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What materials can you use with your Cricut machine? You’ll be amazed at this list of 100+ different materials a Cricut machine can cut!
Many people think a Cricut machine is just for cutting paper or vinyl, but it can do SO much more than that! There are over 100 different materials that a Cricut Explore machine can cut, and the new Cricut Maker has a rotary blade and a deep knife blade that can cut even more! So if you’re wondering what different materials a Cricut machine can cut, check out this awesome list below!
For those of you who are just getting started, I also have a complete guide to the accessories & supplies that every Cricut beginner needs (and which ones are just “nice-to-haves” that you can splurge on later if you want). And if you’re still on the fence or still have questions about the Maker, check out my post answering all the common questions about the Maker!
The Ultimate List Of Over 100 Materials A Cricut Machine Can Cut
A Cricut Explore machine can cut pretty much anything as long as it is 2.0mm thick or thinner. And if you have a Cricut Maker, that machine has 10x the cutting force and can cut materials up to 2.4mm thick!
Cardstock and Paper
The Cricut is great at cutting paper and cardstock, but it doesn’t just cut scrapbook paper! Check out all the different kinds of paper a Cricut machine can cut:
- Adhesive Cardstock
- Cardstock
- Cereal Box
- Construction Paper
- Copy Paper
- Flat Cardboard
- Flocked Cardstock
- Flocked Paper
- Foil Embossed Paper
- Foil Poster Board
- Freezer Paper
- Glitter Cardstock
- Glitter Paper
- Kraft Board
- Kraft Paper
- Metallic Cardstock
- Metallic Paper
- Metallic Poster Board
- Notebook Paper
- Paper Grocery Bags
- Parchment Paper
- Paper Board
- Pearl Cardstock
- Pearl Paper
- Photographs
- Photo Framing Mat
- Post Its
- Poster Board
- Rice Paper
- Scrapbook Paper
- Shimmer Paper
- Solid Core Cardstock
- Watercolor Paper
- Wax Paper
- White Core Cardstock
Vinyl
Another great material that the Cricut machine can cut is vinyl. Vinyl is awesome for making signs, decals, stencils, graphics, etc.
If you’re interested in trying out vinyl with your machine, here’s a great tutorial on how to cut vinyl with a Cricut.
- Adhesive Vinyl
- Chalkboard Vinyl
- Dry Erase Vinyl
- Glitter Vinyl
- Glossy Vinyl
- Holographic Vinyl
- Matte Vinyl
- Metallic Vinyl
- Outdoor Vinyl
- Printable Vinyl
- Stencil Vinyl
Iron On
Iron on vinyl, also known as heat transfer vinyl, is one of my favorite materials to cut with my Cricut! You can use iron on vinyl to decorate t-shirts, tote bags, or any other fabric item.
- Flocked Iron On
- Foil Iron On
- Glitter Iron On
- Glossy Iron On
- Holographic Sparkle Iron On
- Matte Iron On
- Metallic Iron On
- Neon Iron On
- Printable Iron On
Fabrics and Textiles
The Cricut does a great job at cutting fabrics, but you definitely want to add a stabilizer like Wonder Under or Heat’n Bond before cutting. These fabrics and textiles can be cut with a Cricut Explore machine, but there are even more that you can cut with the rotary blade on a Cricut Maker machine.
- Burlap
- Canvas
- Cotton Fabric
- Denim
- Duck Cloth
- Faux Leather
- Faux Suede
- Felt
- Flannel
- Leather
- Linen
- Metallic Leather
- Oil Cloth
- Polyester
- Printable Fabric
- Silk
- Wool Felt
Other Materials
Besides fabric, paper, and vinyl, there are tons of other specialty materials a Cricut can cut as well. Here are a bunch of fun ideas!
