Not sure which Cricut blades to use? Wondering how to change your blades? Learn about the differences between Cricut blades and which ones are best for cutting vinyl, fabric, wood, and more.
With all of the different Cricut blades out there, it can be confusing to know which ones you need and what materials they cut. But knowing how to change your blades and select the one best suited for your project is an essential lesson to learn as a beginner.
When I was a beginner with cutting machines, I had no idea there were even different kinds of blades to choose from. So if you’re thinking the same thing, you’re not alone!
Different blades do different things and work with different machines which all sounds pretty overwhelming as a beginner, but don’t worry because I will explain it all below.
Here are two other Cricut Basics blog posts to check out next:
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are my own. This post also contains affiliate links. See my disclosure policy for more information.
Cricut Blades For Beginners
Which Blades Work With Your Cricut?
Not all Cricut blades are compatible with all machines. This chart is a great reference tool to know which blades will work with your machine.
Which blade do I need for my project?
The blade you use is determined by the type of material you are cutting. The blade overviews below will help you understand which blades do what.
Premium Fine-Point Blade
This blade is designed to make the most intricate cuts and is the most common blade. It can be identified by its gold housing (older blades may be silver). The Cricut Premium Fine-Point Blade comes with all new Cricut Maker and Cricut Explore family machines.
What does the Premium Fine-Point Blade cut?
- Paper
- Cardstock
- Vinyl
- Iron-On Vinyl
- Washi Tape
- Parchment Paper
- And other medium weight materials
Deep Point Blade
This blade is similar to the Precision Fine-Point Blade but it has a steeper blade angle. The Deep Point Blade can cut thicker materials. It can be identified by its black housing. It is compatible with the Cricut Maker and Cricut Explore family.
What does the Deep Point Blade cut?
- Cardboard
- Chipboard
- Corrugated Paper
- Foam Sheets
- Leather
- Magnetic Sheets
- Some Fabrics
- Stiffened Felt
- Thick Cardstock
- And other thicker materials
Bonded-Fabric Blade
Just like you shouldn’t use your fabric scissors to cut paper, you also shouldn’t use your fabric blade to cut paper. Reserve your fabric cutters and fabric blades for fabric to prolong their life.
The Bonded-Fabric Blade gives you all of the functionality of the Premium Fine-Point Blade. It can be identified by its pink housing which matches the pink color of the Cricut FabricGrip mat. It is compatible with the Cricut Maker and Cricut Explore family.
Note: This blade is only used with fabrics bonded to a backing material.
What does the Bonded-Fabric Blade cut?
- Bonded Fabrics
- Fabrics With An Iron-On Backer
Scoring Stylus
Not a blade, but a major time saver, the Scoring Stylus can be used to score folds in your cards, envelopes, 3-D projects, and more. It’s compatible with the Cricut Explore and the Cricut Maker machines. When you use it with the Cricut Explore, you can cut and score at the same time and forget about switching mats.
Rotary Blade
The Rotary Blade cuts through virtually any fabric without the need for a backer material. It also works well for delicate materials such as tissue paper and cork. It should be used with the pink FabricGrip mat. The Rotary Blade comes in drive housing. It is compatible with the Cricut Maker only.
Knife Blade
This blade slices through dense materials up to 3/32” thick. It works well for cuts of moderate detail. Use this blade with the purple StrongGrip cutting mat. The Knife Blade comes in drive housing. It is compatible with the Cricut Maker only.
What does the Knife Blade cut?
- Balsa
- Basswood
- Craft Foam
- Heavy Chipboard
- Matboard
- Leather
Scoring Wheel
The scoring wheel does just what it sounds like–creating crisp creases in thick and thin materials to make precise folds. It’s not technically a blade, but it makes precise score lines instead of full cuts. It is compatible with the Cricut Maker only.
The Scoring Wheel comes in QuickSwap Housing which means changing out the tip is as simple as pushing a button. This is useful because Cricut makes both single and double scoring wheels so it’s nice to be able to swap them out using the same housing.
The Scoring Wheel makes one deep score line while the Double Scoring Wheel creates two parallel score lines (useful on heavier materials).
What materials does the Single Scoring Wheel score?
- Acetate
- Cardstock
- Construction Paper
- Copper
- Copy Paper
- Corrugated Paper
- Crepe Paper
- Embossed Foil Paper
- Flocked Paper
- Foil Acetate
- Foil Posterboard
- Glitter Cardstock
- Grocery Bag
- Handmade Paper
- Holographic Cardstock
- Kraft Cardstock
- Origami
- Parchment Paper
- Pearl Paper
- Photo Paper
- Plastic Canvas
- Sticky Note
- Tattoo Paper
- Vellum
- Wax Paper
- Wrapping Paper
What materials does the Double Scoring Wheel score?
- Cardboard
- Cereal Box
- Cork
- Corrugated Cardstock
- Craft Foam
- Foil Paper
- Poster Board
- Heavy Cardstock
- Heavy Paper
- Kraft Board
- Light Chipboard
- Shimmer Paper
- Sparkle Paper
- Watercolor Paper
Debossing Tip
The Debossing Tip is for adding detail and intricate flourishes to paper and leather projects. It depresses your design into the material with ease and you can quickly switch to another blade since it uses the QuickSwap Housing! The Debossing Tip is only compatible with the Cricut Maker.
