I like to pretend that I’m a crafter. Before I had kids, I actually made my own soaps for a long time because it was fun. I did a lot of rubber stamping, and I made my own cards – especially Christmas cards. Once I had kids, however, my time and energy decreased greatly. Though I liked to pretend that I was still crafty, I really wasn’t until I received a Cricut Expression for Christmas a couple years ago. Quickly, I was able to create fun cutouts for everything from making cards to special touches for teacher gifts to creative gift tags. I rocked.
Now there’s a Cricut Expression 2, and I have to say it’s even better. With the original Expression, you had to insert a given cartridge, then put a flexible rubber like overlay on the keyboard to know what each button meant in order to choose what design you wanted. The Cricut Expression 2 has simplified this by no longer requiring those overlays – meaning I don’t have to constantly search for where I put them – and instead using a touchpad full color screen for the menu.
Pros
The touch screen menu fortunately doesn’t require a special stylus, so my finger works just fine which also means I don’t have to worry about losing something else. It’s really easy to flip between any cartridges you have inserted or the two that come preloaded in the Cricut Expression 2 to choose which image you want to use. This is a huge advantage because when you create images from both the preloaded cartridges and a cartridge you insert, you can choose images from both those sources and cut rather than having to start over again with each new cartridge. You can also rotate images so that they fit better on the page and preview your paper cuts prior to actually cutting them so that you can again move images around to better utilize your space. I love these features because I detest waste, especially when I’m using an expensive paper. There is also a paper saver mode you can use that will do maximize your cuts on a paper.
While the images appear small and sometimes hard to see when showing up in the gallery of images, you can zoom in on any image to ensure it’s the one you want prior to adding it to your items to be cut. You can also copy images, making it easy to do repeats, as I did when making the thank you cards for Mister Man’s Boy Scout wreath sales.
While I’ve so far only used this for smaller sized projects, I love that the Expression 2 offers not just the 12×12 mat but also the option (not included) to use a 12×24 mat for much larger projects. I can see the wee ones using these for school projects and me for posters going forward. The Expression 2 also has a feature where you can cut a character on a center point, meaning I can cut around already created images for some special effects. There is also a multi-cut function which cuts the same image in the same space more than once so that you can cut even thicker materials, such as thin chip board. You can also adjust the speed of the cutting so that more delicate and intricate cuts are cut more slowly, leading to less ripping of paper which has always been a frustration for me with my original Expression.
 Cons
The one big change that continues to throw me is that the blade starts in the top let corner of the page with the Expression 2, where I’m used to it being on the top right side of the page. This is more of a habit change for me, but one thing I truly miss from my old Expression was the ease with which I could adjust the blade position. There were times when I’d make a cut and check it then reload the paper to cut more. It was easy for me to use a navigational arrow to move the blade where I needed it to be. Now to adjust the blade, I need to go into the start menu and use the Increase and Decrease buttons. It isn’t as intuitive, and I’m still struggling with this to some degree. Another feature that was highly touted as a benefit of the Expression 2 was the light on the cutting area so that you could see what was being cut. I’ve never had a problem with this in the past and really haven’t noticed it as a benefit.
The Expression 2 also has a slot in the back for future wi-fi functionality, though this hasn’t been introduced yet and I have no idea how it will work. I haven’t quite decided if I wish this weren’t there at all and the price were reduced or if I wish they’d held off on releasing it until they perfected whatever wi-fi technology they much be playing with or if I’m ok with it as is.
In the interest of full disclosure, I received a Cricut Expression 2 for review purposes. I was compensated for writing this post, but all opinions remain my own.
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it would be photos and cards
I’ve been wanting one of these for a long time!! 🙂
this would be such a blessing… It would make crafts with/for the kids so much easier
I love to scrapbook, it is my way to relax and unwind after a long day of work, and caring for my three daughters. I would most definitely add a circuit to my scrapbook must haves!
My husband just said to me yesterday, “you know, you could do so many things if you had a Cricut.” LOL! He’s right, I would love to do more scrapbooking and home decor crafts. It would definitely keep me busy!
I would love to make holiday banners and decorations!
This will make a perfect gift for my daughter. She will just love it.
I would make some personalized greeting cards.
This would be the perfect excuse to start scrapbooking!
I have always wanted a Cricut! I would make so many different crafts to beautify our home. Thank you.
Perfect gift for my sister-in-law, she likes this kinda stuff.
This would be helpful I’m sure to use for my Mom.
I would love to make party decorations for my Kids birthday’s!
