Cricut Maker 5 is designed to work with a wide variety of cutting and specialty tools, making it versatile for all kinds of creative projects. When you’re working in Design Space, make sure to select Cricut Maker 5 in the machine picker so you have access to all the features, tools, and material settings that work with your machine. For most projects, Design Space will even suggest compatible materials automatically to help you make the right selection without any guesswork!
Note: Box contents may vary by country, retailer, or bundle, so be sure to check your packaging for the exact items included with your machine. Tools may also vary. Every machine comes with a cutting blade already installed, either a metal housing with a replaceable blade or the one-piece Cutting Tool.
A few things to know about Cricut tools:
Standard blades and cutting tools either have a metal housing with a replaceable blade, or they are a one-piece tool with the blade built into the housing. The Foil Transfer Tool has a metal housing with a replaceable tip.
Many specialty tools use a drive housing which has a gear on top to allow tool rotation during use. Specialty tools that use the drive housing include Rotary Blade, Knife Blade, and QuickSwap tools.
Standard blades and cutting tools
| Tool | Typical uses | Description |
| Premium Fine-Point Blade + Housing | Paper, cardstock, vinyl, iron-on, and many everyday materials. | A reusable metal housing that holds a replaceable blade. This is a standard, everyday tool for cutting a wide variety of materials. Interchangeable with the Premium Fine Point Cutting Tool. |
| Premium Fine Point Cutting Tool | Paper, cardstock, vinyl, iron-on, and many everyday materials. | A one-piece tool with a blade built into the housing. This is a standard, everyday tool for cutting a wide variety of materials. Interchangeable with Premium Fine-Point Blade and housing. |
| Deep-Point Blade + Housing | Thicker cardstock, thin chipboard, magnet sheets, and other dense materials. | A reusable black metal housing that holds a replaceable Deep-Point blade. Blade angle is steeper and made of harder, more durable steel for cutting slightly thicker materials. Interchangeable with Deep Cut Tool. Compatible materials can be selected from the Compatible tab in Design Space. |
| Deep Cut Tool | Thicker cardstock, thin chipboard, magnet sheets, and other dense materials. | A one-piece tool, with deep cut blade built into the housing. Interchangeable with Deep-Point Blade and Housing. Compatible materials can be selected from the Compatible tab in Design Space. |
| Bonded-Fabric Blade + Housing | Bonded fabric (fabric that has been bonded to an iron-on stabilizer). | A reusable pink metal housing that holds a replaceable blade. Works with fabrics that have been bonded to an iron-on stabilizer. Use with the Fabric Grip mat. |
Specialty blades and cutting tools
| Tool | Typical uses | Description |
| Rotary Blade + Drive Housing | Fabric, crepe paper, and other soft materials. | A small circular blade attached to a geared housing. Use with the Fabric Grip mat. Designed to cut fabric without bonding it to a stabilizer. |
| Knife Blade + Drive Housing | Selected thick, dense materials such as 1.6 mm chipboard, basswood, and tooling leather. | A 12 mm carbide blade attached to a geared housing. |
| Perforation Blade + QuickSwap Housing | Lines of evenly-spaced small holes for clean, even tear away sections. | A small circular serrated blade, attached to a tip that is used with the QuickSwap housing. |
| Wavy Blade + QuickSwap Housing | Creates decorative wavy edges on materials such as paper, cardstock, and other thin materials. | A small circular blade with a wavy cutting edge, attached to a tip that is used with the QuickSwap housing. |
Scoring, engraving, debossing, and foil tools
| Tool | Typical uses | Description |
| Scoring Tool | Single score lines for folds. | One-piece tool with a metallic tip that has curved sides and a rounded point. |
| Single and Double Scoring Wheels + QuickSwap Housing | Single or double score lines. |
Scoring Wheel: A small circular wheel with a fine, blunt edge, attached to a tip that is used with the QuickSwap Housing. Double Scoring Wheel: Two small circular wheels with fine, blunt edges, attached to a tip that is used with the QuickSwap Housing. |
| Engraving Tool | Engraved lines on compatible blanks. | One-piece tool with a metallic tip that has straight sides that taper to a very sharp point. |
| Engraving Tip + QuickSwap Housing | Engraved lines on compatible blanks. | A sharp point attached to a tip that is used with the QuickSwap Housing. |
| Debossing Tip + QuickSwap Housing | Presses into material to create recessed (debossed) designs. | A small rounded tip with a rolling ball, attached to a tip that is used with the QuickSwap Housing. |
| Foil Transfer Tool | Transfers pressure-activated foil effects onto materials. | A reusable metal housing with interchangeable fine, medium, and bold tips. |
Note: The machine won’t distinguish between tools that don’t use the geared housing. To keep your project on track, be sure to check the tool label or icon and make sure it matches the tool shown in Design Space.
Pens and markers
- Use Cricut pens and markers that carry this compatibility marking on the barrel of the pen:
.
- No pen adapter is required for these pens. Just push the pen firmly into the Pen Holder until it clicks.
- Pens made for earlier Cricut Maker machines are not compatible with the Cricut Maker 5 Pen Holder.
- Cap pens immediately after use and store them as directed on the package.
Machine mats and accessories
| Item | Used for |
|
Light Grip Machine Mat (Blue) 12 in x 12 in (30.5 cm x 30.5 cm) 12 in x 24 in (30.5 cm x 61 cm) |
Lightweight paper, vellum, and other delicate materials. |
|
Standard Grip Machine Mat (Green) 12 in x 12 in (30.5 cm x 30.5 cm) 12 in x 24 in (30.5 cm x 61 cm) |
Cardstock, vinyl, iron-on, and many everyday materials. |
|
Strong Grip Machine Mat (Purple) 12 in x 12 in (30.5 cm x 30.5 cm) 12 in x 24 in (30.5 cm x 61 cm) |
Heavy or dense materials and supported engraving blanks. |
|
Fabric Grip Machine Mat (Pink) 12 in x 12 in (30.5 cm x 30.5 cm) 12 in x 24 in (30.5 cm x 61 cm) |
Fabric projects, especially with Rotary Blade. |
| Cricut Card Mat – 2 × 2 (Blue) | Up to four compatible cards in one project. |
| Cricut 2 Card Mat (Blue) | Up to two compatible cards in one project. |
Materials
Cricut Maker 5 is compatible with 300+ materials including:
- Paper, cardstock, poster board, and specialty paper
- Adhesive vinyl, stencil material, and iron-on
- Fabric, felt, leather, and other textiles
- Chipboard, matboard, thin wood, and other dense craft materials
- Acetate, craft plastic, and compatible acrylic engraving blanks
- Foil, magnet sheets, and specialty project materials
View the full list of compatible materials: here.
Important: While Cricut machines can cut a wide variety of materials, Cricut does not guarantee that every material will cut successfully. If your material doesn’t cut as expected or is not listed in Design Space try adjusting pressure or create a custom material setting.
Smart Materials
Smart Materials are Cricut materials designed to feed directly into compatible Cricut machines without a machine mat. They are labeled “Smart” on the packaging. When you use Smart Materials without a mat, you can make longer cuts than would fit on a machine mat.
Not sure whether you have a Smart Material? Use a machine mat.
| Smart Material | Maximum single-image length |
| Smart Vinyl | Up to 12 ft (3.6 m). |
| Smart Iron-On | Up to 12 ft (3.6 m). |
| Smart Paper Sticker Cardstock | Use the maximum size shown in the Design Space preview. |
Note: Smart Materials must be at least 6 inches (15.24 cm) long to use without a machine mat. You can still use shorter pieces by placing them on a mat.