THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO CRICUT BLADES
I love my Cricut Maker. It is one of the most versatile machines!
You can cut and design so many amazing projects! But learning how to use your machine, well that can be overwhelming.
When I bought my machine, I didn’t even know how many blades Cricut had OR what they did! Over time, I’ve learned all about the different blades for my Cricut Maker.
The cool part is you only need to purchase one blade at a time. You may not even need every blade! Hone in on your craft projects and buy the blade that cuts the medium you are working with (more on that later).
By the way, I purchase most of my blades from Amazon. Shipping is fast and I never have to leave the house! Oh and the prices are usually competitive!
Let me help you take all the guesswork out of Cricut blades. We will talk about all the types of blades, what machine you can and CANNOT use them on, and what materials to use with each blade!
Let’s get learning!
THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS AT NO EXTRA COST TO YOU. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THIS SITE.
What are the different Cricut blades used for?
First things first, Cricut has a variety of blades for crafters. Each blade cuts a specific type of material so it is important to use the correct blade for each project you do!
Cricut has six different types of blades:
FINE POINT - The housing for this blade is gold/silver
Deep Cut Blade - The Housing for this blade is black.
Bonded fabric blade - The housing for this blade is pink.
The Rotary Blade - The housing for this blade is sliver and only works on the Cricut Maker.
The Knife Blade - The housing for this blade is also so sliver and only works of the Cricut Maker
The Quick Swap Perforation - The house for this blade is also silver and only works on the Cricut Maker. Materials + Blade guide! -
Each blade is made specifically to cut a specific type of material so it is important to use the correct blade each time you start a new craft project!
Here is a quick guide to what blade to use when using your Cricut Maker or Cricut Explore Air 2
Premium FINE POINT BLADE. A fine point blade is great for cutting paper, poster board, card stock, iron-on, vinyl, and other medium-weight materials. This blade is compatible with the Cricut Maker and Cricut Explore.
DEEP CUT BLADE. The deep cut blade is great for cutting thicker materials like chipboard, magnet, thick card stock, stiffened felt, foam sheet, and thinner leather. I use the deep point blade to cut Cricut’s Metallic Leather and Cricut’s Genuine Leather. I have also used the deep point blade to cut thin genuine leather such as the sheets from this Etsy shop ( my favorite).
TiP: How I cut Genuine Leather with Transfer Tape.
This blade is compatible with the Cricut Maker and Cricut Explore.
BONDED FABRIC BLADE. I like to think of the bonded fabric blade as a fine point blade but for FABRIC ONLY! This bade is fantastic for cutting intricate cuts on bonded fabric or fabric with an iron-on back. The pink color is handy because it matches the pink mat you need to use for fabric cutting. I love this!
This blade is compatible with the Cricut Maker and Cricut Explore.
THE ROTARY BLADE. The rotary blade will cut through any fabric with ease and precision. In addition to fabrics, you can use the rotary blade to cut tissue paper and cork. Be sure to use the fabric mat when cutting with the rotary blade.
The rotary blade is only compatible with the Cricut Maker.
THE KNIFE BLADE. The knife blade is great for cutting thicker materials such as thicker leather, balsa wood, and chipboard. Cricut recommends using the knife blade with dense material up to 3/32” thick.
When using the knife blade, be sure to move the star wheels all the over to the right to avoid markers on your materials.
The knife blade is only compatible with the Cricut Maker.
THE QUICK SWAP PERFORATION. The quick swap blade lets you swap blades to create with scoring, debossing, engraving, perforating, and beautiful edge detailing!
This blade is only compatible with the Cricut Maker.
Can you use all the blades in a Cricut maker AND Cricut Explore Air?
No, you cannot use all the blades on a Cricut Maker and Cricut Explore Air. The premium fine point blade, deep cut blade, and bonded fabric blade are only compatible with the Cricut Explore Air and Cricut Maker.
If you want to use all the blades, we recommend purchasing a Cricut Maker. All the blades are compatible with this Cricut Maker.
RELATED: WHAT MACHINE SHOULD I BUY: THE CRICUT MAKER OR THE CRICUT EXPLORE AIR?
How do you change between blades on my Cricut?
To swap your blades out of your machine, open up your Circuit maker or Cricut Explore Air. Each blade is located inside the housing unit. This unit is snuggly secured inside your machine. Simply, pull the leaver open and your housing unit will release.
Slide a new blade and housing unit into your machine and secure the leaver! Congratulation, you’ve swapped a new cutting blade into your machine!
What blade do you use to cut vinyl on Cricut?
To cut vinyl with ease, we recommend the premium fine point blade and a green mat. Once your design is created and you are ready to cut, we do recommend choosing “more pressure” when cutting vinyl.
We find this gives our vinyl a clean-cut!
What blade do you use to cut leather?
Cutting leather on your Cricut doesn't have to be complicated, but do your research before you begin!
For cutting Cricut Faux leather, I use a Cricut fine point blade. if you are purchasing faux leather that is not the Cricut brand, test a small area before you begin!
For Cricut Metallic Leather and Cricut Genuine Leather, I use a deep point blade.
RELATED:
HOW I CUT CRICUT METALLIC LEATHER
HOW I CUT CRICUT GENUINE LEATHER
For all other genuine leather, I use transfer tape to cut leather while keeping my mat clean. For thicker leather, use a knife blade. For thinner leather, I use a deep cut blade.
Again, always test a small section before you begin to make sure you are using the correct blade!
How often should I replace my Cricut blade?
It depends on how often you are using your blade! if you are using your blade every day, it will dull quickly. When I notice my cuts aren’t as clean as they once were, I know its time to change a blade.
I purchase blades in packs so I always have a blade on hand if I need one!
Some people will say a blade will last six months but it really depends on your daily and weekly usage! Keep an eye on your blade.
If you are selling your creations on Etsy, keep a tally of how many units you can make before your blade dulls! This way, you know how long you have between blades.