Creating projects with wood sounds like a great DIY project. Many crafters are purchasing machine specifically for cutting wood. If you are thinking about cutting wood with a Cricut Maker 3, or any Cricut machine, there is some information you need to know!

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Have you been wondering how to cut wood with a Cricut Maker 3 machine? You might have come to read this article because you saw the beautiful photo I used featuring some very detailed designs cut from wood. I have to be totally honest with you, I did not create those with a Cricut machine.

I used that photo because I feel that is shows what crafters envision when they think about cutting wood with Cricut Maker machines. We have dreams of creating amazing things with fine details. So before you run out and purchase your next crafting machine, make sure to do your research!

How to Cut Wood with Cricut Maker 3

The first thing I would say to anyone asking how to cut wood with a Cricut Maker 3 is do your research! On the Cricut website they will tell you that the wood needs to be wood veneer, balsa wood or basswood.

The wood needs to be thin. The thicknesses listed on the Cricut website are 1/32″ and 1/16″. For reference, a penny is about 1/16″ thick.

Then there are a lot of rules around the condition and quality of wood that you have to consider. It should not have any bowing or warping to it. Make sure it does not have blemishes or knots. Do not use composite wood or pieces that have been glued together. When cutting wood with a Cricut, you also need to pay attention to the grain of the wood.

Size matters when cutting wood with Cricut Maker

The size for your designs you are cutting with wood must be smaller than 10.5″ x 11.5″ when using a standard Cricut cutting mat. The smallest that you can cut is .75″ x .75″, but the Cricut website also says that this includes interior and exterior cuts. What does that mean?

Imagine that you type up the word LOVE out of a pretty script font and connect the letters together using Weld, so that it cuts out all as one word and not separate letters. The inside of the letter O would be the interior cut. It cannot be smaller than .75″ x .75″ in width or height. For reference, I actually went into Design Space and created this example for you.

The word love in the image below is 4″ wide and almost 3″ in height at the tallest part, so the overall design is in no way something I would consider tiny.

But look at the size of the red square in the image above. The red square is .75″ x .75″ big, which is the smallest the Cricut can cut. This means that the loops inside the l and v would definately not cut well. You might even have problems with the inside of the e at the top and bottom.

I resized this exact same design up to the maximum size that can be cut with the Cricut, and the inside of the loop was still only about 1/2″ wide so this design, while very simple, would probably not be successful with cutting wood with a Cricut.

Challenges when Cutting Wood with Cricut Maker

I am in a LOT of Cricut groups, and I talk to a lot of crafters. As of the posting of this article, I have not found a single person that is happy with the results of cutting wood with a Cricut. Below is my list of facts you need to know about cutting wood with Cricut Maker.

• Material Thickness: I know we already talked about this, but it is worth mentioning again. Cricut machines are designed for relatively thin materials, so cutting thicker wood may pose a challenge. Ensure that the wood you use falls within the recommended thickness for your Cricut model.
• Type of Wood: When cutting wood with Cricut Maker machines, you are limited in the type of wood you can cut. Cricut recommends wood veneer, balsa wood or basswood. This means you cannot just grab any wood you want to work with.
• Blade Selection: Choosing the right blade is crucial. For cutting wood with Cricut Maker machines, a knife blade is usually recommended. Make sure your blade is sharp and suitable for the specific type of wood you’re working with.
• Pressure and Speed Settings: Finding the right combination of pressure and speed settings is essential. Experiment with different settings on a small test piece before cutting your final project to avoid issues like incomplete cuts or excessive burning.
• Design Complexity: Highly intricate designs or very small details may be challenging to cut accurately in wood. Simplifying designs or using a larger cutting area can help overcome this challenge.
• Wood Grain and Type: Different wood types have varying densities and grain patterns, which can affect the cutting process. Experiment with scraps of the specific wood you plan to use to understand how your Cricut machine performs with it.
• Securing the Material: Ensure that the wood is properly secured to the cutting mat to prevent shifting during the cutting process. This can impact the precision of the cuts.
• Cutting Time: When I have found people who have been successful in cutting wood with Cricut Maker machines, their biggest complaint was the amount of time it took to complete the cut. Because the Cricut cannot cut cleanly through the wood in one pass, it often has to go over the same cut several times. Depending on the design, this process could take hours. Yes, I said HOURS.
• Rough Edges or Incomplete Cuts: Another common complaint from people cutting wood with Cricut Maker machines is that the cut is not clean, or they might need to use another tool, like an exacto knife to complete the cut. The reason that the cuts are not clean is because the Cricut will have to pass over the same cut SEVERAL times. If those repeated cuts do not line up perfectly, the edges will be rough.
• Cricut Machine Limitations: While Cricut machines are versatile, they have limitations in terms of the size and thickness of materials they can handle. Be mindful of these limitations to avoid damaging your machine or producing unsatisfactory results.

My thoughts on Cutting Wood with Cricut Maker

This is my site, so I can give my total honest thoughts and feelings on the topic of cutting wood with Cricut Maker, or any Cricut machine. If you do your research you will find that the few people that have figured out how to cut wook with a Cricut Maker 3 are not that impressed with the results. The biggest complaint I hear is that it takes a long time to cut even a simple shape.

If your goal is to cut wood, I would opt for a machine that was specifically designed to cut thicker materials, like the xTool or the Creality Falcon2. A laser cutter and a Cricut machine serve different purposes and have distinct advantages based on the scope and requirements of a project. When it comes to cutting wood, a laser cutter may be considered better than a Cricut in certain aspects, primarily due to the following reasons:

1. Versatility in Material Thickness: Laser cutters typically have a higher capacity for cutting thicker materials compared to Cricut machines. If you frequently work with thicker wood, a laser cutter offers more flexibility and can handle a broader range of material thicknesses.
2. Speed and Efficiency: Laser cutters are generally faster than Cricut machines when it comes to cutting through wood. They can rapidly complete intricate cuts, making them more efficient for large or detailed projects.
3. Precision and Intricacy: Laser cutters provide exceptionally fine precision and can create intricate details with high accuracy. This makes them ideal for projects that require intricate designs or detailed patterns in wood.
4. Non-contact Cutting: Laser cutting is a non-contact process, meaning the laser beam doesn’t physically touch the material. This reduces the risk of wear on cutting tools, as seen with blades in Cricut machines. It also eliminates the need for frequent blade replacement.
5. Sealed Edges: Laser cutting produces clean and sealed edges on wood, resulting in a polished finish. Cricut machines may leave behind some rough edges.
6. Wide Range of Materials: While Cricut machines are versatile, laser cutters can often handle a broader range of materials beyond wood, including plastics, acrylics, leather, and more. If your crafting involves diverse materials, a laser cutter may be a more suitable investment.

However, it’s important to note that laser cutters also come with their own set of challenges, including higher cost, maintenance requirements, and safety considerations due to the use of a laser beam. The choice between a laser cutter and a Cricut depends on your specific needs, budget, and the scale of your crafting projects. But if your end goal is to create professional looking projects cut from wood, there are much better options than cutting wood with Cricut Maker machines.

Questions about Cutting Wood with Cricut Maker

If you have any questions about how to cut wood with Cricut Maker 3 machines please let me know! Also, if you have found someone that has successfully cut designs other than basic shapes I would love to see that also!