Being a teacher is hard work – especially when you start decorating and organizing your classroom. With the new school year underway, teachers and classroom volunteers everywhere are looking for a fun way to make certain classroom duties a little easier. This year, you might want to get a cutting machine! The Cricut for teachers and other classroom volunteers can really transform a classroom – and in this post, we’ll share all the amazing ways that you can use Cricut in the Classroom!
Cricut can be a helpful tool in so many situations – and I think it can be an amazing option for teachers and/or school volunteers.
Because it can quickly cut things out, it makes creating bulletin boards, seasonal decorations, and everything that a teacher could dream up so much easier.
When Jack was in Kindergarten, his teacher would sometimes ask for volunteers to help cut things out, and all I could think about was how much faster it would be to use the Cricut!
A Cricut machine can be helpful for making teacher gifts, vinyl decals, organize a classroom, and help teachers and volunteers in the classroom for a long time. It’s not just a machine for a craft room, that’s for sure! I really think it’s one of the essential school supplies for teachers these days!
Table of contents
- Best Cricut Machine for Teachers
- Cricut Teacher Discount
- Cricut Supplies for Teachers
- Cricut Classroom Ideas
Best Cricut Machine for Teachers
First off – which Cricut is best for a teacher or classroom volunteer!
First of all, you should ask yourself what classroom projects you will be using it for in the classroom, and if you plan to use it for personal use as well. If you are going to be using it for primarily cutting paper designs, labels, or stickers, it might be a little different than if you are going to try and cut thicker materials and use it at home, too!
Honestly, for most teachers, I think the Cricut Explore Air 2 or the Cricut Explore 3 would be an awesome option. They are more affordable than the Cricut Maker or Cricut Maker 3, and they will cut all the most common things I feel are used in the classroom – such as vinyl, cardstock, paper, etc.
If you are trying to decide between the Air 2 and the Explore 3, the main difference is that the Explore 3 has fast mode, and it can cut super long projects when you use the Cricut smart materials. There are a lot of easy project ideas that you can easily do with your machine.
If you are just wanting to try out a Cricut machine and maybe not use it on a regular basis, you may want to consider getting a pre-owned machine. I do recommend getting one that is Design Space compatible, but it might help you save a little money.
Of course, if you can afford it and feel like you will use the features of a Cricut Maker machine- you can’t go wrong with it. I just feel like it’s probably not necessary if you are really going to be just cutting vinyl and paper. However, if you want to use a wide variety of different materials, it might be a good option for you.
There are some new tools that can only be used with the Maker that could be helpful for teachers (namely, the scoring wheel, the wavy blade, and the perforation blade). However, I don’t know that I would get the Maker just for those tools!
Another option is the new Cricut Joy machine. I LOVE this machine, and if you are mainly cutting smaller, paper-based projects or making label, this is going to be a great fit for you. You can easily store it and bring it with you places (maybe even lend it to your fellow teachers), and it’s one of the best little machines out there. It’s definitely a great option for teachers.
Cricut Teacher Discount
As far as I can tell, there is no discount available for educators through Cricut.com. Craft stores like Michaels and Joann’s have educator discounts, however, they exclude Cricut products.
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Cricut Supplies for Teachers
Now I want to share some of the supplies and essential tools I think would be most useful for teachers or classroom volunteers to have.
This can also be thought of as a gift guide if you are buying a Cricut for a teacher or know that a teacher already has one – I am quite certain they will be grateful for any of these items!
- Cricut Maker or Cricut Explore Air 2 – see above for which one I would recommend most for use in a school
- EasyPress – I love the EasyPress . There are so many different sizes, and you can create some fun decorations for the classroom, or even custom t-shirts for yourself and/or team members.
- Cricut Access Subscription – This is a must! You will get access to TONS of images and fonts that can be used to your heart’s content. A yearly subscription will definitely be the most bang for your buck (but you can review all options here – Is Cricut Access Worth It?)
- Cardstock
- Scrapbook Paper – lots of cute prints that would be perfect for bulletin board backgrounds, bookmarks, etc.
- Posterboard – I think these are great for creating words and numbers for bulletin boards or the wall.
- Vinyl There are quite a few different kinds of vinyl, but for classroom use, I would almost always suggest getting the removable kind if you will be using it for the doors, walls, floor etc. Permanent would be a better option for labels for things that don’t belong to the school (such as cubby drawers for the kids, containers for tools, etc.).
