Cricut Maker 5 Turns a Desk Into a Mini Workshop for Leather, Acrylic, and More

Cricut, best known for its desktop cutting machines, has announced the Cricut Maker 5 as its new flagship “smart cutter” for creators. Users send designs from a PC or smartphone, and the machine automatically cuts them out—traditionally on paper, vinyl, or fabric. The Maker 5’s big leap is support for materials up to 3 mm thick, opening the door to leather, acrylic sheets, thin metals, foam board, and more.

Compared with the previous generation, the new model increases clearance by about 25%, allowing bulkier materials to pass under the carriage. With dedicated blades and tools, it can not only cut but also engrave and score, so users can add embossed patterns, fold lines, or metal‑like texture directly in one workflow. That makes it attractive for people producing handmade goods, small‑batch packaging, cosplay props, or doujin‑style merchandise without renting a makerspace laser cutter.

Pricing starts at around USD $349 in the U.S. With interest in craft markets and niche brands growing in Japan as well, machines like the Maker 5 point toward a future where a single desktop device can handle everything from paper stickers to leather keychains, effectively turning a spare corner of your home into a compact digital workshop.