A Tiny Machine With Big Creative Energy
If you've ever told yourself you'd "get back into crafting" and then... didn't, the Cricut Joy 2 might be the nudge you've been waiting for. Priced at $99 USD, this compact smart cutting and drawing machine has been turning heads among hobbyists and creative burnout survivors alike — and a recent deep-dive review from The Verge makes a pretty compelling case for why.
The Joy 2 is desk-friendly, comes in multiple colours, and is designed squarely for people who want to make things without a steep learning curve getting in the way.
What Can It Actually Do?
The Cricut Joy 2 cuts, draws, and scores a variety of materials — think vinyl, cardstock, and iron-on — making it ideal for crafting stickers, greeting cards, bookmarks, labels, and small home décor projects. It's not the most powerful machine in the Cricut lineup, but that's kind of the point.
Where it shines is accessibility. The companion Cricut Design Space app provides a library of ready-to-use templates, so you're not starting from a blank canvas every time. For people dealing with creative blocks, caregiver fatigue, or just a general lack of bandwidth to brainstorm from scratch, those templates are a genuine lifeline.
As The Verge's reviewer put it: "It doles out quick wins when you're in the mood to create" — and in a world where hobbies often require hours of setup before you see any payoff, that framing matters.
The Case for Low-Barrier Creativity
There's a growing conversation around "therapeutic making" — the idea that hands-on craft work offers real mental health benefits, from reducing anxiety to building a sense of accomplishment. The Joy 2 fits neatly into that space. It's not a professional tool; it's a creative on-ramp.
For $99, you're not buying a Cricut Maker or a Silhouette Cameo. You're buying something you can leave on your desk, fire up in ten minutes, and use to make something small and satisfying. That positioning — low pressure, low cost, quick gratification — is deliberate, and for many users, it works.
A Few Caveats
The Joy 2 isn't without limitations. It handles smaller project sizes than larger Cricut models, and the Design Space app — while useful — requires a subscription for full access to premium content. For users who want to use their own designs or SVG files, the free tier works fine, but the full template library sits behind a paywall.
The machine also requires compatible Cricut materials for best results, which can add up over time if you're crafting regularly.
Worth It?
For casual crafters, gift-makers, journaling enthusiasts, or anyone looking to rediscover a hobby without a major investment, the Cricut Joy 2 is hard to argue against at its price point. It won't replace a full crafting studio, but it doesn't try to.
Sometimes the best creative tool is the one that gets out of your way and lets you make something — and on that front, the Joy 2 delivers.
Source: The Verge — Cricut Joy 2 hands-on review
