How to Build Your Own Cricut Bundles-and Still Get an Amazing Deal!

Wondering how long you should wait for a Cricut bundle to come back in stock? Check out these shopping hacks for similarly-great deals and no waiting time required! It works for Mystery Boxes too!

This post contains affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosures here.

I’ve been doing a lot of online window shopping this week…which will probably turn into real shopping, because I’ve found some amazing Cricut deals that I don’t think I can pass up. As I’m writing this post, there is currently a 40% off materials, accessories, and tools sale going on at Cricut.com. I narrowly missed the last 40% off sale by about a day—because I was being wishy-washy and when I finally went to checkout, the sale had disappeared. Very sad day for me. 😆

But, if you’re reading this and there isn’t currently a 40% off sale, know that they happen about once a month and last for a week. I know those 30% off sales seem tempting, but stay patient and watch for the 40%. I believe in you.

Anyway, as I’ve been doing some window shopping I’ve noticed that several of the Cricut bundles I had my eye on are not in stock (and a lot of them go out of stock regularly). Which is frustrating because bundles usually come with some great variety (especially if it’s a new technique you’re interested in learning—for me, infusible ink right now) and they’re usually a great deal.

But…I was curious…what if I combined the 40% off materials sale with my 20% off materials discount I get from being a Premium Access subscriber (which I highly recommend you sign up for) and purchased the items in the bundle separately…could I still get the same deal?

The short answer is YES, you can! Keep reading for all the details (and be sure to make it to the end for a couple bonus tips)!

How to Buy Items in an Out-of-Stock Cricut Bundle and Still Save Money

After doing a lot of calculations, I found that you can often purchase the bundled items separately for the same price or pretty close to it (which is a great alternative if the bundle is out of stock!).

Now, there is a catch: to get the best deal, you need to wait for a 40% off sale to roll around and you need to have a Premium Access subscription to get that higher 20% off materials discount (other subscriptions only give you a 10% off discount).

Is Cricut Access Premium Worth It?

Update: I finally wrote a post about everything you need to know about Cricut Access, so go check that out for the best information (and how to decide whether it’d be a good purchase for you!)

If you’re brand new to Cricut, Access is an optional subscription you can pay for to get access to over 100,000 images and 500+ fonts in Design Space, plus discounts and benefits for shopping at Cricut.com.

There are 3 Cricut Access subscriptions available: Standard Monthly, Standard Yearly, and Premium (which is also a yearly subscription).

Standard Monthly is great if you’re on a budget and can only afford a month-to-month subscription (I did this for a long time).

Standard Yearly has all the same Standard benefits but allows you to shave off $24 for buying an entire year of Access up front (this is the cheapest option).

Premium is the same price as Standard Monthly, you just buy a year up front. And now you’re wondering, “Well, why would I choose this when Standard Yearly is cheaper??” The answer is in all the added benefits that Premium offers! With Cricut Access Premium, you get a 20% off materials discount (whereas the others are only 10%) and free shipping on orders over $50+. This has saved me so much money (especially with how many mystery boxes I buy), and I wish I had upgraded to Premium sooner!

So, back to the question: is Cricut Access worth it? This is ultimately up to you, based on your crafting and shopping style. For me, I love the convenience of having all those images at my fingertips any time I’m in Design Space—I save so much time (and money) not having to find or create SVG files elsewhere. I also shop at Cricut.com enough that I really appreciate that 20% off material discount and the free shipping. If those things sound good to you, I’d really recommend seeing if an Access subscription can be worked into your budget.

And, finally, if you want to save on building your own bundles (what this post is all about), then you’ll want that Premium subscription to get the highest materials discount possible. I think you’ll see that it’s worth it!

Upgrade to Premium Access

Are Cricut Bundles Worth It?

Usually I would say Cricut bundles are an amazing deal and a great way to get a lot of different materials at once. However, as I’ve been doing a lot of calculations with Cricut’s current 40% off sale and my 20% off materials discount with my recent Premium Access upgrade, I’m discovering that you can build your own bundle and get almost an equivalent price—and sometimes even save more money! Yeah, that kind of shocked me—which is why I felt I had to share this info with you!

I think a little bit of the value of a bundle, honestly, comes from the ease of being able to click a single “add to cart” button and know you’re getting a great deal on a bunch of Cricut product. But there are other ways to get good deals.

