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Simple Guide to Score Lines in Cricut Design Space

Score Lines in Cricut Design Space: How to Add, Cut & Attach

Score perfectly every time. No guessing, no crooked folds, no wasted cardstock.

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First things first. Go get your coffee. This one is short, but you’re going to want to try it immediately afterward.

One of the most common questions I get asked is how to add score lines in Cricut Design Space. And honestly? It trips up a lot of crafters. Not because it’s hard, but because no one explains it clearly. You open Design Space, you find your shape, and then you stare at the screen wondering why your machine just cuts straight through the project instead of scoring the design. Let’s fix that!

If your future projects include making a fun fold card, a gift box, or any 3D paper project, score lines are what make clean, crisp folds happen. I’ll walk you through how to add score lines in Cricut Design Space, how to change it to a cut line, and share the simple step most people skip. Attach is a huge part of creating cut and score lines.

This tutorial covers the Cricut Explore series and the Cricut Maker. Design Space updates regularly. The steps are the same, but your screen may look slightly different from the screenshots shown. A refreshed video is coming soon!

Project at a glance

Skill Level: Beginner

Time: 5-10 minutes

Machine: Cricut Explore Air 2 · Cricut Maker

Techniques: Score Lines · Cut Lines · Attach Tool

Key Skill: Setting up folds for cards and 3D projects in Cricut Design Space

Cricut Tutorials Design Space Score Lines Cricut Cards 3D Cricut Projects Beginner Cricut
how to add score lines in Cricut Design Space and cut lines in Cricut Design Space

Your Resource List

To make sure you don’t feel stuck again, I’ve included multiple shortcuts in this post that you can refer back to whenever the “blank page anxiety” hits.

Cricut Score Tools Add Score Lines Score Line to Cut Line Attach Tool Watch the Tutorial

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What Tools Do I Need to Score with a Cricut?

Cricut scoring tools are designed to create crisp, folding lines for cards, boxes, and 3D projects. Before you create a project with score lines in Design Space, let’s make sure you have the right tool for your machine.

Scoring Stylus (Explore series & Maker): For light paper, cardstock, vellum

Scoring Wheel (Maker): For heavier cardstock, kraft board, glitter paper

Double Score Wheel (Maker): Parallel lines on heavy materials & acetate

If you have an Explore machine, the Scoring Stylus goes in Clamp A and your blade stays in Clamp B so your machine can score and cut in one pass.

If you have a Maker, you can use either the Stylus or the Scoring Wheel. The Scoring Wheel creates a deeper, cleaner fold on heavier cardstock. I use it for boxes and gift bags. For basic paper crafts, the Stylus works just fine.

Cricut scoring tool comparison — Scoring Stylus vs Scoring Wheel vs Double Scoring Wheel

Don’t have a scoring tool yet?

You can find the Scoring Stylus here. The Scoring Wheel and Double Scoring Wheel can be used interchangeably in the Maker QuickSwap Housing unit. You can purchase the Scoring Wheel here. Cricut discontinued the Double Scoring Wheel in 2025, but it can still be found here. It works great with acetate.

How to Add Score Lines in Cricut Design Space

how to add a score line in Cricut Design Space step by step

① On the left side of the Canvas, click on the Shapes icon. At the very top of that collection you’ll see a line labeled Score Line. That’s the one you want.

② Click the Score Line image to add it to your Canvas. It will appear as line. You will also see the word “Score” in the Edit bar above and in the Layers on the right.

③ To resize it, drag the sizing handle to the length you need. You can also input the size into the height box in the Edit Bar at the top of the screen.

④ To rotate, move slightly to the right of the sizing handle until the rotate image appears, then rotate. You can also enter the exact degree in the Edit menu.

⑤ Move the score line to the exact location where you want your fold to happen. For a basic card, that means placing it at the center of your card base panel.

Miss. Carrie’s Real Life Craft Tip

For a standard A2 card base (4.25″ x 5.5″), your score line should be 4.25 inches long so it runs the full height of your card panel. To center the score line on the card based, use Align Center found in the Edit panel.

