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Cricut Blade Not Cutting? 7 Easy Ways to Sharpen It!

Cricut Blade Not Cutting? 7 Easy Ways to Sharpen It!

Has your Cricut blade gone dull in a matter of a few cuts? You’ve tried cleaning the blade housing of your Cricut machine or checking the pressure and settings but still having problems.

Then you realize that it’s the darn blades!

Don’t worry, you don’t need to throw away that dull blade and a bunch of replacement blades. 

If you’ve been saving the old blades in hopes of finding a solution, then today is your lucky day!

Here are seven ways to get a sharp edge on them again. 

Crafting Tools and Optional Supplies

Tools: 

  • Foil
  • Sewing pin cushion

Optional Supplies:

  • Cutting mat
roll of aluminum foil under the text How to sharpen a Cricut blade

How do I know if my Cricut blade is dull?

So up until now, you were getting the best cuts with your machine, and all of a sudden you’re getting tears and rips when you use thicker materials.

This is one of the top indications that your blade is dull.

Is there a way to sharpen a Cricut blade?

There are several ways to sharpen Cricut blades. Here’s a list of the most common ways. 

  1. Aluminum foil
  2. Emery bag
  3. Fine sandpaper
  4. Emory board (nail file)
  5. Toothpaste on post-it notes (see the video below)
  6. Sharpening stone
  7. Leather strop
knife blade replacement kit

Foil Method to Sharpen a Cricut Blade

You can sharpen your dull Cricut blade with a ball of aluminum foil. This method works for all different types of cricut blades. 

Yield: 1

How to Sharpen a Cricut Blade

roll of aluminum foil under the text How to sharpen a Cricut blade

One of the easiest ways to sharpen a Cricut blade is to use aluminum foil. See the steps below.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Active Time 5 minutes
Difficulty Easy

Materials

  • Aluminum foil
  • Cutting mat

Instructions

    1. Start by removing the blade from the housing unit and setting it aside.
    2. Tear off a letter-size sheet of foil from the roll.
    3. Roll the sheet of foil into a ball.
    4. Pick up the blade.
    5. Take the blade in your hand and push on the opposite end to get the blade to come out 
    6. Poke the blade into the foil. 
    7. Repeat the poking a few times. 
    8. Test the sharpness on a cutting mat.
    9. The blade should now be sharp enough to use again.



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    © Naa Ardua
    Project Type: Crafting / Category: DIY Craft Project Ideas

    Pin Cushion for Sewing Technique

    If you like to sew then you probably have a pin cushion that has a little strawberry attached to it.

    Did you know that you can sharpen things with the strawberry? 

    Well, the little strawberry is actually an emery bag. The emery powder inside allows you to clean and sharpen your pins. 

    I actually went to school for fashion design and I had no idea that emery powder is what sharpens the needles and pins when stuck in there. I just figured it was magic sewing dust, haha. 

    So get an extra pin cushion and try sticking the Cricut blade into the emery bag to sharpen it. 

    Toothpaste and Sticky Note Blade Sharpening Trick

    Check out this Youtube video from Joe Calton that shows you how to use a little bit of toothpaste and a simple post-it note to get a sharp blade.

    Scroll to about minute 25 to see his tips using this method.

    FAQ’s

    🗡️How do I get my Cricut to cut deeper?

    Use the deep point blade to cut thick materials. Cricut makes different blades for specific materials. For the best results, use the right blade that is compatible with your material of choice.

    You’ll struggle to make detailed designs on material such as thick cardstock or balsa wood without using a deep-point blade. It’s also a good idea to maintain a sharp edge on your blades so that you can use them for a long time.

    ⏰How long do Cricut blades last?

    The life of your blades can vary between 1 to 3 months according to most users.

    ball of foil under the words 7 ways to fix a dull Cricut blade

    Want to save this for later? Pin it to your favorite DIY board on Pinterest! 

    These tips are helpful but they’ll be even more helpful if you can actually find them when you need them. So, save them to your Pinterest craft tips board for later.

    Conclusion

    These tips should solve your cutting problems and make you feel like you’re working with a brand new blade.

    A great way to maintain your Cricut knife blade is by regularly sharpening it to ensure that you always get nice clean cuts on any type of material.

    If none of these work for you then you can always just buy a pack of replacement blades like this set of German carbide steel blades from Amazon. 

    The combo pack includes 45 and 60 degree angle blades that work on most Cricut maker machines.

    More Cricut Tips! 

    If you loved these quick tips, I hope you will try my other easy DIY craft hacks like How to clean a Cricut Mat and Make it Sticky Again.

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