WOW!!! I would make SO much with this! I have ALWAYS wanted one!!! I would use this mainly for my scrapbooking! SO, my first craft would probably be something like a bear or some sort of animal for a scrapbook page!
I would make all kinds of stuff for my scrapbooks. I have been putting my scrapbooking off because I want to get a cricut so bad. It’s been on my Christmas list for the last 2 years! I would flip out if I won!!!!
I’d make a birthday pennant for my niece and many other things
Guess this would be great for my wife, she does all sort’s of crafts and scrap booking also.
i’d make a train shirt for my son
nannypanpan at gmail.com
Scrapbooking!!! I would LOVE this!!!
cards
This would be great for scrapbooking! I have the original cricut and would donate mine to someone else if I win!!!!
I would use the Circuit Expression 2 for making birthday party decorations and crafts, scrapbooks of special events for my children such as a special vacation of show, and wall decorations for their rooms just to name a few. But I can definitely think of many, many more.
jweezie43[at]gmail[dot]com
I would use this to make scrapbooks and cards! My favorite projects!
I would love to have one of these. I am way behind in scrapbooking and would use it to help me get caught up. I could also make cards which I also love to do.
I would use this to cut paper for making cards!
my shower gift to my close friends is making the invites this would make that go soooooooo much faster and maybe I could make more
My son is taking Art at school and this would be a nice gift for him for Christmas, he love to make homemade cards and crafts, this would give it a special professional look and feel to his homemade items. He would like to learn how to sew and make some manly items.
What WOULDN’T I make! I would make designs and words for scrapbooking. I would use it to make letters for my son’s handmade books. I would use it to cut stickers for my laptop. I would use it to cut banners, sewing patterns, greeting cards, banners, place card holders, photo mattes, decorations, gift tags, birthday and holiday embellishments…. 🙂
I would use it to make cards – that is when my oldest daughter wouldn’t be using it for scrapbooking!
Do something with cat designs and t-shirts
I would love to make a banner for in my son’s room.
i would love this to make pillows for gifts
I like to start my daughters on scrapbooking so I would like to create a starter one for them – (emscout9 at Hotmail dot com)
I would make a book for my husband who is deployed so he can be with us every night he is away. I miss him so much…
I would love to make a baby book for my son due in Feb!
Great giveaway I would make some holiday decorations with it!
I have always thought these would be fun to have. I would like to make the cards, it would be fun never to have to buy a generic store card again.
I don’t know what I’d make, but I’d love it if I had one!
I am always helping my kids’ teachers with cutting out stuff for their bulletin boards. This would help immensely.
I have been wanting one of these for a while. I make my daughter’s both their own scrapbooks and this would be awesome for that. But I also make all my own invitations for their parties, decorations, thank you cards, etc. This would bring them to another level!! I love doing all sorts of crafts so this would expand that too!
I would love to win this and start up scrapbooking.
This would be so much fun to have around! As a homeschooling mom and business owner there would be endless uses for this. I love creating and diy projects! Fun, fun!
I love creating things with my hands. The Circuit Expressions would help me personalize gifts. 🙂
I’d love to be able to do vinyl wall cutouts!
I am very crafty, and I dont get stuff for myself for Christmas, I focus on my kids. I would love this.
I couldn’t even start to decide which project to do first!
I’d like to start creating my own greeting cards.
i would make Christmas decorations
I would love to use it to make cards and scrapbook pages but also for gifts.
Our family loves all holidays and we create our own thematic decoration every time. Our interior design allows us to liven it up with various pieces from different materials.
Me and my daughter love to do Christmas wall decorations. Last time we did a beautiful collection of shiny comets, stars and other Christmas motives which twinkled in the dark. We hanged them all around her bedroom and it was the most beautiful Christmas decor we´ve ever done.
I desperately need to finish my wedding scrapbook, it’s been 6+ years!
This would be for my sister who does scrapbooking. She has 5 grandchildren and is soon to have another one, plus she has a great grandchild. So, I am sure she would put it to good use.
lkish77123 at gmail dot com
Since my two oldest have gone to college I have finally started taking out all the buckets full of memories and making them into scrapbooks. It is very expensive to buy all the stickers and other things to make them “cute” so this would help me save money. I hope to get as many done before they graduate.
I would love to have it to make cards & do scrapbooking!
I’d make collages!
I would use the Expression 2 to make lots and lots of cards! I love sending cards to sick friends, for birthdays, etc. Handmade ones would be even more special!
Like the touch screen on this, really makes it easier to use.
