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Best Cutting Machine for All of Your Arts and Crafts Projects

Published Jan 2nd, 2020 4:02PM EST

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Some people are just naturally gifted artists. For most of us, however, it takes a lot of practice and skill. Even then, you may not be churning out any masterpieces and can just get by with successfully wrapping a birthday present. But for those who enjoy doing projects at home and creating cards, scrapbooks, stencils, iron ons, vinyl decals or anything else that has to do with paper, there are machines that can help you get the very best designs. Different cutting machines can help you do different things, depending on the fabric that you’re using. If you fancy yourself a crafter in your spare time, you should really consider purchasing a machine to make creating simpler. With any of the three we’ve highlighted below, you’ll be on your way towards efficient and easy crafting.

Best Overall Cutting Machine

With endless possibilities of usage, the Cricut Maker can be your one stop shop when it comes to crafting. This works with paper crafts, iron ons, vinyl decals, sewing projects, leather crafts and balsa models. It boasts powerful blades, pens and a scoring tool that grows with you as you learn each new craft. This is great for moderate to advanced users, as it takes some skill to get used to it. But once you do, it opens up so many options when it comes to crafting. It even has new and updated blades for fabric that perform a rolling, gliding action to cut through virtually any type of fabric. It will do it quickly and accurately without having to go back and forth over it. The expandable suite of tools helps you get any job done. The best part of this machine is the hundreds of designs you get access to. With your computer or mobile device, you’ll be able to lay out exactly what you want with the app or you can upload your own kinds of designs and fonts for free. It was designed to be user friendly, as there is a docking station for your tablet or smartphone that will charge your device via a USB connection.

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Best Starter Cutting Machine

Providing a ton of resources for the person who wants to learn how to craft, the Sizzix Big Shot Starter Kit Manual Die Cutting Machine is a great choice. This die-cutting and embossing machine gives you a box with a selection of Bigz and Thinlits dies, a Textured Impressions embossing folder and a selection of color paper to get you ready to go right away. It can work with different materials up to six inches wide and all of this comes with Sizzix entire product library. The contents of the packaging includes one Big Shot Machine, one extended multipurpose platform, one pair of standard cutting pads, one Thinlits die set, one Bigz die, one Textured Impressions embossing folder, one instruction booklet and 12 6″ x 6″ cardstock sheets. A one year limited warranty covers all of this, meaning it doesn’t hurt you to give it a shot. The machine itself measures 14 1/4″ x 12 3/8″ x 6 5/8″ and weighs 7.5 pounds. This has construction-solid core steel rollers, all housed in a unibody cast roller with solid steel gears and an ABS plastic exterior. There’s plenty of dies you can purchase separately to expand your library.

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Best Paper Trimmer

Now, if you’re using construction paper as a part of your project and you need to get the dimensions just right, the Swingline Paper Trimmer will help you achieve that. It features a sharp, guillotine blade that will cut with accuracy every single time. There is an alignment grid for precision and the dual scale ruler has marks in both inches and centimeters. It has a sturdy plastic base that makes it easy to transport with how light it is. This can be used at home, in the office or at school. This can cut up to 10 sheets of paper at once, whether it’s paper or photos. There is a safety guard rail that keeps your fingers away from the blade while it’s being used. The blade latch hook securely locks the trimmer arm when it’s not in use. This is backed by a 10-year limited warranty, so it’s built to last and will continue to work for many years.

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Chris Hachey Commerce Editor

Chris Hachey is Senior Commerce Editor for BGR. With over a decade of editing and journalism experience, plus thousands of hours of product testing and research, he has helped millions of consumers find the best products and deals to fit their lifestyles.

When he's not searching for top deals, he's likely watching his favorite sports teams or walking around his hometown with his wife and his dog.