How to Build Your Own Cricut Bundle

To build your own Cricut bundle, normally you’d have to go to each bundle’s item description to find out exactly what comes in it and do a manual search for each item on Cricut’s site before adding all of them to your cart…which can be a little tricky, because Cricut doesn’t provide the exact links in the bundle’s product description, and sometimes the item names don’t match up perfectly.

That’s where I come in! I’ve done all the tedious work for you and provided you links to all the materials in the most-frequently-out-of-stock bundles below*. That way, if you want to build your own or even run some price comparisons, all you have to do is click the links one by one and add them to your cart!

Each link will open in a new window, so make sure you’re logged into your Access account to see your discounts, then add each item one at a time–it’s okay if you’re adding them in different windows–and refresh the page in the final window to see all the items in your cart. Then, check the price and make sure it’s equivalent or better than what the actual bundle would have been.

Not all items will be in stock, even separately, so just get the items that you can and check again the next time another 40% sale rolls around to see if they’re in stock. Or, pick and choose the items you want and even substitute for the exact colors or patterns of any of the materials included. That’s the great thing about building your own bundle this way!

Note: all calculations are based on the current prices of items when this post was written, and I probably won’t be updating this too often, so, if you’re concerned, be sure to do your own calculations before purchase to make sure your “build-your-own” bundle is an equal value to the real bundle!

*I’ve skipped price comparisons for the Cricut Maker and Explore bundles for now, to save time and also because it looks like some of the machines are out of stock separately (so a build-your-own bundle wouldn’t be possible). If you’d like me to come back to those bundles or any other bundles I’ve left out, drop me a comment at the end of this post!

One final question before we jump into the bundles…

Can You Build Your Own Cricut Mystery Box?

Yes! You can usually do this…to a point. However, mystery boxes are one of the exceptions where the original is usually a better price than the “build-your-own”–I tested this with the Brings May Flowers Mystery Box (May 2021) and the separate items came out to about $10 more than the original box (applying the applicable discounts to both). Also, a lot of the items are clearance items so they may not always be in stock separately. And, finally, if a Cricut cutie was included in the original mystery box, there’s no way to purchase one when you build your own box–the only way to get a Cricut cutie is if it comes in an actual mystery box. You can read all about Cricut Mystery Boxes here.

Build Your Own Cricut Bundle and Save Money

Don’t forget: as you’re building your own bundle from separate items, make sure that Cricut currently has a 40% off materials/accessories/tools sale going on and that you’re a Premium Access subscriber. Otherwise, if you don’t have those two things, you won’t be getting a good enough deal for it to be worth it (and then I’d just recommend waiting for a bundle to come back in stock).

The build-your-own bundles I’ve listed below are within $5 of the actual bundle price (or better).

There are a couple bundles that are a better deal as an actual bundle, and I’ve listed those near the end.

What Comes in the Cricut Mug Press Everything Materials Bundle

Ceramic Mug Blank, White – 12 oz/340 ml (8 ct)
Infusible Ink™ Pattern, Buffalo Check, – 4.5″ x 12″ (or sub for the 12″ x 12″ for an even better value)
Infusible Ink™ Pattern, Green Watercolor – 4.5″ x 12″ (or sub for the 12″ x 12″ assorted Watercolor)
Infusible Ink™ Pattern, Blue Paint Splash – 4.5″ x 12″ (or sub for the 12″ x 12″ assorted Paint Splash)
Infusible Ink™, Black – 4.5″ x 12″
Infusible Ink™, Cherry Red – 4.5″ x 12″
Infusible Ink™, Ultraviolet – 4.5″ x 12″
Infusible Ink™ Pens (0.4), Watercolor Splash (5 ct)
Infusible Ink™ Markers (1.0), Neons (5 ct)
Heat Resistant Tape – 2 ct.
Cricut Mug Press™ (doesn’t qualify for the 40% off sale)

10% off the real bundle with Premium Access = $242.99 before tax

40% off sale + 20% off materials with Premium Access + 10% off Cricut Mug Press with Premium Access = $237.79 before tax (with the smaller size transfer sheets and does not include the 2 rolls of heat resistant tape because it’s currently out of stock—but if it were in stock, the total would come to $244.51 I believe). Yay! It’s pretty much the exact same price!

