How to Use the Cricut Roll Holder

Make using large rolls of Smart Materials easier with the Cricut Roll Holder! This accessory is designed to work with the Cricut Explore 3 and Cricut Maker 3 machines—here’s everything you need to know about using it!

Let’s talk about an accessory that was released with the new Cricut Maker 3 and Cricut Explore 3 machines—the Cricut Roll Holder! This holder makes it easier to corral long rolls of material, as you’ll see in this post. Want to learn more about these new Cricut machines? Check out these posts!

• The Ultimate Guide to Cricut Maker 3
• The Ultimate Guide to Cricut Explore 3
• DIY Height Ruler with Cricut Smart Vinyl

What is the Cricut Roll Holder?

The Cricut Roll Holder is designed to hold rolls of Cricut Smart Vinyl and Cricut Smart Iron On to make containing and cutting these long materials easier. My craft table is fairly shallow, so this has been a big help in not having rolls of material come unrolling to the floor!

The inside of the roll holder has wheels so your materials glide easily when feeding into your machine.

The roll holder also has a built-in trimmer, making it easier to cut finished projects off the roll, giving you a perfect edge for the next time you cut.

What Machines Work with the Cricut Roll Holder?

The Cricut Roll Holder works with the new Cricut Maker 3 and Cricut Explore 3 machines.

Can I Use the Roll Holder with Older Machines?

No, the roll holder doesn’t work with the older Cricut Maker and Explore machines. I’ve tried to make the roll holder work using these machines, but there’s no way to connect it to the machine..

You may be wondering if you can use Smart Materials with the older machines—yes! You can check out Using Smart Materials in Cricut Maker and Cricut Explore Air 2 for more information. But the roll holder itself will only work on the new 3-series machines with the plastic guides on the tray.

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Do I Need the Roll Holder to Use Smart Materials?

Nope! You can use Cricut Smart Materials without the Roll Holder by setting the roll on your work surface. The roll holder makes those rolls of vinyl and iron on easier to corral, but it’s not necessary.

What Materials Work with the Roll Holder?

The roll holder is designed to work with rolls of Cricut Smart Materials, which are 13″ wide. I have not been able to make it work with regular 12″ rolls of vinyl.

You can use any of the Smart Vinyl and Smart Iron On rolls, from the short 3′ rolls to the extra-long 75′ rolls of Smart Vinyl.

How Do I Connect the Roll Holder to My Machine?

Connecting the roll holder to your Cricut Explore 3 or Cricut Maker 3 is easy. If you look on the bottom of the roll holder, you’ll see two plastic slots.

Slide the roll holder’s plastic slots over the plastic guides on your Cricut Explore 3 or your Cricut Maker 3 and you’re in business.

How do I Use the Cricut Roll Holder?

Place your Smart Material roll in the roll holder with the cut end facing toward the machine. Slide the end of the material underneath the guide/trimmer in the paper holder, and then under the guides on either side of your Cricut until the material hits the feeding roller in the machine.

Then you’re ready to cut! See my posts The Ultimate Guide to Cricut Maker 3 and The Ultimate Guide to Cricut Explore 3 for more information on cutting with these machines!

How Does the Trimmer Work?

Once you’ve finished a cut, simply slide the trimmer blade across your material to cut your project off the roll. This is a great feature because when using Cricut Smart Materials without a mat, you really want that straight edge to feed into your machine for your next project.

If you don’t have the roll holder, you can grab Cricut’s 13″ trimmer, which does the trick as well to give you a straight edge for your next cut.

To replace the blade on the trimmer, flip over the roll holder to find the access compartment. Slide it open to reveal the blade.

Flip it back over and pry up the dark blue trimmer handle, separating it from the blade—the blade housing should drop out and onto your table.

Holding the trimmer handle in place, press a new blade housing into the handle, being sure not to touch the blade itself. Close the compartment and you’re good to go!

Have any questions about the Cricut Roll Holder that I haven’t covered here? Let me know and I’ll get them answered!

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