20 Things You Can Make (And Sell!) with a Cutting Machine

Welcome to my third blog post! I’m pretty excited to share this one with you! I started jotting down this idea while I couldn’t sleep a few nights ago. I ended up getting out of bed and writing it at 3:00 AM! Sometimes you just have to roll with the inspiration!

To begin, in this post, I’m going to quickly talk about cutting machines and why they’re extremely popular in the crafting world right now. After that, I’m going to give you some (affiliate) links to the different options out there so you can compare them. Then you can decide which one is best for your needs. Finally, I’m going to give you a list of TWENTY things you can make and/or sell using these machines to spark your creativity! Ready? Here we go!

What is a cutting machine?

Cutting machines have been around for a long time. When I worked at Michael’s about ten years ago, there were Cricut “die cut” machines. However, they didn’t have nearly the abilities that the current machines do. They had sets of cartridges that you could buy with different shape “stencils” that you would put in the machine, and it would cut that shape from the paper you put in the machine. They had tons of different cartridge sets for all kinds of occasions, but it could get pricey pretty fast.

Fast forward to now, and the possibilities are endless. There are several different brands and they connect to your computer, so you can use them to cut out pretty much anything. They come with software to help you create your own shapes, or you can search Etsy and other websites for designs made and offered by other creators! And now adhesive or iron on vinyl is readily available at most craft stores, so you can use these designs to personalize and decorate ALL of the things!

Here are some (affiliate – thanks for supporting this blog, at no cost to you!) links to the more popular brands and models. Be sure and read the descriptions and reviews to see what each one is capable of and how they compare, so you find the machine to fit your needs!

What Can I Do With a Cutting Machine?

And now, here are 20 things you can make and/or personalize with your cutting machine!

1.Stickers.

The planner community has become the new scrap booking, so stickers have become super popular on Etsy! There is a whole niche of people who love to decorate their planners with seasonal, themed, functional, or just decorative stickers, myself included! Here is an example of an awesome Etsy sticker shop! You may recognize my clipart in a couple of these products!

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2. Die cuts.

This is a very broad category with many kinds of interested customers. Planner lovers like to buy die cuts to use as bookmarks, decoration, or laminate them for dry erase, reusable note cards to put in their planner. My favorite example of these, however, are my awesome teacher bestie Angie’s glitter stars! We are both VIPKid teachers, and digital stars as a reward are a must during every class. Angie’s glitter stars make them even better! She makes them in a variety of color schemes, and she introduces new, fun shapes to go with each season or holiday! Definitely check out her Etsy shop!

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3.T Shirts.

Now you can have a shirt for literally every occasion you could ever think of! This has become a huge trend thanks to these machines! One of my favorite examples is my other teacher buddy Lili! She makes adorable shirts for VIPKid teachers, and she keeps coming up with even more adorable designs! I have three of them, but I have my eye on a few of her new creations! You can find her on her Instagram.

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4.Signs.

You may not have great hand lettering or drawing skills, but you can use your cutting machine to cut out letters or pictures to make signs! You can make signs for photography props (think pregnancy and engagement announcements, birthday portraits, wedding photos), signs for your yard sale or table at the flea market, or professional signs for your small business. The clean, precise lines of the letters you cut will have a professional, clean look, so your signs will draw attention! Anything you need, you can whip it up!

5.Decals.

This is another broad category. People love decals for so many things, like the back windshield on their car, their laptop, the wall of a room, notebook covers, anything! These could be monograms, fancy lettered quotes, logos (be careful about using copyrighted designs), or silhouettes of things like animals or objects. Have fun dabbling in different niches for these, so you find out what people like, and you may find yourself a specialty!

6.Labels.

Another versatile idea that could be used in several different ways. You could label all your preschooler’s belongings with their name for school, so all their gear matches. You could make matching labels for your flour, coffee, tea, salt, and sugar containers, or “dirty” and “clean” labels for the laundry room, so all your home decor has a cohesive look. There are a million things in the house you could label! And going back to the planner community, you could make labels for tab dividers or binders!

7.Personalized gifts.

Do you know someone who just got a job promotion? Make them a monogrammed briefcase! Design your kid’s teacher a coffee mug with her name on it! Personalize a shirt with an inspirational quote for someone who’s crushing their goals! This is a great way to add that personal touch to your gifts to make them more thoughtful.