What Comes in the Cricut Mug Press Essentials Bundle

Ceramic Mug Blank, White – 12 oz/340 ml (4 ct)
Infusible Ink™ Pattern, Pink Lemonade, – 4.5″ x 12″
Infusible Ink™ Pattern, Purple Watersplash – 4.5″ x 12″
Infusible Ink™ Markers (1.0), Neons (5 ct)
Heat Resistant Tape
Cricut Mug Press™ (doesn’t qualify for the 40% off sale)

10% off the real bundle with Premium Access = $206.99 before tax

40% off sale + 20% off materials with Premium Access + 10% off Cricut Mug Press with Premium Access = $206.37 before tax (does not include the heat resistant tape because it’s currently out of stock—but if it were in stock, the total would come to $209.73 I believe). Again, very similar in price!

This was very interesting to me because, for some reason, I always thought the Everything bundle would be a much better deal than the Essentials—it seems like you get so much more, when, really, it only seems that way because the additional materials are fairly inexpensive in comparison to the actual mug press.

What Comes in the Smart Label Essentials Bundle for Cricut Joy

Cricut Joy™ Smart Label™ Writable Paper (2 ct)
Cricut Joy™ Smart Label™ Writable Vinyl (2 ct)
Cricut Joy™ Extra Fine Point Pens, 0.3 mm (3 ct)
Cricut Joy™ Metallic Markers, 1.0 mm (3 ct)
Cricut Joy™ Metallic Markers, 1.0 mm (3 ct)
Cricut Joy™ Fine Point Pens, 0.4 mm (3 ct)
Starter Tool Set
Cricut Joy™ Replacement Blade

10% off the real bundle with Premium Access = $44.99 before tax

40% off sale + 20% off materials with Premium Access + 10% off tools/accessories with Access = $40.04 before tax (does not include the Writable Vinyl—but if it were in stock, the total would come to $47.71).

What Comes in the Infusible Ink Essentials Bundle

Infusible Ink™ Transfer Sheet Patterns, Jungle Safari
Infusible Ink™ Transfer Sheet Patterns, Wildflower
Infusible Ink™ Transfer Sheet Patterns, Black Rainbow
Infusible Ink™ Transfer Sheet Patterns, Triangle Brights (if out of stock, could sub for Rainbow Triangles or similar)
Infusible Ink™ Transfer Sheets, Black
Infusible Ink™ Transfer Sheets, Cherry Red
Infusible Ink™ Transfer Sheets, True Blue
Infusible Ink™ Transfer Sheets, Warm Grey
Coaster Blank, Square
Coaster Blank, Round
Tote Bag Blank, Medium
Infusible Ink™ Pens (0.4), Basics (5 ct)
Infusible Ink™ Markers (1.0), Neons (5 ct)

20% off the real bundle (all materials) with Premium Accesss = $71.99 before tax

40% off sale + 20% off materials with Premium Access = $71.48 before tax (with subbing Rainbow Triangles at same price)

What Comes in the Cool Tones Infusible Ink Bundle

(This one was in stock, but I was curious as I’m personally interested in buying some infusible ink supplies at the moment…and look at that, I could save $10 by building my own bundle!)

Infusible Ink Pattern, Splashpad (if out of stock, could sub for Rainbow Watercolor Splash or similar)
Infusible Ink Pattern, Black Rainbow
Infusible Ink Pattern, Tropical
Infusible Ink Pattern, Jungle Safari
Infusible Ink Pattern, Animal Bright
Infusible Ink Solid Color, Avocado
Infusible Ink Solid Color, Tennis Ball

20% off the real bundle (all materials) with Premium Accesss = $39.99 before tax

40% off sale + 20% off materials with Premium Access = $29.75 before tax (and this is subbing the more-expensive in-stock Rainbow Watercolor Splash sheets!! The bundle ISN’T the best deal in this scenario!)

Cricut Bundles That Are the Best Deal

The Cricut Joy Smart Label Everything Bundle

This bundle ended up being a much better price than if you tried to build it yourself. However, I thought I’d still include the links in case the bundle remains out of stock for some reason and you want to purchase the separate items (and I’d already gone to all that work, haha).