Use the Debossing Tip on the following materials:
- Adhesive Sheet, Double-Sided
- Cardstock
- Chipboard
- Construction Paper
- Copy Paper
- Craft Foam
- Deluxe Paper
- Duct Tape Sheet
- Faux Leather
- Flocked Paper
- Foil Acetate
- Foil Holographic Kraft Board
- Foil Poster Board
- Freezer Paper
- Genuine Leather
- Glitter Paper
- Heavy Watercolor Paper
- Kraft Board
- Matboard
- Poster Board
- Sticker Paper – Removable
- Sicky Note
- Tooling Leather
- Transparency
- Velum
Engraving Tip
The Engraving Tip is perfect for monogramming or adding text and designs to a variety of materials. It can inscribe long phrases or simple shapes and logos, and can be used only with the Cricut Maker and the QuickSwap Housing. I think adding a monogram to a leather tag for cosmetic bags would be such a fun personalized gift!
The Engraving Tip works with:
- Acrylic
- Anodized aluminum
- Flat, soft metals
- Leather
- Plastic
Perforation Blade
From tickets with stubs to coupon books to quote books with removable pages, there are so many possibilities with the Perforation Blade. Use this blade to create tearable projects – including straight and curved tears. This blade works with the Cricut Maker and the QuickSwap Housing. You can use the Perforation Blade with the following:
- Acetate
- Cardstock
- Foam
- Foil
- Paper
- Some Fabrics
Wavy Blade
This blade quickly adds gorgeous detailed edges to any design. Use it to create finished edges that feel fancy and look impressive. The Wavy Blade works best with:
- Cardstock
- Iron-On
- Paper
- Some Fabrics
- Vinyl
Cricut Joy
The Cricut Joy machine has its very own all-purpose blade that can cut a variety of materials.
What can the Cricut Joy blade cut?
- Cardstock
- Corrugated Cardboard
- Faux Leather
- Flat Cardboard
- Foil Acetate
- Foil Poster Board
- Glitter Cardstock
- Iron-On Materials
- Paper
- Party Foil
- Vinyl
- Window Cling
Cricut Blade Anatomy & Terminology
When you start reading about Cricut blades, it’s easy to quickly become overwhelmed! There’s some terminology that’s helpful to know.
Blade = The blade itself is the sharp part that actually does the cutting or scoring. Blades can be replaced when they become dull.
Housing = This is the round metal part that holds the small blade in place. The housing has a magnet inside that holds the blade. It’s unlikely you’ll ever need to replace the housing unless it becomes damaged.
Drive Housing = Designed for the Cricut Maker, these are identified by the gold gear on the top. The housing has a magnet inside that holds the blade. It’s unlikely you’ll ever need to replace the housing unless it becomes damaged.
Drive Housing Cover = The blades with drive housing come with a plastic cover over the gear at the top. It’s recommended that you leave the plastic cover in place. This cover protects the gear mechanism from hair and material.
Plastic Protective Cover = New blades come with a small protective plastic cover. This will protect you from cuts when installing the new blade in the drive housing. The plastic cover pulls right off when you are ready to cut with the blade.
How To Install And Switch Between Cricut Blades
Installing blades in your machine is really easy to do. This makes switching them out to different types of blades a piece of cake.
Here’s a video that shows just how easy it is:
How To Replace Cricut Blades
Cricut blades are very high quality and will last a long time. They do eventually become dull and need to be replaced. Replacement blades are inexpensive and can be installed in your existing housing.
- To replace a dull blade, remove the blade housing from your machine.
- For Fine-Point, Premium Fine-Point, Deep Point, and Deep-Cut blades push the pin on the top of the housing and carefully pull the blade from the bottom.
- For the Knife Blade, check out these instructions.
- For the Rotary Blade, check out these instructions.
- Knife Blade for Cricut Maker: Read this Replacing Knife Blade Help article.
- Rotary Blade for Cricut Maker: View this Changing the Rotary Blade video.
- Remove the protective cover from the blade.
- Insert your new blade into the housing. There is a magnet inside the housing that will hold the blade in place.
Which blades come with Your Cricut machine?
The Cricut Maker comes with the following blades:
- Rotary Blade + Drive Housing
- Premium Fine-Point Blade + Housing (comes pre-installed in the B clamp).
The Cricut Explore family of machines comes with the following blade:
- Precision Fine-Point Blade + Housing (pre-installed)
The Cricut Joy machine comes with the following blade:
- Cricut Joy Blade + Housing
I hope all of that info helped you learn the uses for each of the Cricut blades!
Get inspired by these Cricut projects:
- DIY Labels Made With Vinyl
- DIY Christmas Shirt For Kids
- DIY Fabric Banner Baby Gift
- Colorful DIY Valentine Popcorn Boxes
Have a fantastic day!
