What materials can Cricut cut?

Get familiar with the list of materials you can cut either on the Cricut Explore or the Cricut Maker.

So you have a Cricut and now you're wondering what materials can my Cricut cut right? Or, maybe you're doing research before making a purchase. The list of materials the Cricut machine can cut is pretty extensive, it ranges from delicate tissue paper to real wood.

Knowing which materials Cricut can cut is helpful because you can zero in on the projects you are able to take on. Not to mention, with the addition of the four new Maker tools, the possibilities have really opened. The only limitation is your imagination. In this post, I will provide a list of materials so you can have a reference point in terms of which materials you can cut on your Cricut Maker as well as your Cricut Explore Air 2. I will also address some of the frequently asked questions about materials.

Can my Cricut cut Wood?

Yes you can cut wood but only on the Cricut Maker and only with the Knife Blade. You can cut Balsa Wood and Basswood with a thickness of 1/32″ and 1/16″. With Balsa Wood you can also go to 3/32″.

What materials can Cricut cut? Acrylic

Yes you can cut thin acrylic sheets on the Maker with the knife blade. I haven't personally tried cutting acrylic so I had to do some research to come up with this answer. You can cut up to a thickness of .007 and .020, anything thicker than these is a no-no. Check out these two blog post from two amazing bloggers here and here for further information.

How else can I use my Cricut with acrylic?

With the addition of the four new Cricut Maker tools, you can now engrave acrylic. If you want to read more about Cricut Blades, click here.

What is the thickest material the Cricut can cut?

The thickness of your material should be a maximum of 2.0 mm for Cricut Explore, and a maximum of 2.4 mm for Cricut Maker.

Can I cut food with my Cricut?

No, do not cut food with your Cricut. The Cricut Explore and Cricut Maker are not food safe so Cricut recommends you do not cut fondant or any similar items on these machines.

Can I cut Fabric on my Cricut?

Yes you can cut fabric on both the Explore and the Maker. However, on the Explore, you can cut fabric but it must be bonded.  In other words, it needs a backing for you to be able to cut it on your machine.  As for the Maker, you do not have to use bonded fabric because this machine uses a rotary blade.

How about Metal?

Yes you can cut thin metal sheets with the Knife blade on the Maker.

How else can I use my Cricut with metal?

With the addition of the four new Cricut Maker tools, you can now engrave metal.

Can I cut plastic materials with my Cricut?

Yes you can cut thin plastic sheets with the Knife Blade on the Maker.

Can I cut stencils with my Cricut?

Yes you can cut stencils on both the Explore and the Maker.

How do I know which material settings to choose?

Cricut has done all the work for you so you don't have to guess which Cricut settings cuts the material best. Every material has predefined settings built-in so you get the best result when you cut with your Cricut. On the Explore, all you have to do is use the smart set dial to select your desired material and you are good to go.  On the Maker, select the material you are working with from the material settings window.

I can't find a material I would like to cut on my Cricut

If your material isn't listed, expand the menu to see the complete list and If you still don't see it, then select a material that closely matches it and use those settings.

Can I create custom material settings?

Yes. If your desired material is not in the list of pre-programmed materials already set up in the materials list, you can add and create your own. Go to the Cricut website and go here, it's a quick walk through on how to add and create custom materials settings.

What are passes?

The machine will cut multiple times in the same spot because when you are working with thicker materials for example wood, your Cricut will need a few passes in order to cut through it. Once again, this is a built-in feature so your Cricut automatically does this based on the material.

Can I change my pressure settings?

Yes, check out the screenshot below.  You can change your pressure settings in this window if you do not want to go with default. For best practices, I always choose high to ensure I can get a clean cut every time.

How are cut settings different from pressure settings?

When I was in the beginner stages, glitter cardstock was my arch nemesis because my projects weren't cutting all the way through. I didn't know what to do so I replaced my Premium Fine Point blade even though it was new.  When that didn't work, I bought the Deep Point Blade because I thought the Premium Fine Point was the wrong blade to use for glitter cardstock.

On the contrary, when I watched tutorials, bloggers were using Premium Fine Point Blade to cut glitter card stock. After many headaches, I realized I needed to increase my cut settings for glitter cardstock. Go to the Cricut website and go here, it's a quick walk through on how to edit materials settings.

Be careful, if you increase the cut pressure too much the blade may cut through the material and too much into the mat.

Why is there a C beside some of the materials?

The Cricut C logo indicates it's a Cricut material.

Can I favourite some materials?

Yes, if you have materials that you use all the time, select the star beside the name of the material and it will always appear as an option in the “Set Material” window.

What is fast mode?

Fast mode is feature on the Cricut Explore Air 2 and the Cricut Maker that allows you to cut and write 2x faster than previous explore models. Fast mode is only available for vinyl, cardstock and Iron-on. On the cut screen, simply toggle the option to “On” in order to activate.

Here is the list of Cricut Explore Materials

I pulled this official list from the Cricut Website.

These are the Smart Set Dial Settings for materials Cricut Explore can cut

These are the custom materials Cricut Explore can cut

Here are the Cricut Maker Materials

Conclusion

Because your Cricut machine can cut hundreds of different materials, it's important to understand that the Explore machines can only cut materials that are a maximum of 2.0mm while the Maker cuts materials that are a maximum of 2.4mm. This is especially important when you are cutting specialty materials such as wood and acrylic. The projects you can make on your Cricut really boils down to your imagination.

Finally, in the comments, when you are making projects on your Cricut, which materials are your favourite to use?

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