Xyron Creative Station Rated
- User Experience
- Sticker Making Specs
- Magnet Making Specs
- Laminating Specs
- Durability
- Value for Money
Craft Schmaft Verdict
We love the Xyron Creative Station! It’s a huge upgrade on the previous model, taking up a much smaller footprint while also able to handle two cartridge sizes.
It’s brilliant as an all-in-one machine for sticker making, magnet making and laminating. We did have some issues with the sturdiness of the Creative Station, but otherwise it’s a wonderful crafting purchase.
When we saw the Xyron 624632 Creative Station, we knew that we had to try it.
An all-in-one mini crafting machine? Sign us up.
The Xyron Creative Station is a small crafting machine that offers a lot of bang for your buck.
It promises to be a laminator, sticker maker and magnet maker, so it has a lot to offer to both experienced crafters and those who are just starting to explore the world of crafting.
It’s versatile, thanks to two cartridge size options and three different crafting modes, which might help you eliminate the need for other crafting machines in your home or your business. This machine is lightweight and compact, which — as we’ll explain in our review — can be a good thing and a not-so-good thing in some areas.
Let’s get into it and see whether it’s worth your investment…
Contents
Xyron Creative Station: The Details
In a Nutshell
- Product Dimensions: 13.8″ x 6″ x 7″
- Weight: 4.8 pounds
- Manual or Automatic: Manual with crank handle
- Stand-Out Features: Two cartridge capacities and three crafting modes
Features
Three Crafting Modes
Considering its small footprint and low price, the Xyron Creative Station offers a lot:
- Laminator
- Sticker Maker
- Magnet Maker
It’s a pretty perfect addition to your crafting table without taking up too much space, but offering a lot in terms of functionality.
In fact, we’d go so far as to say that it’s a must-have for anyone that regularly indulges in at least two of those crafts.
Here’s a look at the Creative Station in action:
No Batteries, Heat or Electricity
If you tend to burn your fingers on heated machines, this is a great feature.
It doubles as a safety feature in a lot of ways, because no heat means it’s good for kids to use on their crafts. Xyron adhesive and laminate are also acid-free and non-toxic, so it’s a safe and easy machine to use for the whole family.
It’s powered by the simple hand crank of the side of the machine.
Two Sizes of Cartridges
The cartridges are super simple to change once you get the hang of it. The option to use the nine-inch cartridge or the five-inch cartridge is a great addition to this updated model so you can choose which is best for your needs.
It provides crafters a lot of flexibility, and if you’ve had to use two different size machines in the past, with this machine, you won’t have to.
Crafting can be a bit pricy at times, so saving money by purchasing a machine with multiple crafting options is really valuable.
Adhesive Included
This is a total bonus if you want to get your machine and start rolling on new creative projects. The Xyron 624632 comes already loaded with one 25′ by 9″ permanent adhesive cartridge.
That means that you can get started with it straight out of the box!
Environmentally Friendly
The adhesive and laminate available from Xyron are non-toxic and acid free, which is safer for both you and the environment.
This is just yet another feature that makes the Creative Station a great purchase for kids.
Xyron 624632 Creative Station Review
The Positives
There really is a lot to love about this little crafting machine. It does a lot for how compact it is, so let’s take a look at its strengths.
It’s Versatile
Because you can make stickers, magnets, and laminates, the Xyron 624632 is kind of the perfect multi-use machine for home crafters, teachers, or creative small business owners
This little guy can handle just about any creative laminating/adhesive/magnet project you can think up. Stickers for your child’s next school project, magnets for family gifts, laminated labels for Etsy products. There are tons of possibilities.
Straightforward and Time Saving
Some lamination machines can be complicated to use, but this one is pretty effortless.
If you have used premade lamination sheets in the past, this will definitely be a time saver for you, since laminating is as easy as feeding your project through the machine.
No more struggling to get the lamination straight or worrying about bubbles.
Compact but Powerful
The Xyron 624632 is built to save space, which is great if you don’t have a ton of room to devote to crafting. Despite the smaller design, it still gives you a lot of different options to use on a variety of project.
It is lightweight, which can be sort of a blessing and a curse for this machine: it’s easy to transport, but can be a bit delicate as well.
Cartridges Are Easy to Change
It always takes time to figure out a new machine, but changing the cartridges on the Xyron Creative Station is painless once you have a little bit of practice under your belt.
We even set the kids on it and they managed to master it easily — if anything, better than us adults! 😂
A Great Upgrade
We had the Xyron Creative Station 900 model for a few years, which we really loved using — but this is an excellent upgrade that most crafters will appreciate.
It’s more compact, with a smaller footprint that will take up significantly less space on your crafting table, for starters. Apparently it’s a whopping 55% smaller!
And the fact that it can handle either 9 or 5 inch cartridges just makes it all the more versatile and useful. It makes it so you no longer have to own a bunch of different machines for different size projects.
No Batteries or Electricity Needed
Another reason that this machine is perfect for on-the-go projects is because you don’t need to plug it in or install batteries.
The folding crank handle is what powers it, so you can easily pack this little guy up and take it to the home of a friend, crafting classes or other businesses.
And we know that we’re not the only ones who appreciate the mini arm workout from the hand crank! 😉
Plenty of Material Options
You can use lots of different styles of paper and cardstock with this machine. The only kind you may want to avoid is super thin paper, like notebook pages, since that kind of paper may cause the lamination to wrinkle.
Other than that, just pick the perfect paper for your project and you should be good to go.
The Negatives
This machine has a lot to bring to the table, but there are still a few drawbacks that you may want to consider before making a purchase.
Lightweight Plastic
At a tiny 4.8 lbs, the Xyron Creative Station is definitely lightweight. Great if you’re transporting it — not so good for machine stability, however.
One drawback of this compact machine is it doesn’t quite hold itself in place. When you are cranking an item through it, you’ll need to place a hand on top of the machine to steady it.
It’s not a huge inconvenience in the whole scheme of things, since the machine is so petite, but it does take a bit of extra effort from you, the crafter. Since both hands are used, it also means that you don’t have one free to make sure your product feeds smoothly through the machine.
Lamination Can Wrinkle
We were very impressed with the quality of the sticker and magnet making from the Creative Station, but every now and again, we run into a bit of an issue with the lamination.
Occasionally, the lamination may wrinkle, which could leave your projects creased or crinkled. If you are worried about a particular project, make sure you roll the lamination material out a little bit before you use it.
If the sheets aren’t aligned right, that can also cause crinkling.
In this case, it’s best to send a test sheet of thick paper or thin cardboard through the machine, which should help line the sheets back up.
Again, not a deal breaker but something to be aware of before you start so you don’t waste precious material.
Overall Verdict
The Xyron 624632 Creative Station is a great little machine with a lot of functionality. Since it is so versatile, it would be a good fit for a lot of different kinds of crafters.
We think it works best in a home setting, for moms (and dads!) who love to craft and really like to include their kids in their crafting.
It would also be great for small business crafters, who are hoping to simplify and improve their label making process or those hoping to make magnets and stickers for their small business.
There could be a few hiccups along the way in terms of use, but for the most part, the instructions for this machine are easy to follow and it’s pretty intuitive. It is the perfect crafting machine for someone who wants to save a bit of money, but still wants a lot of options.
Where to Buy the Xyron Creative Station
We were surprised not to see the Xyron Creative Station available in more online marketplaces, to be honest.
It is available at Michaels for $119.99 and, of course, on Amazon.
Have you got your hands on the Xyron Creative Station?