8.Framed Quotes or Canvas Wall Art.

This is easy. Think Hobby Lobby. Just cute or goofy sayings in pretty, cursive fonts on white backgrounds and a fancy frame, and BAM! Done! These can be mushy love quotes, family quotes, funny laundry room quotes, sarcastic quotes, sassy quotes, religious quotes, and so many more possibilities. People love quotes!

9.Seasonal Décor.

This is also easy. Take all the other ideas on this list and add a seasonal spin to them. Halloween Quotes. Monogrammed Christmas ornaments. Easter baskets with the child’s name on it. You get the idea.

10.Party Banners.

Grab some scrapbook paper or cardstock, cut out some triangles, and then cut letters to put on the triangles. No more shopping endlessly or paying too much for that custom blue and orange 27^th birthday banner! Just whip one up!

11.Greeting Cards.

I received a homemade card from a student’s mom a few years ago, and it felt amazing to know that she took time to make a unique card for me. To this day, I still have it with my collection of gifts from students! This would be even better if you found a niche of greeting cards that’s hard to find at Hallmark!

12.Coffee Mugs and To Go Cups.

This has become a huge thing, so cups and mugs with your name, career, or a joke about needing coffee from an IV are all over social media. My friend Monica on Instagram makes adorable character cups in her spare time, so you can check her out at her Instagram. Here are some pictures of her awesome creations!

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13.Wine Glasses, Beer Mugs, and Water Bottles.

These make awesome gifts for the moms, teachers, dads, runners, or workout gurus out there. Funny quotes on these are always fun, but they can be for specific events as souvenirs!

14.Tote Bags.

Who doesn’t love tote bags with witty quotes and fun images?! You can make them for every occasion and every need, like grocery shopping, gift bags, traveling, party favors, teacher totes, mom totes, toy totes for kids, beach day totes, and the list goes on!

15.Planner Printables.

We already mentioned die cuts and stickers, but you can also make dividers, tabs, pockets, and folders. You can make anything to add organization to a planner! I’ve seen sellers making these with fun materials too, like glittery “jelly” translucent vinyl!

16.Paper Gift Boxes and Tags.

This will probably save you some money come Christmas time, and make your gifts and products look unique to you! You can use vibrant scrapbook paper or print some fun clipart onto shapes to make all kinds of varieties, so you’ll have new ones for every holiday or occasion!

17.Bulletin Board Letters and Décor .

This is a major time saver for teachers, so I see it all over the place at back to school time that teachers are now cutting out everything for their bulletin boards with their cutting machines, so all their displays are much easier to prep and put up! This makes any font a possibility! Also, making letters with vinyl will ensure that it will last all year!

18.Felt or Fabric Shapes (make sure you have the machine that can do this).

I immediately thought of quilters and sewing with this one. This would save a quilt maker SO much time! And it makes any design possible, so intricate or tedious designs that would’ve taken hours by hand will be faster and easier to create! I have another teacher friend who uses this ability in a really creative, unique way. She designs and makes her own Mickey mouse ear headbands! Here are a few pictures of her awesome creations, but check out Elissa’s Instagram where she has photos of all the sets she’s made for different events! They are so cute! Disclaimer though, she does not sell them (sad face!), so appreciate the inspiration!

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19.All Things Wedding.

Calling all you crafty, do-it-yourself bride-to-be’s! You could probably do your entire wedding with a cutting machine, but maybe skip the dresses! Favors, table numbers, centerpieces, programs, invitations, entrance signs, and so much more can be done with a cutting machine! Not only will this make for a unique wedding, but it will save you money!

20.All Things for Baby.

Baby showers, birthdays, and nurseries have never been so creatively personalized! I have seen some really clever onesies with quotes about Harry Potter, unicorns, Star Wars, mermaids, and anything else you may love! There are so many themes for baby products, so you really can’t go wrong!

And there you have it! A list of 20 things you can make and sell with a cutting machine! I hope this inspired you to create, so if it did, I would LOVE to see what you come up with! Leave a comment here or message me on Instagram at @lisamarklesparkles! Happy creating!