- Adhesive Foil
- Adhesive Wood
- Aluminum Sheets
- Aluminum Foil
- Balsa Wood
- Birch Wood
- Cork Board
- Corrugated Paper
- Craft Foam
- Duct Tape
- Embossable Foil
- Foil Acetate
- Glitter Foam
- Magnet Sheets
- Metallic Vellum
- Paint Chips
- Plastic Packaging
- Printable Magnet Sheets
- Printable Sticker Paper
- Shrink Plastic
- Soda Can
- Stencil Material
- Tissue Paper
- Temporary Tattoo Paper
- Transparency Film
- Vellum
- Washi Sheets
- Washi Tape
- Window Cling
- Wood Veneer
- Wrapping Paper
Cricut Maker
If you have the Maker, you can cut even more things! The Cricut Maker has 10x the cutting force of the Explore machines, plus it has a rotary blade and a knife blade that allow it to cut even more materials. The Cricut Maker can cut materials up to 2.4mm thick, plus over 125+ types of fabric, including:
- Chiffon
- Cashmere
- Fleece
- Jersey
- Jute
- Knits
- Moleskin
- Muslin
- Seersucker
- Terry Cloth
- Tulle
- Tweed
- Velvet
If you want a full list of all the materials a Cricut Maker can cut, plus cut settings, you can find that here.
I hope this list helps inspire you to make some new projects with your Cricut! If you’re brand new to Cricut, check out some of my beginner tutorials:
- What Is A Cricut Machine & What Can I Do With It?
- How To Set Up A Brand New Cricut Maker & Do Your First Project!
- What Kinds Of Crafts & DIY Projects Can I Make With My Cricut Machine?
- How To Cut Vinyl With A Cricut Machine: A Step By Step Guide
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I believe that anyone can do crafts and DIY projects, regardless of skill or experience. I love sharing simple craft ideas, step by step DIY project tutorials, cleaning hacks, and other tips and tricks all with one goal in mind: giving you the tools you need to “do it yourself”, complete fun projects, and make awesome things!
Thank you for this review!! Question – if I intend to use this machine only for making edible images with fondant / gum paste / wafer paper & nothing else (therefore food safe), would the Cricut cut those items??
Thanks!!
So the official answer is “no”; according to Cricut their machines aren’t food-safe and shouldn’t be used for cutting fondant etc. BUT, the Cricut certainly is ABLE to cut those materials. 🙂
I know a lot of people who use their Cricuts to cut fondant, gum paste, sugar sheets, etc. and it works fine. There are some tips and tricks, and certain mats to use, and you have to practice a lot to keep it from sticking etc. but you definitely can do it. Cricut doesn’t recommend it just because their machines aren’t food-safe and they can’t take the risk of anyone getting sick etc. But it’s definitely possible and people do it all the time anyway!
I see that the Cricut can cut stencil material according to your list and I am interested in cutting this material. which blade should I use on my maker?
The standard fine-point blade should work fine! But also, the software should tell you which blade it recommends based on what material you select when you send your design file to the machine to be cut.
Have you ever used sandpaper with your Cricut? Do you think it will work or damage the blades?
How would these machines perform with foam board from dollar tree or hobby plywood. The foam board is probably about 3/16 inch thick. Hobby plywood is about 1/16 inch thick.
The Cricut Explore series probably can’t handle those, but the newest Cricut Maker is designed to handle thicker materials and puts out 10x the cutting pressure! I definitely know it can cut balsa wood and veneers from a craft store up to 3/32 inches thick, but I don’t think it can do foam board. I think it maxes out at 3/32″, but it can definitely cut foam sheets like this: https://www.joann.com/foam-sheet-2mm-9inx12in-10pk/xprd821459.html#start=1
It won’t cut foam board. I tried. :((((
Aww bummer! What settings were you using for your cuts? I’ve only cut foam board twice before but I didn’t have issues either time.
I recently got the knife blade but my Cricut Explore won’t let me calibrate it. What can I do?
The Knife Blade is only compatible with the Cricut Maker; the Explore series of machines don’t have the gears in the drive mechanism that correspond with the gears at the top of the Knife Blade. But you can use the Deep Cut Blade with the Explore machines if you have some thicker materials you want to cut!
