Tools of the Trade: Cricut

Tools of the Trade

In this series, I share the tools that have saved my projects, sparked creativity, or made life easier — whether on set, in the studio, or around the house.

A few years back, I got a call from NFL Films for a project that had me replicating jerseys from the 1999 Women’s World Cup team — the legendary 99ers.

One small problem: you couldn’t just go out and buy them.

Second problem: I had only two days to pull it off.

Third problem: I was leaving for Los Angeles the next day, a city I had never been to before (unless the airport counts).

The original 99ers

No matter what city you’re in, the job of the art department stays the same, but the way things get done can change a lot.

LA is amazing for art departments. You’ve got access to prop houses, rental shops, and vendors that just don’t exist in places like Michigan. But there’s a rhythm to it. When you drop in on a Friday for a project shooting Monday, it’s less than ideal, especially when businesses are closed for the weekend and flying from east to west loses you three hours.

With time ticking and limited options, I had to find another way. That’s when I turned to a tool I had never used before: the Cricut.

Loading vinyl into the Cricut before it precision cuts. Image via Cricut.

The Cricut is a cutting machine that has become a go-to for designers, production teams, small businesses, and anyone who needs to create custom pieces quickly and affordably. It can handle everything from cutting logos and creating stickers to making perfect circles for greeking, ironing on vinyl for custom swag or set dressing, building stencils, and even light engraving. The list of possibilities is almost endless, especially when you're working on a tight timeline. In production design, live events, and small-batch projects, speed and flexibility are often more important than scale. While there are more powerful machines available for industrial work, the Cricut is perfect for turning around professional-looking results in a short amount of time.

Another thing I appreciate is that it comes with its own design software, called Design Space. This is especially helpful for anyone who isn’t familiar with Adobe tools or open-source programs like Inkscape. Personally, I’ve found it easy to take my Illustrator designs and format them for the Cricut without much extra work.

Between building other sets and managing a small team, I taught myself how to design and cut the iron-on graphics by watching YouTube videos (shout out to Crafting with Cathy, are you still out there?).

Peeling away the excess vinyl, also known as 'weeding'. Image via Cricut

The Cricut solved the design and cutting problem, but the Cricut Easy Press became the perfect sidekick for finishing the job.

Unlike a regular iron, where you’re guessing how long to press and hoping the heat’s even, the Easy Press lets you set the temperature and timer. One press, no cold spots, no guessing. It simplified the process and gave me reliable, pro-looking results when I couldn’t afford to mess it up.

Sometimes the right tool doesn’t just save your project, it sticks around long after the deadline, ready for the next moment.

I was actually reminded of the Cricut Easy Press just this past weekend, while making custom shirts with my nieces for our upcoming family vacation. Sharing tools, ideas, and skills with family is one of my favorite things and it all started with that last-minute NFL Films project.

Foudy, Scurry, and Chastain wearing the replicas

(Not a paid ad — just a tool I love.)