There is no doubt that owning and using a Cricut machine is an investment. The machines themselves aren’t exactly cheap; and then when you start to add on materials, tools, mats, and more, the cost can start to add up fast. But while it’s easy to wrap your brain around tools and materials, there is one expense that many new Cricut users don’t fully anticipate: the cost of the actual designs and fonts you want to use on your projects. Yep – not much is free these days, and (most of) the cute images you see on popular Cricut projects cost money. However, there are indeed ways to use your Cricut machine for free AND still make incredible designs. Let me show you how to find free images for Cricut projects!

Computer showing screenshot of Cricut Design Space with free images.

When you are a Cricut user, the quickest and easiest way to find images is via the Image Library within Cricut Design Space. However, there are some things you should understand about all the amazing graphics and fonts available.

A vast majority of the images and fonts in the Cricut Design Space Image Library cost money. Most are $0.99; while some fancier and licensed designs go up to $1.99/image. Cricut fonts tend to be $4.99/font.

If you craft sporadically, these costs aren’t likely a big deal. But if you craft regularly, just a few images and fonts can add up quickly. The Cricut Access Membership is a great way to offset this cost if you are a regular crafter (and I have a post coming up on how to decide if Cricut Access is right for you). But if you are trying to craft as inexpensively as possible, there ARE indeed ways to find and use graphics and fonts for FREE!

Before we get into specifics of where and how to find FREE designs, let’s cover a few quick basics!

Cricut Maker 3 pictured with corner bookmarks made from paper to look like colored pencils.

What Kinds of Files Can You Use with a Cricut?

Technically, Cricut Design Space supports the following file types: JPG, GIF, PNG, BMP, SVG, and DXF.

That said, you will mostly find, download, and use the following file types:

  • SVGs – These are the files that Cricut machines (and other e-cutters) use to cut designs. As such, these files are simple to upload, work instantly, and usually have the design pre-organized into layers.
  • PNGs – These are image files that have a transparent background. Although they won’t have layers automatically separated out (like SVGs), they are easy to clean up and cut nicely.
  • JPGs – These are image files with a solid background. They will not have layers separated out, and they will likely require some effort to clean up. These are best used as Print Then Cut images.

How to Use the Cricut Offset Tool

Uploading Free Files Into Cricut Design Space

Once you find free images for Cricut projects, you will need to make them available in Cricut Design Space. Refer to these tutorials below for the step-by-step process:

Labels with Cricut Joy

How To Find Free Images For Cricut

Free Images in the Cricut Image Library

The absolute quickest and easiest way to use your Cricut machine for free is to use the FREE images within the Image Library in Cricut Design Space. Many, many images are always available for free, with fresh designs added weekly. The benefit of using these images is you can skip the entire saving/uploading process since everything is already in Cricut Design Space and ready to use!

To find free images within Cricut Design Space:

  • Open the Image Library by clicking the Images icon on the left-hand side of the canvas.
  • Under Ownership (in the left-hand filters), click “Free.”
  • Browse the many available charge-free designs, or use the search function (with the Free filter turned on) to find specifically what you are looking for.

Screenshot of Cricut Design Space showing free images.

Freebies from Design Sites

The next option is to hunt through popular SVG retail sites for freebies. Almost every popular design shop has a library of free designs, and many offer exclusive freebies every week. Although this can be a bit time consuming, it’s often worth bookmarking these sites and/or subscribing to their email lists so you are alerted when new files become available. When you stumble upon a site that sells SVG/PNG designs, just look in the header/footer for “Free.”

Here are some of my very favorite sites that offer really good free images for Cricut projects:

  • Design Bundles – a great place to score free (and inexpensive) professionally designed SVGs in thematic bundles.
  • Creative Market – the free options aren’t extensive, but worth a regular visit.
  • Craftables – this vinyl and HTV retailer has an extensive collection of free downloads.
  • Creative Fabricathis site also has great thematic bundles and regularly releases free downloads that also include fonts, coloring pages, embroidery designs, and more.
  • Monogram Maker – I love this easy-to-use design tool to make custom monograms that can be uploaded right into Cricut Design Space.
  • Box Template Maker – If you are looking for a treat box or other 3D shape, this free tool is easy to use and seriously addicting.
  • Noun Project – This is one of my all-time favorite sources for images and is the site I use to find great images for my printables and labels. Simply type anything in the easy-to-use search box, and download any icon you like in both PNG and SVG formats.

Freebies from Bloggers

Similarly, tons of bloggers feature their own library of SVG files. Some require you to login to their site; others email them out regularly (like monthly or weekly). Like the sites listed above, it’s worth getting on these email lists so you are notified about new releases. Here are some of my favorite free Blogger-run libraries:

TIP! Make a special bookmark folder in your Internet Browser for these sites so you can visit them easily when you’re looking for something specific!

How To Find Free Fonts For Cricut

System Fonts

The quickest and easiest way to cut fonts for free with your Cricut machine is to use your System Fonts (these are fonts already installed on your computer). This includes basics that came with your computer such as Arial and Times New Roman, as well as any font(s) you download and install manually. (To see how to install fonts, refer to this tutorial: How To Upload Fonts Into Cricut Design Space)

Once a font is installed on your computer, it’s really easy to find and use them on your Cricut projects!

  • Use the Text Tool (left-hand toolbar) to place a line of text on your canvas.
  • With the text selected, open the dropdown menu under “Font” on the top toolbar.
  • With the font menu open, click “System” along the top right bar.
  • This will reveal all the fonts already installed on your computer.

Screenshot of Cricut Design Space showing system fonts.

Finding Free Fonts

There are tons and tons and tons of free fonts available to download from a variety of websites. As long as you are making a project for “personal use,” you should feel comfortable downloading fonts from any reputable site. If I’m looking for something really nuanced, sometimes I will just Google it to see what I can find. Otherwise, I will often browse these favorite sites:

  • Dafont – An extensive collection of free fonts, including great novelty fonts for fun projects.
  • Font Squirrel – Similar to Dafont, this site has tons of fonts that are safe to use and easy to download.
  • Google Fonts – These easily-searchable fonts are safe to download and use across lots of different platforms.
  • Font Bundles – This site has awesome free fonts (that rotate out regularly), as well as great $1 deals.
  • Creative Fabrica – Like their free graphics and SVGs, this site has great free fonts that swap often.
  • Creative Market – The free options aren’t extensive, but worth a regular visit.

Finally, Ashley over at The Handmade Home has done an awesome series for years called Font Snob where she rounds up really great free fonts. This is a great way to find some goodies without wading through tons and tons of font sites.how to make vinyl labels with a Cricut

More Helpful Cricut Design Space Tutorials

Cricut Design Space is a very powerful program, but it can have a steep learning curve for beginners. Check out my other comprehensive tutorials below:

Although it’s indeed quickest and easiest to use images directly from the Cricut Design Space Library, I hope this post demonstrates that there are indeed lots and lots of ways to access FREE images and fonts to use with your Cricut machine. Although hunting down the files, saving them, and uploading them into Cricut Design Space is a bit more work, the extra time can translate into significant savings over time. If you have a favorite source of free images or fonts, please let me know so I can continue to keep this post updated with great resources!

See You Soon!
Megan