Amazing Cricut Foil Transfer Kit: Complete Guide for Beginners!

The Cricut Foil Transfer Kit was sent to me free for review. This post and the photos within it may contain Affiliate links. Using the links may earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you.

What is the Cricut Foil Transfer Kit?

Hi! You're probably curious what Cricut's Foil Transfer Kit is all about! I know as soon as I heard about it, I couldn't wait to try it out to see how it worked. 

The Foil Transfer Kit makes it super easy to add beautiful shiny accents to all of your projects! You can use it to add a metallic finish to designs on card stock, faux leather, multiple types of paper, vellum, and more! Cricut sent me the foil kit to try out and share with you, so let's break it down and talk about how it works, if it's easy to use or not, and if it's worth the money. 

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What's in the foil transfer kit?

Cricut's Foil Transfer Kit contains:

• a housing 
• three differently-sized tips
• 12 foil transfer sheets
• pre-sized tape strips
• instruction sheet

That's it! It's just that simple. It's pretty amazing because most foiling products on the market require the use of plug-ins, heat, and adapters. 

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Which cricut machines can I use the foil transfer kit with?

You can use the Cricut Foil Transfer Kit with the Explore series and Maker machines! I love that Cricut expanded on the tool options for both types of machines! If you have a Cricut Joy, the new Cricut foil tool will not work with it. Since the Joy is so compact, the tool is too large for the tool holder.

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Why are there 3 tips for the foil transfer kit?

Cricut's Foil kit uses three different tips to give you a variety of looks on your projects, from delicate lines all the way to bold, vibrant designs!

All About the Tools:

• You can easily identify which tip you are using by how many lines are on it. The fine tip is a single line, the medium tip has two lines, and the bold tip has three lines.
• The housing and tips have a magnetic system. This makes it super easy to install the tips into the housing! Press on the button on the top of the housing and insert either the fine, medium, or bold tip into the housing.
• The color for the housing and tips is unique. The metallic blue makes it stand out easily from the collection of Cricut's tools. 

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How does the foil transfer kit work?

When you are inside Cricut's Design Space software, click under "Linetype." A drop-down menu will open that allows you to select "Foil." Then, you can select the thickness of line you would like to foil. You can also combine designs to have sections with different thicknesses or foil colors!  Once you choose your options from your project, select "Make It."

Add your material to the mat, and adhere the tape all sides of the foil. Face the foil shiny side up. You'll want to make sure that the foil is taped evenly and as flat as possible to avoid major wrinkles. Also make sure that you leave a border of extra space around your design where the tape doesn't get in the way. You can move your project further into the mat on Design Space so you have extra room to work, if you'd like!

Did I mention that the kit and the replacement foils come with pre-measured tape for your project? When I tested the Cricut Foil Transfer Kit, I didn't have to cut a single piece of tape or materials for my projects! It made it a timesaver! 

Cricut designed the new foil tool to be used in the tool slot on side B. Your Cricut machine uses pressure to adhere the foil to the project. This is pretty amazing because other systems from other companies require heat! 

Next, you'll insert the mat with the taped foil into the machine. Load it using the arrow button on the right-hand side of the machine. Press the Cricut symbol to start foiling! If you're cutting the material after you foil it, leave the mat inside the machine. You will just need to switch the tool in side B to the appropriate tool to cut the material. Once it's done, your project is ready to go!

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the Cricut Foil transfer tool demo

Here's a quick walkthrough on video so you can see the process in action! It's very easy to switch out the tips, tools, and foil without removing the project from the machine.

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Where can I buy the kit and foiL?

You can find the kit and foil on Cricut's website or in major craft stores. 
Cricut Foil Transfer Kit
​Cricut Foil

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Guide to the Cricut Foil Transfer Kit!

Let's go over all the information you might want to know about using or troubleshooting the new Foil tool from Cricut! 

Here are my handy tips first before we get into the big questions!

• Don't let your foil touch the sticky mat because it can remove foil from the sheet. Also, try to avoid foil on your machine's rollers.
• Smooth out the foil by taping one side first, then stretching the foil out using the tape on the other side. 
• Tape all 4 sides to make sure that the foil doesn't move or get torn.
• Try not to tape too far into your foil so that it doesn't get in the way of your project. You can also leave a border around your project just in case.
• Use materials with less texture for the best result. 

What materials can I use the Cricut Foil Transfer kit On?