I’m a teacher and want to make some classroom banners . To save time , I want to laminate my card stock then cut it with my Cricut one . I don’t see I can do that . Can I ?
You should be able to as long as the laminated paper isn’t thicker than 2.0mm! You may just need to set the material settings to a custom material, or use something like the “Thick cardstock” option and set it to double cut to ensure it goes all the way through the paper and both layers of lamination.
So the thickness that the cricut explore can cut is about 1.5mm. A vinyl record (Phonograph record) is about ~0.5mm. So that’s about a third of what the explore should be able to handle… and yet it seems unlikely that it would be able to handle this for some reason. I am having a hard time finding information on it because when I look up vinyl and the cricut all I get is the other type of vinyl everyone uses the machine for, not the record type of vinyl.
Any ideas on this?
I have never tried cutting a vinyl record with my Cricut before, but in theory it should be able to do it. I would suggest using the Cricut Maker because it has 10x the cutting pressure of the Explore machines, and I think that extra pressure will help. Also the knife blade is deeper and made of a stronger metal, so that should help as the machine cuts over the bumps and ridges of the record. There probably isn’t a material setting for vinyl records, but you can always manually set custom material settings to make sure there’s enough pressure to cut through the record (and turn on double cut).
Is this list printable? Great list!
There’s a button at the top of the page to print the whole page, but I haven’t made a printable version of just the list. But good idea! I will work on that and let you know when it’s available!
Im wanting to make my own stencils to reuse over and over again. Im also new at this.What material do you use for that and where do i get it at? Is there a particular thickness?I have heard mylar,vinyl,etc. I am just a little confused.I would like to buy it by the pack. Not sure if walmart caries it or hobby lobby? Maybe i should buy it like through amazon?Any help is appreciated,thank you!
A lot of people use “vinyl” to make stencils, and usually they mean craft vinyl or adhesive vinyl, which is a plastic-like self-adhesive sheet that’s thin enough to cut on a Cricut. And that works great for stencils! But they also make stuff that is specifically called “stencil material” which is a stiffer version of vinyl that has a different adhesive. It’s better for painted signs and stuff because it is stiff and won’t pull up as you paint around it. My favorite place to get stencil vinyl is at Swing Design, they have it in sheets or rolls: https://www.practicallyfunctional.com/recommends/stencil-material-swing-design/
I was looking into buying a Cricut for cutting vinyl records into shapes. Can a certain Cricut do this?
I haven’t ever tried cutting vinyl records with my Cricut, but it should be able to do it in theory! The machines can cut materials up to 2.0mm thick for the Explore machines and 2.4mm thick for the Maker, so I think if you use the deep point blade on the Explore machines or the Knife blade on the Maker and set it to double cut it should work just fine.
Hello, can I cut 1/8″ Birch Plywood on the Cricut Maker. I tried but it doesn’t go through the machine.
The Maker can only cut materials up to 2.4mm thick and an 1/8” is 3.175mm, so that’s too thick for the Maker to cut.
Thanks so much for your posts! I’m looking to buy a Cricut, and you’ve been so helpful. I was wondering if the Cricut software is compatible with iPad Pro?
Yep! There is an iOS version of the Design Space app along with an Android version and an online web app that you can use on a computer.
Can you cut formica countertop samples or formica sheet?
It depends on how thick it is. The Cricut machines definitely cannot cut through an entire standard formica countertop (the vinyl layer and the particle board or whatever other substrate it’s on top of), but it might be able to just cut through the vinyl portion. The Cricut Explore machines can cut materials up to 2.0mm thick and the Cricut Maker can cut materials up to 2.4mm thick.
I am a cricuit Air Explorer 2, will it cut patterns into vinyl records?
I haven’t ever tried cutting vinyl records, but in theory the Cricut machines should be able to do it! I definitely suggest the deep point blade and turning on double cut and setting the pressure up pretty high to make sure it cuts all the way through.
