The latest Cricut machines (Explore & Makers) that use a connection to the internet, require a Cricut account. That account comes with a TON of free images that can be used with your Cricut machine. If you buy a subscription (Cricut Access), you get several thousand MORE images! And yet, sometimes it just isn’t the right image! Did you know you can also add images to Cricut? Yes! You can! You can add your own images, buy images and get free images all to add to Cricut using your Cricut account!
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Cricut uses .svg (scalable vector graphic) files to cut from.
There are so many places now to get Cricut images. You can even make your own, but that is a whole other blog post! A quick search on Pinterest for free svg files will give you a long list of free images that you can upload to your Cricut account. Etsy has lots of stores that sell svg files for a minimal investment, like the one that we used to make the end of year teacher gift in this post. So, go find yourself the perfect image for your project and make sure it is an svg file type!
How to load your own files
Once you find an image file that you would like to use for your project with Cricut, download it to your computer. You need to know where it was downloaded so that you can find it later. Most computers default to save things that are downloaded to a folder on your computer that is called ‘Downloads’.
Adding images to Cricut requires you to have a Cricut account already set up. If you don’t have one yet, click here to create one. This account will allow you to use Cricut design space, the software your Cricut uses to design and cut images and designs. So, if you already have a Cricut machine, you already have a Cricut account.
Once you have your Cricut account, let’s make sure we are logged into Design Space. You’ll know you are logged in when it says Welcome to you across the top, like this
After you get logged in, click once on the three stacked lines <button> in the upper left corner, and in the menu that drops down, click on Canvas. This brings you to your design area. It looks just like the Cricut mats that it cuts on. Along the left side, there is a menu of items to choose from. In order to use an svg file that you downloaded, made or purchased, you need to click on Upload. This will allow you to upload the new file to your 
Cricut account.
You will be taken to a page that allows you to choose the file that you downloaded previously (either one you purchased, downloaded for free, or made). This is where it is important to know where on your computer the file was saved. Click on the Upload Image button and navigate to the svg file. Select the svg file and then click OPEN at the bottom right. This will bring the file into the Cricut account.
Once it is in the Cricut account, you have the opportunity to see the file, rename it and give it tags if you would like. Once you have all the file information as you want it, just click the Save button.
You will then be brought back to the first upload menu/page and your newly uploaded svg file will be listed under the ‘Recently Uploaded‘ files.
To Use the Cricut Image File
So, everything that we did up above was to get the file into the Cricut account so that we could use it! Now, how do you use it? EASY! All you need to do, is go to the same Upload Image page, select the image you just uploaded and click on the button that says Insert Images.
Your newly uploaded image will be put onto your canvas. From there, you can resize it, change the colors and plan the cut!
Have fun creating! If you love volleyball and he Cricut, check out my free volleyball svg files here!