How to Change a Score Line to a Cut Line

Here’s something a lot of crafters don’t realize: that same Score Line can be changed into a Cut Line. This is useful when you need a precise cut at a specific location on your project, like cutting a slit in a box tab or a window in a card front.

Follow the same steps above to insert a score line onto your project. Once the line is in place, select the line and change the Line Type or Operation.

In the Edit Bar, the word “Score” appears in a dropdown menu. Tap on the dropdown and select Basic Cut. Your score line is now a cut line.

If you’re ever unsure what your line is set to, check the Layers panel on the right side of the screen. Next to the image the label will show the Operation or Line Type.

how to change a score line to a cut line in Cricut Design Space
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How to Attach Your Score Line: The Step Everyone Skips

I want to pause here and be very direct with you, because this is the step that causes the most frustration. If you do not Attach your score line to your image, your Cricut machine will not score onto the project.

Design Space will move the score line to a separate mat, cut your project without scoring it, and you’ll end up with a perfectly cut card base with no fold line. It happens to everyone at least once.

Here’s how to Attach your score line or cut line correctly:

1

Select both your line AND your base shape. Select your line first, then hold Shift (Command) and click your card base. Both will be highlighted in the Layers Panel.

select score line and base shape in Cricut Design Space Layers panel

2

Click Attach in the bottom right of the Layers Panel. Attach can also also found in the shortcut panel. Once attached, the Layers Panel with change.

click Attach button in Cricut Design Space Layers panel

3

Both Layers will list under the Attach folder in the layers panel. When you click Make It, your score line should appear on the same mat as your card base, not on a separate mat.

score line attached to card base in Cricut Design Space mat preview

Miss. Carrie’s Real Life Craft Tip

Even on my best coffee days, I have forgotten to attach my lines to my project. When my machine scores in the wrong place, or doesn’t score at all, I ask myself these questions.

Did I choose the correct line type? Did I attach it to the base image? Did I attach it to the wrong image?
Nine times out of ten, it’s the Attach step. If you would like to learn more about the Attach tool, check out this video.

If you are still stuck, read my FAQs below.

Watch My Five Minute Cricut Video Tutorial

Want to see all of these steps in action? Here’s my Five Minute Cricut Class showing you exactly how score lines and cut lines work in Design Space.

Note: This video was recorded in an earlier version of Design Space. The steps are the same, but your interface may look slightly different. An updated video is coming in Summer 2026.

What Can I Make with Score Lines?

Now that you know how to add score lines, here are some projects that use them regularly. Score lines are used any time you need a clean fold in your project.

Fun fold cards: waterfall, easel, or gatefold cards

Three Dimensional Die Cuts: foldable flowers and leaves like the ones on my Clover Card

Card & Gift Boxes: store handmade cards, pillow boxes, or treat boxes like these Easter Candy Boxes

Handmade 3D Decor: paper vases, lanterns, ornaments, or these simple Gingerbread Houses

Custom Scrapbook Elements: Learn how I added cut lines to an SVG in this video tutorial

Start with something simple! Create a basic A2 Card base with score line. This is the perfect way to practice adding and attaching a score line before you move on to more complex projects.

Common Questions Asked about Score Lines in Cricut Design Space

The most common reason is that the score line was not Attached to the image before cutting. Go back to your Canvas, select both the score line and your shape, and click Attach at the bottom of the Layers panel. Then click Make It again and check the mat preview to confirm they are on the same mat.

If you need more help understanding how the attach tool works, check out this 5-Minute Cricut Video: Two Ways to Use Attach

Neither the original Cricut Joy nor the Joy XTra have a scoring tool, but many crafters have had luck using the Joy Foil Transfer Tip as an alternative. Many creators requested this option be added to the Joy, so Cricut added a scoring tool to the new Cricut Joy 2. This tool is specific to the Joy 2 and not compatible with the other machines.

