Insert the cutting blade into the machine as indicated in the instruction manual. Remove the plastic film from the cutting mat and attach a piece of paper to the marked corners on either side. Align the paper at the mouth of the tray.

Attach the Cricut Mini to your computer with a USB cord and plug in the machine to a power outlet. Press the large power button. Download the free Cricut software as noted in the instruction manual and run the software.

Press the load paper button on the machine.

When you've loaded the software, it's easy to select shapes and drop them on the virtual cutting mat, which appears on your screen. Drag and drop letters or shapes, then use your cursor to resize on screen. Move shapes as needed to fit on the paper.

When your letters or shapes are ready to cut, press the on-screen cut button. This screen tells you how to adjust your blade tension for the paper you've selected. Very handy!

Press the unload button to remove your cutting mat and paper. Use a scrapbooking spatula or your fingers to carefully remove the letters, discarding the scraps.

Cut out a pumpkin shape and cauldron shape. Use scrapbooking glue to attach the letters to cardstock. With a thin Sharpie marker, draw a face on the pumpkin.

Use the same method to cut a Halloween witch from cardstock. Attach the body parts with small brads.

The Cricut Mini accepts any of your current Cricut cartridges, or you can download new images at the online shop. The machine retails for $129.99 and it takes only a few minutes to get started making paper crafts. Additional cutting blades and cutting mats may be purchased at your local craft store. Disclaimer: CraftFoxes was provided with a Cricut Mini for review purposes. We were not compensated otherwise, and all opinions are our own.