If you are you one of the new Cricut owners that prefers not to purchase the additional materials by Cricut because it’s becoming too expensive, then this post is for you. I will talk about the must have budget friendly tools for Cricut and will point where you can easily get them.
I was a stay at home mom when I finally decided that I wanted to purchase my first Cricut machine. I started to save money from selling tie-dye shirts and baby-wearing wraps. Thankfully, I was able to sell a few of my tie-dye items and it only took me a few months to save. Being a stay-at-home mom had taught me to be more creative on how to budget for my family religiously.
As much as I’d like to own all the Cricut tools matching my machine. I know for a fact it’s just not gonna happen. I’m that mom that needed to find out first, if this Cricuting was going to work out, with my kids around along with my extreme couponing.
This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience (which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link I will earn a small commission but it won’t cost you a penny more)! Read my full disclosure.
I purchased my first Cricut Explore Air from an app called Offer up. I got lucky because everything was brand new in the box. It was never opened. It came with:
– Standard cutting mat
– Black pen
– Gray bag
– Cardstock materials for first time set up
Budget Tools
So here are the budget tools and other idea materials that you can use with your Cricut machine.
– Credit card or Gift card (old) can be used as a burnish/scraper/application tool
– Scissors
– Tweezers
– Test Probe Set, 5 piece from Harbor Freight, as a weeding tool

– Self Adhesive Shelf Liner – this can be used as a stencil for painting.
– Self Adhesive Shelf Liner, Clear – this can be used as a transfer tape.
Self Adhesive Contact Paper Self Adhesive Contact Paper (Clear)
– Parchment Paper, used as a Teflon sheet for those iron-on/HTV projects. You place this between the iron-on/HTV and your fabric.

I hope that these must have budget friendly tools For Cricut helps you and your pocket. But if you prefer to purchase the Cricut brand tools, I made a post of the Cricut starter tools and materials for it which you can read here.
Good to know about the tools at Harbor freight
Hi Jen, thank you for being here! 🙂 <3
I bought the Harbor Freight tools and I was told lifetime warranty. if point breaks bring back to store. I get a new one. 🙂
Hi Angella, oh wow I had no idea.. That is awesome! Thank you for sharing! Xoxo 🙂 <3
I’m debating going down the rabbit hole of another craft,lol. This article gives mr hope that I wont need to add another room to store everything.