- Iron-on Vinyl
- Infusible Ink Transfer Sheets
- Fine Point Blade Definitely essential for cutting vinyl and paper
- Wavy Blade Not essential, but if you have a maker, this would be nice for adding a little more “pizazz” easily to your projects.
- Perforation Blade Another non-essential, but it’s pretty fun! This would be great for making tickets or something like that for the kids.
- Infusible Ink
- Printable sticker paper (white/clear) – I think that the print and cut feature that Cricut offers is a game-changer for classrooms. You can print out stickers, charts, and just customize so many different things for different units. Make sure you invest in a laminator, too!
- Scrapers
- Mats
- Pens
- Basswood
- Machine Totes
- Chipboard
- Scoring Stylus or Scoring Wheel
- Gift Card
- Teach, Love, Design Iron-on Designs
- Digital Sets: Speaking of School, Autumn Celebrations, Plantin Schoolbook
Cut Files for Educators
There are so many design projects you might want to consider making. However, as a teacher or volunteer, you might be short on time to make these designs from scratch.
There are a lot of paid and free cut files out there that would be awesome for a teacher. Here are a few cute ideas you could check out:
We offer this super cute bundle of SVG files for just $5. So many fun things you could do with this! You can check it out here!
And Design Bundles is one of my favorite places to get SVG files! They have so many great ones for teachers – here are some of my favorites:
- Teacher Word Art
- Teacher T-Shirt Bundle
- School Supplies Digital Paper
- Various Teacher SVG files
- Teacher Sticker Bundle
- Boho Rainbow Name Tag
- Teacher Sublimation Bundle
- Split Polka Dot Apple SVG
- Back-to-School Pink Shirt Bundle
- Cheetah Sublimation Bundle
- Teacher Mandala SVG
How to Use Cricut for School
Below are some fun ideas on how to use Cricut in the classroom and school. Here are a few blog posts or Instagram pages with some ideas you could use for inspiration:
- Amazing Classroom Reveal from Create, Dream, Explore
- Classroom Cricut Decor from Too Much Love
- Classroom Decorations – this one isn’t just specific to Cricut, but it has a lot of ideas that could be easily replicated.
There is actually a Facebook group called Cricut for Teachers that would be an excellent resource!
I know a lot of classroom volunteers that use their Cricut to make decorations and gifts for teacher appreciation week – definitely peruse Pinterest for some of these ideas.
Bulletin Boards
I can’t even begin to share all the ideas you can use to make a custom bulletin board for a classroom. Whatever you dream up, I bet you could do. The Cricut Explore Air 2 can cut over 200 different types of materials – and the Maker can do even more – so you could do a lot of fun things.
I recommend perusing Pinterest for fun bulletin board ideas others have done.
Games
There are lots of fun games you can make for the classroom with a Cricut machine. It would be fun to create seasonal games or even ones that are specific to the students themselves!
Here is a tutorial on how to make puzzles with Cricut, along with a couple of holiday-centric templates.
Matching Games are always fun, especially with younger kids. I recently shared this tutorial on how to make a matching game, and it has a fun Halloween template available.
A few years ago I made a custom Guess Who game for my boys – it had all of their cousins’ pictures on it. This would be super fun in a classroom!
Signs for the Classroom
You could make vinyl signs for the wall, more permanent signs that can be framed, etc.
Banners
Banners are one of the most popular and easiest things to make with your Cricut, and they can really spruce up your classroom. Here is a great tutorial on how to make banners with Cricut.
I really loved this idea for a “Welcome Back to School” Banner. You can easily upload the files into Design Space and have them get cut out.
Behavior/Reward charts
There are lots of behavior charts you could make with your Cricut – print and cut would probably be the best idea. Just search on Cricut for the behavior chart that will work best for your classroom (this post has some fun ideas you could replicate).
I also like this behavior punch card idea – you can do print and cut to make something like this. You could even use the perforation blade with the Maker to make a pull of punch card.
Class job charts
Cutting out materials
Nameplate
There are a lot of fun ways you could jazz up your nameplate using vinyl and creating designs in Design Space to put on a plain nameplate.