I would not be using this because I would like to win his to give to my daughter-in-law for Christmas. She does scrapbooking so she would use it all the time.
Oh my goodness! Maybe Punkin would finally get a Baby Book (5+ years late, but still)!
I would use it to make photo props.
I would love to use this to help make invitations. I love making all kinds, birthday, wedding, baby shower, etc. This would be a life saver 🙂
I would use this to do a scrapbook for my baby. I am pregnant now and due at the end of April 2012. This would be so awesome!
My daughter and I enjoy sewing projects and making paper and fabric collages, so this would receive a lot of love at our house!
I’d like to do a frosted vinyl privacy design for my kids’ bathroom window, which is smack dab in the middle of the bathtub wall. It’s going to be a bit open when they start showering instead of taking tub baths!
I want to make my own cards.
I’d use this this to make our Christmas cards. Next year!
I’m not the crafty one, but this would be the best gift ever for my daughter!
Cards. Lots of cards. Millions and millions of cards! And then vinyl lettering for the walls! And then I’d finish my scrapbooks. It’s so fun just to think about it!
I’d make some vinyl wall art, and then do some pillows to match for my son’s room. So fun! Thanks!!! 🙂
I would use the Circut Expression 2 in my 3rd grade classroom for bulletin boards, crafts and learning projects. Thank you for this opportunity!
Cards, vinyl, clothing, stockings…. I’d love to try out these sweet machines!
I would make presents for loved ones and share with my mom…she loves to do crafts.
I would love to try this out making cards. I have never used one but it sure would be fun! Thanks for the opportunity!
I love my Baby Cricut & use if for most everything – except scrapbooking! I make vinyl letters for mailbox letters/numbers, custom print shirts, even made a custom stencil for our front door mat!
it would help with making cards and scrapbooking
yourstrulee(at)sasktel(dot)net
I would use it the most with party decorations.. with all the parties we plan, this would be perfect.
scrapbooking and crafts with my girls
So much you could do with this! First thing would to be to catch up on my scrapbooking!
I would use this to make a lot of fun cutouts for preschool learning activities for my daughter.
Thank you so much for a chance!
would love to use this to create a scrapbook for my daughter
Wow! There are so many uses for this machine, I would have a hard time choosing! I would love to try some scrapbooking!
I have always wanted 1 of these so I can make crafts like I would like but never have time for, but the price has always held me back. Would make wonderful b-day invites!
I would use it for birthday parts n decor for my kids rooms
I have always wanted to get on of these. I would lots of crafts with it from one of a kind Christmas items to my twins room. I would also label some stuff. Thanks for the opportunity!!
One day I keep saying to get this for myself. Would love to win one. I buy for everyone else!
Well, scrapbooking and card making are a given. I would also like to make some vinyl wall letterings.
i would scrapbook my heart out!!!!!
I’d love to use this to help me finish the scrapbooks for my kiddos & to also help me make cards. So nice thank you!
I’m homeroom mom for my 2nd grader and I would love to get this for the teacher. I think every teacher can use a cricut!
I have SO many ideas…tumblers, ornaments, wall art….would LOVE to win this!
Too many possibilities. Scrapbooks, personalized cards that I love to make, craft projects with my daughter, ornaments, etc…
I am doing a scrapbook type love story for my mil, this would help immensely!
I would use it to add to make some artsy collages
I have been eyeing a Cricut for a while. One big project would be to finish my daughter’s photo album before she graduates which is in only a year and a half. I stopped doing her album several years ago and only have finished through kindergarten, so I have a LOT to do! This would help speed up the process tremendously. Thank you for the great giveaway!
My gosh, between Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, School, scrapbooking, parties and holidays I could use this nearly everyday! I have wanted one for a LONG time, but there are always other priorities for the money. I can only hope I win this one.
I have wanted one of these for so long. I would do some wall art and some card making and so much more.
I have so many memory books to make
I would do some wall art to decorate my kids’ room
I’d make vinyl decals for my kid’s bedroom.
I would use it to make cards and for my young son’s school projects. Thanks!
great giveaway- thanks! i would definitely use this to make gift cards
I’d love to make vinyl wall lettering and handmade holiday cards with it. Thanks.
I would use it to start making cards again. I love making stamped cards and this could add that extra dimension. This could also help me with some extra income if I could sell some cards at local shops.
give it to my wife so she can make fun stuff for the kids!
oh my! so many crafts – first off I would do a lot of xmas decorations on the gifts – embellishments 🙂 always too pretty to open makes them take extra notice!
I would create seasonal wall hangings by appliquéing designs created with the Cricut Expression 2.