Hi, I’m interested in purchasing the machine to enable me to cut a lace doily border along the long side of A4 kraft paper. I know it can cut up to 2mm thick but can it cuts multiple sheets of paper at any one time up the this thickness? Thanks in advance
Kelly
Unfortunately you can’t cut multiple pieces of paper at the same time. The material has to be pressed onto the cutting mat so that the adhesive can hold it in place while it cuts, and if you stacked multiple pieces the top pieces would shift during cutting. If you are cutting multiple pieces of smaller paper you could put multiple pieces on the same mat as long as they all fit within the 12×12 or 12×24 area of the mat.
Couldn’t you just use masking tape to hold the paper down? Possibly stacking sheets that are incrementally smaller, so the tape grips all of the sheets?
Yep, in theory, that would work too! I haven’t tried it, but if you do, let me know how it works out!
What if you use painters tape to hold the stack of paper in place on the mat, taping down on all four sides a stack of a few sheets of paper?
That might work! I haven’t tried it, but in theory, that should hold it all still enough. If you try it, let me know how it turns out!
Hi , I am trying to cut linen card 300msg, what should I have the setting at, I can’t see it on the list of materials
Thank you
Hi June, 300gsm is about 140lb cardstock. If you have a Maker, you can search for the material called “Heavy Watercolor Paper – 140 lb (300 gsm)” and that should get the right settings for you. If you have an Explore machine I would say either set the dial to “Poster Board” which defaults to 333 cut pressure, or you can set the dial to Custom and search for the 140 lb paper material or make your own custom material. If you make your own custom material, the material chart on Cricut’s website (https://www.practicallyfunctional.com/recommends/cricut-materials-settings/) says to use 327 cut pressure for 140 lb paper in an Explore machine.
What type of world can I cut with the explore 2 and what kind of blade should I use?
Wood” sorry
The Explore family of machines can cut materials up to 2.0mm thick, so it can cut things like balsawood and veneers that are thin enough. And I would suggest using the Deep Point blade and making sure it’s set to double cut to make sure the cut goes all the way through.
Hi, I have a question!
Can i cut rubber with this item ?
My rubber thickness is 1.5mm .
Yep, you should be able to! You may need to use the deep cut blade or the knife blade, and perhaps set it to double cut to make sure the cut goes all the way through, but the machines can cut materials up to 2.0mm thick for the Explore family or 2.4mm for the Maker.
I’ve been cutting 2-4 inch circles out of cardboard for crafts. Will the Cricut machine cut cardboard circles?
Yep, it can cut cardboard! The Maker can cut materials up to 2.4mm thick, and it has 10x the pressure of the Explore machines so it shouldn’t have any trouble cutting cardboard. The Explore machines can cut cardboard too, but only up to 2.0mm thick and you may need to set it to double cut to be sure to get all the way through the cardboard.
How big of a sheet will crv20001 cut.
I believe that’s the Cricut Create, which can cut up to 6″ x 12″.
I am wanting to cut old credit cards. I have a cricut explore air 2. Will it cut that? and what settings would you suggest?
It should be able to, but you may need to do a few test cuts to get the settings right. I would definitely set the dial to Custom and choose a thick material like magnet sheets or leather, then customize those specific settings. You may need to have it cut through 2 or 3 times to get the card fully cut.
Hello! We have a Cricut Maker that we’re learning to use and I’ve an idea that I can’t find any clear answers on. Can the Cricut cut a 12-14 gauge sheet of Sterling Silver or Stainless Steel? From what I’ve read, the Deep Point blade or the Knife Point would be the best choices, but I’m not wanting to destroy a blade unnecessarily. Thank you for any thoughts!
I think that’s too thick…in terms of millimeters it’s thin enough to actually load into the machine, but I don’t think it has the pressure to cut through something that hard and thick. They mention they can cut 40 gauge sheets of copper, but that’s a lot softer and a lot thinner…
I am interested in purchasing a Cricut Machine. I have customers that have very detailed logos, with either lots of little pieces or fancy fonts. Is there a better machine than another to purchase?
