by Jessi Wohlwend
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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Diana Ochoa says
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?
Jessi Wohlwend says
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.
Hanadi Fadli says
Hello, can I cut 1/8″ Birch Plywood on the Cricut Maker. I tried but it doesn’t go through the machine.
Jessi Wohlwend says
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.
Sarah says
I was looking into buying a Cricut for cutting vinyl records into shapes. Can a certain Cricut do this?
Jessi Wohlwend says
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.
Bobbie says
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!
Jessi Wohlwend says
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/
Shirl says
Is this list printable? Great list!
Jessi Wohlwend says
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!
Valentina says
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?
Jessi Wohlwend says
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).
Rayna Kerber says
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 ?
Jessi Wohlwend says
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.
dms says
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.
Jessi Wohlwend says
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
Sandy says
It won’t cut foam board. I tried. :((((
Jessi Wohlwend says
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.
Haley says
I recently got the knife blade but my Cricut Explore won’t let me calibrate it. What can I do?
Jessi Wohlwend says
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!
cha says
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?
Jessi Wohlwend says
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.
Christin Paladin says
Have you ever used sandpaper with your Cricut? Do you think it will work or damage the blades?
Bridget says
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!!
Jessi Wohlwend says
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!