I love to make my own cards and this little gadget will do just right
I want of these so bad for my scrapbooking.
I would make Christmas ornaments for the entire family
Mel4Him777{at}gmail{dot}com
It could feed my minor scrapbooking obsession.
Where would I even begin!!! I know I would be making lots of cards, but I can see me doing lots of crafts with this. Vinyl lettering??? My creative juices are just bubbling!!!
I’d start by making birthday banners for my boys’ parties coming up soon!
WOw.. one craft? I would do some vinyl wall art to start.. I have been wanting a Cricut for forever.. Hubby told me to get one last year.. but I put it off to get things for the kids.. Now he is in school FT and was laid off from his PT job.. so no cricut UNLESS I win!! 😉
There are so many uses for it…from fabric to wall art & gifts, cards, or home decor. Everyone I know would get gifts from my cricut.
I would make snowflake cutouts to hang in my windows!
someluckydog at gmail dot com
Since I have had 2 children, and work 3 jobs, I don’t have long periods of time to sit and craft anymore! This is something that I have been wanting to get for a while (before the 2 came out!) it would really help me make items quickly! And make my me time feel more productive!
I would use it to create more cards! I love paper crafting!!!! jinglesells at gmail dot com
I have wanted one of these forever. I would make cute die-cut invites and catch up on my scrapbooking (all 6 years of it. doh).
I would make scrapbook pages and books. I would also make cards for holidays. Thanks!!!
I would love this for applique fabric pieces when I sew.
What neat little craft WOULDN’T I make with this? I have project lined up from simple cards to pillowcases for my couch and bed and I could go on and on! I would LOVE to win this!
I would use it to create cards and home decor!! Great giveaway!!
I would make Xmas cards.
I would love to make personalized gift tags for Christmas presents! We have to ship a lot of our presents, and bows don’t hold up in shipping. Doing decorative tags for everyone would make the gifts look nicer than one of those cheap sticker “To: From:” labels I normally use. 🙂
I would make some items for my scrapbook or little “decals” to dress up clothes.
I would make cards. I am always forgetting to buy the right one in time for the event. This would solve that problem forever! 🙂
I’d make cute Thank You Cards.
I’ve been borrowing one from my friend for months…I’d LOVE to have one of my own!! Next on my crafting list is a Christmas Banner for our mantle 🙂
I would use it to make myself appear far craftier than I actually am. Seriously, I need technology.
I would make initial tshirts for my daughters!
Such a wonderful gift this will make for anyone who loves to make photo albums.
I’ve wanted one of these for a long time but have never owned a Cricut. I’d use it with my kids for all sorts of homeschool projects and crafts for holidays. I love the pillows and I know we’d make ornaments with it. Thanks for the chance to win!
I’d love to make some fun crafts for my daughter’s room.
I would use this to make cards.
I would use it to help make cards. So many great ideas~
Oh man, I would LOVE to win this one! I have all kinds of homeschool-related activities i could use this for. How fun!
I’d use it for scrapbooking, school crafts, sunday school crafts and I’m sure I’d find even more places to use it too 🙂
I would use it for Vinyl lettering on my walls
I’d make cards and party decorations! 🙂
I would like to make a pillow or tote bag for my daughter.
I would use it to make cards for my son to send while his dad is away from us for work training.
I would love to use this to bring the family closer:)
I would use this to make homemade cards that I like to make, but seldom have the time for!
I would use it for home decor projects…particularly word art! Maybe for scrapbooking too!
I would do scrapbooking
I’d like to use it for scrapbooking.
For pictures and photos
I’d make cards and party invitations
I would use this to make things for photo albums & scrap- booking also.
I would love to do some cut outs and lettering to decorate my daughters’ room.
I would use it to make cards and home decor projects!
my friend makes the greatest b day party decorations with hers!
I would love to win this and make holiday cards and fun crafts with the kids!
I would use it for more art projects with my kids!
I’d love to use it with all my scrapbook projects.
I would love it to make birthday cards and crafts for my kids
I would use it for applique projects with my quilting.
I would love to make some vinyl for my kids rooms.
I would use it for my classroom bulletin boards and posters! Lots and lots of things to be done!
I’d make cards and scrapbook pages.
I would make crafts with some family photos…very cute
I would make banners & party stuff.
I would use it with my 3 daughters who love to craft.
I have made napkin holder..with little turkeys on then
also snowmen, and for graduation ..lots of fun. Went to store to pick up holiday plates. But didn’t have enough. So come home and made these ..every one love them. So have been making for all special occasions.