In terms of detail that the machines can cut, they are pretty much the same (unless you are cutting fabric, then the Maker can cut way more detail than the Explore machines.) The main difference between the Maker and the Explore machines is the different types of tools the Maker can use, like the engraving tool, debossing tool, scoring wheels, rotary blade, etc. But if you are just using the standard fine point blade for cuts in non-fabric materials, the actual cutting ability is pretty similar across all machines.
Would the Cricut Maker cut Acrylic?
Yep! It just has to be no wider than 12″ and thinner than 2.4mm so that it will fit in the machine.
What setting should I set my cricut maker machine to be able to cut acrylic?
It depends on how thick the acrylic is. If it’s thin (like .007mm or thereabouts) you can use the Acetate setting; if it’s thicker (like .07mm) you probably want to use the knife blade and use a thicker material setting like Basswood so that it does multiple passes to make sure it’s really cut.
I would like to cut glitter cardstock on my Cricut mat however, I am not sure I can remove the glitter mess that cutting it leaves behind. How would I remove the glitter or should I avoid using cardstock that leaves glitter residue?
It’s ok to have some stuff left behind on your mat; they still work just fine even if they have some glitter, dust, or paper debris on them.
Hi Jessi, I’ve seen aluminium sheets listed in a few places. The cricut website says 0.14mm but the thinnest available where I live is 0.5mm. I don’t think this would be much different to 40 gauge copper. They’re both pretty soft materials. Do you think the maker would cut 0.5mm aluminium? I’ve seen a bit on aluminium cans etc, but not a lot out there on sheets and projects using it.
.5mm aluminum is more like 24 gauge; that’s pretty heavy duty. A soda can is usually about .1mm thick, which is approximately what 40 gauge translates to. I doubt the machine could cut .5mm metal, even if it is soft. 🙁
Can cricut maker cut MDF board?
It depends on how thick it is. Materials thicker than 2.4mm won’t fit under the rollers of the machine, so you won’t be able to load thick materials into the machine. But the Maker can cut basswood and balsa wood, so it may be able to cut a thinner sheet of MDF using one of the wood settings for the material and the Knife blade.
What millimetre aluminium sheet will the cricut ultimate cut please, thickest to thinnest??? Also the same for balsa wood please xxx
The Cricut Maker can cut materials up to 2.4mm thick, meaning that is the thickest material that will fit under the rollers of the machine. The Explore can cut up to 2.0mm thick. I don’t think either machine can actually cut a super-thick sheet of metal just because the blade isn’t strong enough, but I know the Maker can cut aluminum cans and sheets of copper and brass.
Where can you get a cartdrige 9f Alabama football ?
The physical cartridges are no longer being sold by Cricut, but you may be able to find some on Craigslist or something similar. There are also tons of football images and designs in the Cricut digital library that you can use, and just modify the colors to be Alabama colors.
Can the Cricut engrave a silicone watch band?
It should be able to! I’ve never tried it, but I know the Maker can engrave soft things like leather and hard things like metal, so it should be able to handle it.
Would a cricut maker be able to dye cut sheets of stickers, where the sheet has maybe 10 stickers just cut enough to remove them from the film but not all the way through? The way a set of kids stickers would come in sheets?
Yep absolutely, I love making my own stickers with my kids! It’s called a “kiss cut” and the Maker can definitely handle it, you just need to make sure the settings are correct. What I do is design my stickers in the Design Space app, then use the Print Then Cut feature to print the stickers out on printable sticker paper using my home printer. This prints the stickers as well as some black registration marks in the margins. Then I load the printed sticker paper onto a mat and load it into my machine and the Maker cuts out around the stickers exactly because it can “read” the registration marks. It just cuts through the sticker layer, leaving the backing intact so you can peel up the stickers just like a regular sheet of kids stickers you’d get from the store.
Are you able to cut corrugated plastic with the machine
It depends on the thickness… the Explore machines can’t cut anything thicker than 2.0mm and the Maker can’t cut anything thicker than 2.4mm. If you have corrugated plastic thin enough to fit under the rollers of the machine, it should be able to cut it, but it may take a lot of passes in order to get through the entire material.