I love this pencil nameplate as well! It would take a little more work, but it’s so cute.
Writing projects
I just love to write using my Cricut. I don’t have any specific ideas, but you can make things feel even more personalized with using the writing feature.
Whiteboard labels
There are so many things you can do with your Cricut on your whiteboard. Removable vinyl would be the best option so you can change things out and not worry about damage. Here are a few ideas:
Teacher Mug
Make a customized mug for yourself (or for your favorite teacher). Mugs are so easy to make with Cricut!
Cards
This is probably geared more toward volunteers and parents, but there are so many great teacher appreciation cards you can make. The Cricut Joy makes it SUPER easy to cards with their insert cards.
Paper flowers
Classroom Schedule
You can use print and cut, vinyl, or whatever you really want to create a customized schedule for your classroom.
Labels
Besides bulletin boards, I think using your Cricut to label things is one of the best uses.
You can use them label desks, cubbies, boxes with games and puzzles and other objects in them, etc. You can use text, images, or a combination of both!
- Dull/Sharp Pencils
- Bins for homework and other classroom organization
- Supply station
- Hand sanitizer
- Lost and Found
- Lap desks
Organization
There are so many ways to organize your classroom a little bit better using your Cricut. I saw this idea for a magnetic sign in/sign out board for a class – although this isn’t a tutorial, you could make it using the technique I shared for my magnetic birthday board (which also would be kind of fun for a classroom!).
I liked this tutorial for a tabbed divider with Cricut.
T-shirts
I love making t-shirts. I always see teachers wearing them for different occasions at school, team building activities, etc. Why not start making your own!
- Crayon box shirt
- 15 cut files for teacher shirts
- These Christmas t-shirts I shared last year would be fun for a couple of different teachers to wear together.
Decorations
Too many ideas to list – but Cricut is great for making decorations. Decor for the classroom is no exception!
Door Decor
So many cute ideas for decorating your classroom door! If you need some inspiration, check out Pinterest! There are ideas for every occasion!
Floor signs
You could put removable vinyl on the floor to show children where to sit, where to line up, etc.
Hall passes
Pinterest has some really fun hall pass ideas that you could try and replicate with your Cricut.
I love this restroom visit check in.
Stickers
What teacher doesn’t use stickers (at least in the younger grades). Lots of fun ideas and things you can do here!
Custom materials for different units
Pillows
One of our contributors made this cute Back to School Pillow that would be perfect for a reading nook at school! You can put different quotes, find SVGS online or in Design Space, etc. to make ones perfect for your classroom.
Quotes for the wall
Use removable vinyl to share your favorite inspiring quotes for your students!
Tote bag
There are so many uses for a tote bag in a classroom – especially for a teacher! I have seen lots of cute ideas online. You can even use Infusible Ink with the Cricut Tote Bag blanks to make your custom tote bags even more lasting.
They are great for books, toteing your work to and from the classroom, and for organization in the classroom.
I love this “Does this tote make my papers look graded” tote bag. Pinterest has lots of great ideas, too.
Coffee mug
I know a lot of. teachers love their coffee mugs – here is a great tutorial on how to properly put vinyl on a coffee mug. This coffee SVG bundle is really cute.
Clipboards
There are always lots of clipboards in the classrooms I’ve volunteered in! Why not make them a little more fun?
Plus, you can add your name so they don’t get lost around the school! I love this apple + teacher’s name clipboard.
Picture Props
Do you enjoy taking pictures of your students for craft projects or for them to take home? Why not make some props. You can make them for all occasions.
And you could even do some fun first/last day of school props:
Be sure to check out this post for Cricut teacher appreciation ideas!
Other Cricut Posts You May Enjoy:
- Cricut Contour: Everything You Need to Know
- How to Use the Cricut Explore 2: The Beginner’s Guide
- How to Easily Edit Text In Cricut Design Space
- Cricut Tips for Beginners: Everything You Need to Know
- 30+ Cricut Graduation Ideas – Gifts, Cards, Decor and More!
Other School Posts You May Enjoy:
- 100 Days of School Ideas
- Easy Science Fair Project Ideas
- What Your Teacher Wishes You Knew
- Free Printable 1st Day of School Note Card
- 10 Tips for Packing Hot School Lunches for your Kids
- Back-to-School All About Me Interview – Free Printable!
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