My Go-To Cricut Machine Is Finally on Sale for Black Friday at 27% Off

Black Friday Deal Alert: The Cricut Maker 3, which normally costs $399, is now available for 27% off. Black Fridayreducing the price up to $280. Not only is this a great deal, but it's also your new excuse to own one of the most creative craft machines on the market.

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One of the things I love most about my Cricut is the many ways it can be used. While clever car stickers and cute t-shirts are fun, it's not always obvious what that car can do until it shows up in your home.

I made a puzzle with a photo of my sister's favorite family, custom place cards for family dinners, and unique vinyl runners for kitchen cabinets, all with the same machine. I even made acid etched glassware as wedding party favors, which was an adventure in itself.

My friends and family often ask me which Cricut to buy, and for the last four years my answer has always been the same. Even though Cricut just released their new Explore 4 And Creator 4 machines, I think the best Cricut for the money right now is still the Maker 3. And since it's not the latest model, you can get it for much less than the newest machine.

The basic version of Cricut Maker 3 is available right now. $119 offfor Amazon Black Friday Sale. This brings the price down to $291 from the regular list price of $399.

When Cricut Maker 3 was released, it marked a huge shift in the world of crafting. Cricut has already become something of a household name in maker circles, but the Maker 3 is essentially everything you need to start a small craft business, in one machine. It supports over 300 different materials and makes it easy to replace the main cutting tool with many other options.

Whether you're printing a custom candle sticker or faux suede for decorative roses to add to a flower crown, Maker 3 gets the job done quickly and consistently. Much of this ease of use is due to the excellent Design Space app, which works on virtually all types of devices and makes creating new projects incredibly easy.

These days, it's almost impossible to scroll through Etsy or walk through your local farmers market without seeing something at least partially made on a Cricut. If you've been to a theme park in the last couple of years, you've probably seen families wearing matching shirts that were clearly made using a Cricut.

It's commonly said that the limitations of these machines are your imagination, but a lot of it is also how many accessories Cricut makes. Things like adhesive material designed to stretch so it can be applied to sportswear, sports jerseys or wood veneer so you can add a touch of class to an existing project without worrying about adhesives or wood quality.

It's an entire ecosystem, and the Cricut Maker platform is the best, so there are very few restrictions on what you can create.

Why I Recommend the Cricut Maker 3

Recently I was able to thoroughly test and review Cricut Maker 4released this year as the new top of the Cricut line. Maker 4 doesn't add to the list of what it can do.

In fact, when it comes to the number of materials supported and tools that can be used with it, this new machine is essentially identical to the Maker 3. An important feature added to the new model is speed: the Maker 4 is noticeably faster than the Maker 3 at cutting anything that isn't labeled Smart Materials.

Cricut Smart Materials are specifically designed to have as few tolerance differences as possible. For example, Cricut Smart Iron-On materials can be placed directly into the machine without the need for an auxiliary cutting mat, and you will get the same or better quality cuts than if you used another manufacturer's material. This is because Cricut knows the exact cutting depth of its smart materials without any risk of machine damage or loss of quality.

In the Cricut Explore 3 and Maker 3, these smart materials cut the fastest and are considered a more reliable product, despite the added cost associated with the brand name.

With the Cricut Explore 4 and Maker 4, many third-party vinyl and adhesive materials will cut faster than previous models because these new machines are able to apply more precise pressure to the cutting mats. These speed improvements don't quite reach the performance levels of Smart Materials, but they do allow small business owners to consider using alternative materials without significantly slowing down the production line. And if that bothers you, maybe you should take a closer look at Maker 4.

If you're planning on purchasing a Cricut to entertain your family, iterative speed improvements probably won't be that important. The Maker 3 from Cricut is still a fantastic machine, and because there is something new, you can get the Maker 3 at a significant discount from the $400 price of the new model. If all you're really losing is speed, the savings are more than worth it.

You can get into this new world of Cricut for even less if you're willing to sacrifice functionality. The Cricut Explore 4 is as fast as the Maker 4, but it doesn't support as many materials as the Maker 3 and 4. You'll lose the ability to cut puzzles out of chipboard or wood veneer, among other things, but if you're only interested in cutting vinyl, iron-on, and stickers, you can get Explore 4 for $250which is a fantastic price.

Cricut Maker 3 Specifications

• Dimensions: 21.1 x 6.9 x 5.9 inches
• Maximum cutting width: 11.5″ on cutting mat, 12″ with Smart Materials
• Maximum cutting length: 11.5 inches on cutting mat, 12 feet with Smart Materials
• Control: Cricut Design Space for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android
• Tool Compatibility: 13 instruments
• Wireless connection: Bluetooth only

Nothing you have will ever be boring again.

Using a Cricut is addictive. That feeling of accomplishment when you press the “Go” button on the machine and the thing you made comes out the other side, doesn't go away.

Cricut's Design Space app is a never-ending fountain of ideas to create if you don't know where to start, and if you pay for a monthly subscription to the app, you'll even get step-by-step instructions on how to make tons of things designed by other users. There's a whole community of smart tinkerers who love sharing what they've made so you can make it yours, and if you follow these instructions carefully, you'll have a great time.

If you're wondering where to start, do yourself a favor and get Maker 3. You'll be so happy you did.

You will find even more great deals in our review of the best deals from Amazon Prime Day October Sale.