Cricut Perforation Hack: No Special Blade with free SVG
If you’ve ever wanted to create perforation lines with your Cricut but don’t own a Cricut perforation blade (or a Cricut Maker machine), I’ve got a fantastic Cricut perforation hack for you! This works with any Cricut machine using the standard fine-point blade—no need for the basic perforation blade or quickswap housing. Whether you’re making tear-out booklet pages, gift coupons, or tear-away cards, this simple trick lets you get precise perforation cuts with tools you already own.
Why Use a Cricut Perforation Hack?
Cricut offers a perforation tip as part of their variety of quickswap tips, but it only works with the Cricut Maker series. If you have a Cricut Explore or Cricut Joy, you’re out of luck—until now! My free perforation line SVG works on every machine, creating clean tear edges and perfect tear-offs using just your standard blade.
What You Get in the Free SVG
I created a complete collection of Cricut Maker-style perforation lines—but in SVG form, so you can use them with any Cricut machine. The SVG includes perforation lines in half-inch increments, from 0.5 inches all the way up to 11.5 inches. Each line is already dashed for you, giving you smooth tears every time.
No special blade, new tools, or extra cost. Just upload the file into Cricut Design Space, place the line where you want, and cut with your standard fine-point blade.
Materials Needed
- Any Cricut machine (Explore, Maker, Joy)
- Fine-point blade (the one that comes with your machine)
- Cardstock, poster board, or other material you want to perforate
- My free Cricut perforation SVG (grab it in my Community Vault below)
Step-by-Step Instructions: How to Use the Cricut Perforation Hack
Download the Free SVG
To get your hands on this time-saving, money-saving file, head to my Community Vault and grab the free download. Remember—this works with any Cricut machine, and you only need the regular blade that came with your machine. Design Number #179
Find out how to download my free SVG files here. Find more of my favorite Cricut Hacks: Max Your Print then Cut & Fill in Text!
Upload the SVG to Cricut Design Space
Open Cricut Design Space and click on New Project.
- Select Upload on the left-hand toolbar.
- Choose Upload Image and browse for the perforation line SVG. You can upload all sizes for the future or just the one you need. My suggestion is to go about .5 inch smaller than your image. So I have a 4×4 square I would do 3.5 inch but play around.
- Click Add to Canvas.
Place and Resize Your Perforation Line
Once the line is on your canvas, position it exactly where you need it. You can stretch it, rotate it, or duplicate it for multiple perforation lines. If you stretch or contract it, keep in mind that your dash lines will become large or small. You may want to just size up if needed.
Attach the Line to Your Design
This step is critical—without it, your Cricut won’t know the perforation line is part of your design.
- Select both your shape (card, tag, booklet, etc.) and the perforation line.
- Click Attach (the paperclip icon at the bottom right of Cricut Design Space).
Cut with Your Standard Blade
- Load your poster board, cardstock, or paper onto your mat.
- Click Make It and follow the prompts to select your material.
- Your Cricut will cut both the shape and the perforation line with the regular blade—no quickswap housing needed.
Benefits of This Cricut Perforation Hack
- Works on all Cricut machines (Maker, Explore, Joy)
- No need to buy a Cricut perforation blade
- Compatible with poster board, cardstock, and more
- Saves money on new products and new tools
- Creates uniform lines and precise perforation cuts
- Ideal for a wide variety of projects
Whether you’re making tear-away cards, gift coupons, tear-out booklet pages, or adding fun design elements to your crafts, this hack gives you perfect tear-offs and clean tear edges every time.
What Can You Make with Perforation Lines?
Not sure where to use this Cricut perforation hack? Here are some creative ideas:
- Tear-away cards for holidays or events
- Coupon books with gift coupons for birthdays or anniversaries
- Handmade tear-out booklet pages for journals
- 3D Project Perforation Lines vs Score Lines for crisp folds
- DIY planners with smooth tears for removing lists or notes
The possibilities are endless—and because you’re not locked into the basic perforation blade size, you can make perforation lines exactly as long (or short) as you need.
Hello
Thank you so much for that idea! Do you know if it works with the Print then Cut feature of the Cricut Explore Air 2? It always cuts out the numbers for me aswell :/
Thank you so much for your help!
It should work but you may need to keep it a basic cut and attach.