsletter mailing list to be notified when I post a new one!

Answers to Your Cricut Joy Questions

I know you have many questions, so this page will be my repository for all the questions and answers about this fun new cutting machine! If you have questions you’d like me to research, please just let me know!

When Will the Cricut Joy Be Available For Purchase?

March 1, 2020 — and you can get it on Cricut.com as well as in box stores like Michaels and JoAnn beginning March 1, and on HSN beginning March 3.

(Note: If you try to find it on Cricut.com, it may say “sold out” but that’s only because it’s not available yet. It’s not actually sold out.)

How Does the Cricut Joy Differ From the Maker or Explore?

The Cricut Joy is smaller, lighter, more portable machine that can do long cuts on Smart Vinyl without a mat, cut and write on unique labels with new pens and writeable vinyl, and make super-fast cards using the new Card Mat. The Cricut Joy is for fast cards, labels, and decals. If you need to cut thicker, denser, bigger stuff, you use your Explore or Maker.

How Much Is the Cricut Joy Going to Cost?

Retail price is $179.99. View on Cricut.com.

What Materials and Accessories are available at launch for the Cricut Joy Materials?

Smart Vinyl – $5.99–$28.99.
Smart Iron-On – $7.99-$13.99.
Smart Labels – $7.99.
Infusible Ink – $7.99
Insert Card Sets – $6.99
Transfer Tape – $4.49-$18.99.
Adhesive-Backed Paper – $6.99-$7.99.
Pens and Markers – $8.99.
Standard Grip & Light Grip cutting mats – $9.99 (4.5″ x 12″ long) and $8.99 (4.5″ x 6.5″ long)
Card mat (4.5″ x 6.25″) – $14.99
Starter Tool Kit – $7.99
Blade ($12.99) + Housing ($32.99)
Tote – $39.99

Can I Cut Things Other Than Their Materials?

YES! You can use the Standard Grip and Light Grip cutting mats to cut regular cardstock, vinyl, and all the usual things you can cut on a Cricut Explore.

What Size of Materials Can I Cut?

You can cut materials up to 4.5″ wide and 11.5″ long (if using a cutting mat) and up to 5″ wide by 20 feet long (if using Smart Vinyl) on the Cricut Joy.

The Cricut Joy is cute, but what can one even make with this?

TONS of stuff! Signs, wall decals, super cute cards, amazing labels, iron-on decals, Infusible Ink projects… so much stuff. You often don’t need a huge cutting area to make really cool projects.

Can I get the Cricut Joy in a different color?

The Cricut Joy will only be available in blue on its release date of March 1, 2020.

Will the Smart Cutting Materials become available for other cutting machines?

My understanding is that the Smart Materials are only for the Cricut Joy.

Do I Have to Use Smart Cutting Materials?

No, you can cut regular vinyl and cardstock using one of the Cricut Joy cutting mats. If you want to cut matless, however, you need to use the Smart Cutting Materials.