Cricut Joy Xtra is one of the most popular take-me-anywhere smart cutting machines. It takes much less space than Maker or Explore series (especially Venture) but can cut without a mat, print then cut, foil, draw, and write, and has zero buttons. Let's unbox the Joy Xtra, learn more about accessories and tools it supports, share reviews, and do our first projects.
Also called "Cricket Joy Extra" by hobbyists, the Joy Xtra is available as a machine only or in multiple bundles with vinyl and cardstock for your first projects. You can find it in various craft stores, choose your best bundle, and use it immediately.
Cricut Joy Xtra
Based on various Cricut Joy reviews, you better choose a bundle when you order your first Joy Xtra. This machine is unique in size, so you need "extra" Cricut Joy accessories designed specifically for your new smart cutting companion.
The "machine only" option gives you Joy Xtra with a premium Blade and Housing, a mini weeder, a Fine Point Pen, a power adapter, a welcome card, instructions, material samplers for your first Cricut Joy Xtra projects, and a 30-day free trial subscription to Cricut Access™ if you are a new subscriber.
Bundles offer much more than just the smart cutting machine. For example, one of the bundles from Craft-e-Corner (we'll unbox it below) comes with everything a regular Cricut Joy Xtra has, plus two rolls of Smart Vinyl samplers, a roll of Transfer Tape, Cricut Joy Accessories (a starter tool set), and digital ebooks with project ideas.
Cricut Joy Accessories
Even though "Joy Extra" can cut without a mat, you might need this accessory in your crafts room. The machine supports a mat of 8.2 x 11.7 inches (20.8 x 29.7 cm).
If you are a fan of Smart Materials offered by Cricut, you'll need to use those in the size of 8.5 inches x 4 feet (21.6 cm x 1.2 m).
Even though there is a difference between Cricut Joy and Cricut Joy Xtra, the "Extra" supports the same blades (a foil transfer tip with special housing and the Premium Fine-Point blade with its special housing) and Joy markers and pens. Both machines cannot score, engrave, deboss, or perforate. They are great for cutting various types of vinyl, cardstock, and foiling.
Xtra machine is bigger and newer than Joy. It was released in September 2023, while the original Joy was introduced in March 2020. The "Extra" model requires no mat when cutting Smart Materials and can do "print then cut" not supported by the smallest Joy machine. It's 4 inches wider and more powerful.
Joy Xtra Unboxing
The smart cutting machine arrives in an elegant box. It displays the Joy Xtra with Smart materials, project ideas, and a list of what's included. The machine is 12.5 x 6 x 5.5 inches (31.7 cm x 15.2 cm x 13.9 cm). It weighs 6 lbs (approximately 2.7 kg). It can cut 5.65 inches per second and supports Smart Materials (can also cut with a Joy Xtra mat).
Our Craft-e-Corner bundle includes:
- Joy Xtra machine;
- Cricut Joy™ Premium Fine-Point Blade with Housing;
- Mini weeder;
- Black Joy Fine Point Pen 0.4 mm;
- Power adapter;
- Welcome card;
- Instructions booklet;
- Material samplers (two sheets of black Smart Vinyl, one sheet of golden vinyl, one sheet of white vinyl, and one sheet of Transfer Tape);
- 30-day free trial subscription to Cricut Access™;
- Two rolls of Smart Vinyl Elegance and Summer samplers (9.5 x 12 inches each, six sheets total);
- One roll of Transfer Tape (9.5 x 36 inches);
- Joy starter tool set (a Weeder, the Scraper, and the Spatula);
- Two digital ebooks with project ideas.
You can make your first Cricut Joy Xtra projects as soon as you unbox and set up your machine.
How to Use Cricut Joy Xtra
Unbox your Joy Xtra and use the included power adapter to plug it into a compatible wall outlet. The machine has only one place where you can connect this adapter. It has zero buttons, so everything should be pretty easy.
"Cricket Joy Extra" has only one tool clap. It is where your Premium Fine-Point blade is inserted by default. Depending on your projects, you can replace this blade with other compatible tools, such as a foil transfer tip with a special housing, markers, or pens.
Here are the steps to take to set up Joy Xtra:
Step 1.
Open a browser on your laptop or desktop computer and go to cricut.com/setup.
Step 2.
Click on the "Cutting Machine" to proceed.
Step 3.
You'll be asked to download Design Space to continue your Cricut Joy Xtra setup because you are a new subscriber and don't have this application on your computer yet. Click the green "Download Now" button. Wait for the Design Space to download on your laptop or computer. If you are a Windows user, go to your Downloads folder and double-click the downloaded .exe software to install it.
Step 4.
It is time to create your Cricut ID that will be used on cricut.com website and in the Design Space. You have to enter your email, choose a password, enter your name, select the country, and type in your phone number.