Quite a few! Here's the complete list:

• Light, Medium, and Heavy Cardstock
• Deluxe Paper
• Watercolor Paper
• Pearl Paper
• Vellum
• Printable Vinyl
• Printable Sticker Paper
• Kraftboard
• Matboard
• Posterboard
• Copy Paper
• Photo Paper (Glossy and Matte)
• Faux Leather

Which direction does the foil go?

Place the foil sheet shiny side up on the mat facing you. 

What can I make with Cricut foil?

There are tons of possibilities! My favorite things to make so far have been foiled faux leather earrings and gift tags! You can make custom art, personalized gift wrapping paper and tags, boxes, bows, cards, invitations, and more! It really is only limited by your imagination. 

Where do I select Foil on design space?

Inside the desktop version of Design Space, choose "Foil" underneath "Linetype" at the top of the screen. It will allow you to choose the thickness of the lines. You can also select the color using the box with color options next to Linetype.

How many foil sheets are in a package?

The larger foil sheets have 8 sheets per package and the smaller sheet are 24 foil sheets per package.

What sizes are the Foil sheets? 

The larger foil sheets are 12" x 12" and the smaller foil sheets are 4" x 6."

What colors of cricut foil are available?

So many! Cricut has silver and gold foil available in larger sizes. There are also three different samplers available! The Jewel Sampler has aqua, purple, and emerald. The Metallic Sampler has gold, silver, and rose gold. The Ruby Sampler (my favorite!) has red, rose gold, and fuchsia. Shop Cricut foil!

Do I have to replace the tips?

Nope! You can keep using the foil transfer tips over and over! Cricut does carry replacement tips in case you lose them. They are magnetic! Use the magnet inside your machine's storage door to keep them handy.

Can I use multiple tips on my project?

You can! Simply follow the instructions on Design Space's project screen to change out the tips as needed! You don't have to remove your project from the machine to change out the tips, just remove the housing from the machine and swap out the tips!

Can I use multiple colors of foil at once?

You can use multiple colors of foil on your project by setting the color and thickness within the "Linetype" feature at the top of the project page on desktop. Tape down the first color of foil that you are asked to use on Design Space's project window. Once your machine has completed using the foil tool with the color, follow the on-screen instructions to switch out to a new color of foil by adhering a different color foil sheet.

Can I reuse foil or tape?

The section where you used the foil can't be reused. You can save unused scraps from the project to use for a different one later! The tape can also be reused as long as you are careful with removing it. Cricut does include enough tape for each sheet when you purchase refills, too.

why is my foil wrinkling?

The easiest way to keep your foil from wrinkling is to tape one side, smooth the foil down and tape the opposite side. Then, you'll tape the other sides, making sure to lightly stretch the foil so that it's flat on the surface.

Why is my foil tearing?

There are two areas I would double-check. First, make sure that your foil is completely secured and flat to your material. It could be snagging on the tip if it's not flat. Also, the pressure settings you are using may be too high. You can solve that by adjusting the pressure down inside the settings on the final project screen. Check that you are using the right tip for the setting that is being used on the screen.

Why are there lines on my foil?

The white star wheels on your machine could be pressing too hard on the foil. Cricut recommends keeping the star wheels in place spread out across your project for foil. However, if you are having issues with them interfering with your foil, try moving them all to one side out of the way.

I ran out of cricut tape. What tape do I use for cricut foil?

Use a tape with a light hold, such as washi tape or painter's tape. 

Can I use heat foil with the cricut foil tool?

The short answer is no. Since the Cricut Foil kit is a pressure-based system, it works best with Cricut's specially-designed foil. Other systems use heat to adhere the foil rather than pressure. Feel free to try other types of foil, but they may not give you consistent results. Check out Cricut's foil options here. 

Which is better? Cricut's Foil Transfer tool or a foil quill?

The We R Memory Keepers Foil Quill requires power to heat up the tips. You also have to use an adapter and remove the pen adapter in Slot A to use it. The We R Memory Keepers Foil Quill will void your Cricut warranty, so I wouldn't recommend using it on a newer Cricut machine. Whenever you want to switch sizes on the We R Memory Keeper's foiling tools, you have to plug in the new tool and let it heat up before use. 
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The Cricut foil kit uses pressure rather than heat, so it's much faster to use and switch out the tips. The Cricut Foil Transfer Kit is also less expensive than the We R Memory Keepers Foil Quill. Personally, I think the experience of using Cricut's foil kit is much easier and nicer to use overall. 

Can I use my phone or tablet with the foil transfer tool?

Cricut has the foil transfer tool set as a desktop-only option. It's not compatible with phone or tablet use. 

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What project would you make? Is there something more you'd love to learn? Leave a comment below and let me know!