How to Use Cricut Joy Xtra: Unlock Your Creativity With Ease

7 min readDec 12, 2023

Hey there! Do you know how to use Cricut Joy Xtra? If not, then this blog is for you. In this guide, I have explained how to make a Birthday greeting card for one of my best friends, Reena. I still remember how excited we both were to meet each other. Since she came to visit me here in sunny California, I couldn’t wait to show her around and make some amazing memories with her. But do you know what was unique in this meeting? Her Birthday! To make her day special, I was all set with my Cricut Joy Xtra machine.

With this cutting machine, I made a beautiful greeting card for her, and she was amazed by the creativity I added to the card. Hence, I am here to guide you on the use of the Cricut machine, including the complete machine setup.By following this guide, you will be able to set up and establish a connection between the computer and your Cricut machine. Let’s delve deeper into it.

Step 1: Set up the Cricut Joy Xtra Machine

First, I will show you how to set up the new Cricut Joy Xtra to get started. If you have already set up your machine, you can skip this step and proceed with the second step. Here are the steps on how to set up the cutting machine:

First, open the front cover of the Xtra machine.
After that, you have to download and install the free Cricut Design Space on your computer or mobile device.
After successful installation, you need to set up your Cricut account using your Cricut ID and Password.
On the next screen, you have to select Machine Setup and choose the machine from the available list of cutting machines.
To begin the setup process, you will be prompted to connect your device via Bluetooth.
After connecting to bluetooth, your machine will begin updating its firmware with a pop saying Great! Thus, your process is done!

Note: You can find the name of your machine on the bottom of your machine. In the next step, I will show you how to use Cricut Joy Xtra. Let’s start!

Step 2: Preparation Before Your Design

After completing the setup, your second step should be to leave a gap of about 30 cm behind your cutting machine. This is essential so that the Cricut cutting mat can have enough space to roll backward without any difficulty.

Now, take out the practice materials that you received in a welcome pack. Then, move back to your computer or mobile device to perform a test cut on the machine.

In order to perform a test cut, start by feeding the material into the machine. Further, you can start cutting on vinyl by following the instructions given on the screen. After this, you can move to the next step, where I will show you how to use Cricut Joy Xtra to make beautiful greeting cards.

Step 3: Choose a Design on Cricut Design Space

On Design Space, there are multiple ready-made designs available. These ready-made projects are suitable for beginners who want to make something easy and wonderful for the first time. Let’s see how to choose the design for our greeting cards available from the software.

Open Design Space and navigate to the Birthday category given under Get Inspired.

On the Next screen, scroll down a bit and click on the Cupcake Birthday Card to select it.

A pop-up will appear; choose R20 from the drop-down menu given under the Finished Size. Then, click on Make It to navigate to the canvas screen.

Step 4: Set the Cricut Mat and Your Material

So, this is what it looks like inside the pack. Remove the protective sheet layer from the mat. After that, take a white cardstock with a size of 5 and ½ inches. You can cut the paper accordingly to get the required shape. Further, fold the card from the middle and place it on the Cricut mat.

Step 5: Cutting the Design

Finally, I am going to show you how to use Cricut Joy Xtra. In this last step, you have to place the mat along with the material. After that, go to the Design Space and click on Browse All Materials.

Here, I am selecting what I am using, such as Heavy Cardstock — 100 lb (270 gsm).

On the next screen, you will be asked to move the start wheel on the machine. Follow the instructions to proceed.

Since my cardstock is heavier, I selected More under the pressure from the drop-down menu. Finally, you can start cutting out using your cutting machine.

Step 6: Weed Out and Assemble the Card

I am using a Cricut spatula here to weed my design carefully. Using the same spatula, you can remove those extra materials from the mat.

Note: Always clean your mat to ensure the long lasting use of your mat.

If you want, you can color the cupcake using any color. In my project, I used a Dye Ink pad.

Once done, place a card inside the folded card.

Then, secure it on a flat surface using a masking tape. After that, you can assemble each piece of cupcake using any type of glue. Next, take the shiny insert card and place it inside your folded greeting card.

In addition, you can also write your personalized message on the blank card. Don’t worry; you don’t need to write anything. Cricut Joy Xtra can handle it for you.

Just select the beautiful fonts from the Design Space and send the command to write accordingly on the cardstock. For writing, you have to use a Cricut pen, so don’t forget to replace the cutting blade with your pen.

Finally, here we go! This beautiful cardstock Birthday gift card is ready to be sent.

Final Words

In short, I have explained how to use Cricut Joy Xtra and make your own cards, decals and anything that you love. From machine setup to making a Birthday card for my best friend, I discussed everything in this easy tutorial. For setup, you need to connect your Cricut cutting machine to a computer or phone via Cricut software, which is completely free. Follow the steps carefully and make anything that stands out!

FAQs

Question 1: What can I make with a Cricut Joy Xtra?

Answer: There are a lot of things you can make with a small mini Cricut Joy Xtra. I bought this machine because I wanted to write, cut, draw, and foil to make some popular projects. You can make any project, such as stickers, customer cards, vinyl decals, and more. All you need is Cricut Joy Xtra, and you are ready to go. But don’t forget to set up the account before using this machine. All types of Cricut machines need to be set up before use.

Question 2: What are the basic differences between my Cricut Joy and Joy Xtra?

Answer: The Cricut Joy Xtra has more cutting power with a wider cutting area of up to 8.5 inches, compared to the 5.5 inches offered by the Cricut Joy. Plus, it has the Print Then Cut feature, which allows craters to make full-colored stickers instead of just single-color custom decals. So, yes, this machine is suitable for crafters who want a mid-die cutting machine, making it beginners’ friendly.