You can also activate your 30-day free subscription to Cricut Access. To do so, you'll have to enter your credit/debit card information and billing address.
Step 5.
Set up your Joy Xtra by selecting the "Set up a cutting machine" option and clicking "Continue."
You'll see a Welcome screen with the green "Set Up Machine" button. Press it to continue.
Step 6.
Select your smart cutting machine from the list. Choose Cricut Joy Xtra and follow the on-screen guide with pictures to prepare your workspace; connect the power cord and plug it into the wall outlet (if you haven't done so yet); and click "Continue."
Step 7.
Wait as Design Space searches for your Joy Xtra. Among this Cricut Joy's accessories you see no USB connector. It is because the only way to connect your "Extra" to your computer is via Bluetooth.
If your Bluetooth is on, your Joy Xtra will be quickly connected (ensure that it stays within 15 feet of your computer). You'll see its number and the "Continue" option.
Step 8.
Be patient as your Cricut Joy Xtra updates. Don't worry if you see a "Rebooting machine" message. The upgrade takes a couple of minutes.
There will be an "Update complete" message once the upgrade is finished. Press the "Continue" button again and again as you pass the "Welcome!" screen and select your practice project or "Skip" it to find a different project to test your Cricut Xtra Joy.
Cricut Joy Xtra Projects
All Cricut Joy reviews require an example of what this machine can do. Let's cut our first project using Smart Vinyl and an adorable Cricut Cutie bug. This is a free project in the Design Space you can find, too.
Add the project to your canvas and select which parts you want to cut. You will see the same Cutie outline in different sizes that are great for different machines, including Joy, Maker, and Explore.
You can replace the text, play with the size, etc. Once you are ready to cut, follow these easy steps:
Step 1.
Press the green "Make" button when you want to cut with your Joy Xtra. It is located in the top right corner of Design Space.
Step 2.
Choose how you want to load your materials for this project. We'll test the Smart Permanent Vinyl, so we choose the "Without Mat" option and click "Confirm."
Step 3.
You can preview your artwork and ensure that your project size matches your Smart Vinyl width and length. If you need to make the size smaller or bigger (Cricut Joy Xtra supports projects up to 8 inches in width), you can adjust it.
You can return to Canvas by clicking "Cancel" and then changing the size.
Step 4.
Set up your base material. In our situation, we chose "Smart Vinyl - Permanent," and if you are not sure what type of vinyl you have, read the label on its box.
Step 5.
Load Smart Vinyl by positioning it between the Material Guides. If the material doesn't load, back it up carefully with your fingers and slowly move forward. Don't force it. The smart cutting machine's sensors will "see" it, and the loading should go smoothly.
Step 6.
When the material is successfully loaded, the green "Go" button will activate in Design Space on your computer. Press it and watch the machine cutting your project.
You can follow the progress on the screen. It shows the percentage of how much has already been cut.
Step 7.
When cut is complete, a message will appear in Design Space on your laptop or computer. Press the green "Unload" button and watch how Cricut Joy Xtra easily unloads your Smart Vinyl, letting you work on your project.
Step 8.
Use the Mini Weeder or a different weeding tool to weed the image.
Remove all the parts you don't need and leave your clean project only.
Step 9.
Use a Transfer Tape by removing its backing and placing the top part on your Smart Vinyl image. The scraper is a great tool to help the Vinyl stick to the Transfer Tape. Scrape the outlines of your project by moving the scraper over the top of the Transfer Tape.
Step 10.
Peel the Transfer Tape off. It should come off with the Vinyl stuck underneath. If some pieces come loose and try to stay on the Vinyl backing, use the scraper again to "help" reglue them to your Tape.
Step 11.
Position the Transfer Tape with your Cricut Joy Xtra Vinyl design where you want it to go, and use the scraper again to help all the Vinyl parts glue to your box, mug, or any other surface you use (we chose the dog food storage box).
Peel off the Tape and enjoy your first Smart Vinyl project.
Cricut Joy Xtra Review
You will find many great Cricut Joy reviews online. The smallest of the company's smart cutting machines is extremely popular among hobbyists, and the slightly bigger Cricut Joy Xtra, which is more powerful and can cut without a mat, is another game changer for those who like to take their machine on the road and work on impressive projects while riding in a car or vacationing.
The cute "Joy Extra" is a great little machine that is perfect for enthusiasts who mainly work with various types of vinyl and cardstock. It lacks the "score" feature to create folding projects, such as cards and other paper crafts with folding sides. Still, it can print then cut, foil, write, draw, and cut. It doesn't require much space and is not heavy to carry around. It connects via Bluetooth, meaning you need fewer cords, and it has no buttons, meaning you cannot mess with your project by accidentally pushing a button while crafting in your car.