Cricut Joy™ Smart Label™ Writable Paper (4 ct)
Cricut Joy™ Smart Label™ Writable Vinyl (4 ct)
Cricut Joy™ Extra Fine Point Pens in Black, 0.3 mm (3 ct)
Cricut Joy™ Metallic Markers in Purple, Silver, Copper, 1.0 mm (3 ct)
Cricut Joy™ Metallic Markers in Black, Gray, Blue, 1.0 mm (3 ct)
Cricut Joy™ Extra Fine Point Pens in Black, Blue Red, 0.3 mm (6 ct)
Cricut Joy™ Fine Point Pens in Green, Violet, Red, 0.4 mm (3 ct)
Cricut Joy™ Fine Point Pens in Black, Brown, Gray, 0.4 mm (3 ct)
Cricut Joy™ Gel Pens in Teal, Purple, Pink, 1.0 mm (3 ct)
Starter Tool Set
Cricut Joy™ Replacement Blade (2 ct)
Cricut Joy™ Tote
Portable Trimmer

10% off the real bundle with Premium Access = $89.99 before tax

40% off sale + 20% off materials with Premium Access + 10% off tools/accessories with Access = $112.84 before tax (does not include the Writable Vinyl—but if it were in stock, the total would come to $128.18).

The Infusible Ink Essentials Bundle

Infusible Ink™ Transfer Sheet Patterns, Rainbow Triangles (2 ct)
Infusible Ink™ Transfer Sheet Patterns, Midnight Sky
Infusible Ink™ Transfer Sheets, Black
Heat Resistant Tape
Cosmetic Bag Blanks (3 ct)
Pillow Cover Blank, White
Infusible Ink™ Markers 1.0, Ultimate (15 ct)

I’m only listing this bundle here because I personally want to buy the cosmetic bags to test infusible ink on and they’re out of stock by themselves—but in stock if I buy this bundle. Also, the heat resistant tape is currently out of stock.

Sometimes bundles may have items that are otherwise out of stock, so keep that in mind as that can add to their value.

20% off the real bundle with Premium Access (all materials) = $39.99 before tax

40% off sale + 20% off materials with Premium Access = $34.78 before tax (does not include the cosmetic bags or heat resistant tape—but if they were in stock, the total would come to $42.94).

How to Get the Best Deal on Cricut Supplies

So, to sum up…these are my “hacks” for getting the best deal on Cricut supplies from Cricut.com:

Sign up for an Access subscription

Specifically, sign up for a Premium subscription: it’s the same price as a Standard Monthly subscription but you just pay for a year up front. Then, you get 20% off all materials, 10% off everything else, and free shipping over $50+ (this is in addition to the 100,000+ images and 500+ fonts in Design Space that you’ll now have access to!). If you’re frequently purchasing supplies from Cricut.com or would love the convenience of having all those free files in Design Space, I honestly feel it’s an amazing value. Again, you can see all the details on the different subscription levels HERE, but, if you’re like me, you’ll quickly realize it’s worth it to upgrade to Premium! I wish I had done it sooner!

Purchase mystery boxes

Mystery boxes aren’t for everyone, but they are an incredible value if you’re looking to grow your Cricut supplies and try some new items. If you’re not sure if they’re something you’d be interested in, be sure to read my post on Cricut Mystery Boxes.

Take advantage of 40% off Cricut sales

These sales come around about once a month and last for an entire week. If you can be patient, these are some of the best sales Cricut offers and will give you discounts (combined with a Premium Access subscription) that rival that of Cricut bundles.

Also, side note, occasionally you can find Cricut coupons. They seem to usually be for new customers or new subscribers. I’ve gotten this pop-up pictured below a few times when I first get on Cricut’s site—if you get the pop-up, take advantage of it!

Price everything out first!

Sometimes it’s not always clear whether the bundle or the single items are the best use of your money, even though we might assume the bundles are. I recommend pricing everything out, even if the bundle is in stock (you can use the links above to temporarily add items to your cart to check). And don’t forget you need to be signed into your Access account to see the discounts in your cart!

Purchase larger supplies and cut them down to size

This last tip may seem kind of funny, but you can sometimes get a better deal on larger materials: so, the 12×24″ cardstock vs. the 12×12″ cardstock or the 12×12″ infusible ink transfer sheets instead of the transfer sheets pre-cut smaller for the mug press. When you’re building your own bundle, consider upgrading the size of your materials to get more bang for your buck. I haven’t personally done this, but I know some people even buy the 12×24″ mats and cut them down to 12×12″ to save money—just know that doing so voids any kind of warranty on your mats.

Cricut Shopping Hacks to Save Money on Build-It-Yourself Bundles!

I hope you found some new information in this post that helps you save money shopping at Cricut! Cricut is not a cheap hobby, but we can at least take advantage of the best deals (and share tips like these with each other)!

Now I’m off to go build some bundles and take advantage of that sale before it disappears (I learned my lesson last time and I won’t be waiting too long!)

Happy shopping!

How to Build Your Own Cricut Bundles–and Still Get an Amazing Deal!