Wow! thanks for the list. i do not have a circuit cutter but I think I will buy one. I am thinking of making seed paper handouts at Earth Day in the shape of a Sasquatch Footprint. If it can cut leather? It should be able to cut 1/8th inch seed paper I would think. Any special needle needed for it?
Yep, the machines can cut leather! The Explore and Maker machines can both cut faux leather that is sort of thin, or the Maker can cut thicker leather like tooling leather with the Knife blade.
I am a teacher and as distance learning is taking place, I would like to creat texture letters for my students. Can I cut sandpaper with my Cricut? If so, what setting should I choose??
I haven’t tried cutting sandpaper, but you should totally be able to do it! It sort of depends on the grit of your sandpaper, but assuming it’s kind of fine I would suggest using a cardstock setting. Also, be sure to put it on the cutting mat with the rough side down and mirror your image so that the blade cuts more through the paper backing than the rough part.
Can the Cricut Joy cut through yardstick.If so, does it need a different type of blade?
*Cardstock
It can definitely do cardstock with the regular fine point blade! The fine point blade that comes with the Joy is the same blade that comes with the other machines, just with a smaller housing that fits in the smaller Joy machine. It can cut hundreds of materials, you just have to make sure the sheets of material are small enough to fit in the Joy: https://www.practicallyfunctional.com/materials-a-cricut-machine-can-cut/
can the Cricut maker cut through sterling silver or gold? for example to create necklaces?
It depends on how thin the sheet of metal is, but in theory it should be able to! The Maker can cut materials up to 2.4 mm thick, which just means that is the thickness of material that will fit under rollers. The Maker can actually cut through softer materials like leather or even wood that are that thick, but I doubt it would cut through 2.4 mm of metal. I’ve seen it do 40 gauge copper and 38 gauge aluminum before, plus I know it can cut aluminum cans. So if you have a thin enough sheet of metal it should cut through it just fine, but it won’t cut through thick metal.
It can engrave thick metal though! As long as it is less than 2.4 mm thick so that it will fit under the rollers, the Maker can engrave metal using the Engraving tool.
I have Cricut Explore Air. I have rolls and rolls of Velvet Ribbon – 3″ wide, – it has the satiny backing. Has anyone used this to either make bows or cut out designs for cards or projects? obviously I would have to put the satin side on to the mat – would I have to do anything else other than setting the blade to a thicker cut? Would the velvet jam up the blade or mess it up with multiple cuts?
I would suggest using the pink FabricGrip mat for this; it has an adhesive that is better designed to hold fabric and ribbons. The velvet shouldn’t mess up the blade, but you definitely will need to do some test cuts to make sure you have the depth settings correct. If you find that the ribbon shifts around on the mat, you can try taping it down with masking tape or painter’s tape. Also, velvet “sheds” a lot, and the little bits of fluff can get inside the blade housing and cause issues sometimes. First, do some test cuts and adjust the depth, but if you’re finding that it’s not cutting all the way through, or the cuts are spotty after a couple of cuts, you might want to clean out the blade. Take the blade out of the clamp, then push the little plunger at the top of the housing to pop the actual blade out of the bottom. Pull the blade out, clean it off, and blow gently into the housing to get rid of any dust and debris. Then push the plunger again and carefully put the blade back into the housing. When you release the plunger it should “grab” the blade and hold it firmly. Then you can put it back in the clamp and try again.
Good luck!
Hi I am looking to purchase a Cricut machine but unsure if I need the explorer or cricut. I wish to cut acrylics and Perspex sheets no greater than 2mm thickness.
Both the Explore and the Maker can cut those, but the Maker will have an easier time if you use the Knife Blade. The Knife blade is meant to cut thicker materials like leather or even wood, but it’s only compatible with the Maker; the Explore cannot use the Knife blade. You can find out a little more about the three different machines to compare them here: https://www.practicallyfunctional.com/best-cricut-machine-compare-cricut-models/