A score line tells your machine to press into the material without cutting through it, creating a fold line. A cut line tells your machine to cut all the way through the material. You can switch between the two using the Operation (or Line Type) dropdown in the Edit Bar at the top of the Canvas.

Yes. Add as many lines as you need, then select all of them along with your base shape and Attach them all at once. The machine will score or cut each line in the order it processes them on the mat.

This questions comes up a lot with boxes or 3D projects downloaded from sites like Creative Fabrica or Design Bundles. Let me walk you through this one step-by-step.


First, check your Line Type in the Operation dropdown. If it’s set to Basic Cut instead of Score, your machine will cut right through it, which is exactly what it’s supposed to do, it’s just not what you wanted. Click the line, check the dropdown, and make sure it says Score.

Second, check your Attach. Boxes and 3D projects usually have multiple score lines and multiple cut lines all on the same layer. You need to select all of them together and Attach them as one group. If even one score line is left unattached, Design Space will move it to a separate mat and your machine will handle it differently than you expected.

Need a little more help? Watch this 5-Minute Cricut Class: How to Upload SVGs in Cricut Design Space

Do you remember learning Order of Operations in Math class. Well, this is a situation where the order of operations really matters (but no math is involved.)

Once you Flatten an image for Print Then Cut, it becomes a single locked layer. You cannot Attach additional lines directly to a flattened image the same way you would with a standard cut project.

You will need to first, add your score lines and cut lines. Set up all your layers and get them positioned exactly where you need them first. Attach your score lines and cut lines to the design layer before flattening. This locks them in position relative to your design.

This part is important! Flatten the print layer separately. Your score and cut lines will remain as their own layers and will be handled correctly at the mat stage.

If you’ve already flattened and realize you forgot your score lines, the easiest fix is to click to un-flatten, add your lines, Attach them, then re-flatten your print layer.

Yes! This is such a creative way to use cut lines. You are not limited to straight horizontal or vertical lines at all.

To angle your cut line in Design Space, insert your line from the Shapes panel as normal. Use the Rotate handle to drag it to the angle you need. For precise angles, type the exact degree number into the Rotate box in the Edit Bar at the top of the Canvas. Common quilt angles like 45°, 60°, and 30° can all be typed in directly.

Once you have your cut lines at the correct angle(s), position and duplicate as needed. For quilt patterns, you’ll likely need several lines at the same angle. Select your angled line, duplicate and reposition.


Don’t forget to Attach all lines to your base shape before cutting.

One important note for quilt cutting: Make sure your cut lines extend fully to the edge of your base shape. If a cut line stops short, your Cricut will cut only to that point and leave the rest uncut. Use the sizing handle to drag each line edge-to-edge across your shape.

This is a really clever use of cut lines and a great way to use your Cricut for paper piecing and quilt-inspired card designs. ☕

This usually means the score line wasn’t deep enough, or you’re folding against the grain of the cardstock. Try scoring the line twice by running your project through the machine a second time. You can also try folding toward the scored side rather than away from it.

Score. Cut. Attach. That’s all there is to it!

Creating score lines and cut lines in Cricut Design space isn’t as difficult as it seems. Add your Score Line, change the type if needed, position it, and … do not forget … Attach it.

Now go reheat that coffee and make something. If you’ve been putting off that fun fold card because score lines felt confusing, you have no more excuses. Start with a basic card base, attach that score line, and see what happens.
If you have questions, drop them in the comments below.

And if you want more tutorials like this one on how to add score lines in Cricut Design Space, come check out Miss Carrie’s Creative Library. It’s where I keep everything organized so you’re not hunting for it all over the internet.

Good design takes intention. Great design takes practice. Both take coffee. --Miss. Carrie
Miss. Carrie's Creations

Welcome to a world where simplicity meets creativity, and where you can truly shine! I am Miss. Carrie and I enjoy days filled with faith, family, LOTS of coffee, and crafts.

4 Comments

  1. I was wondering if you could answer a question for me about CDS. I uploaded my image — everything looks fine — I click on Make it — and there is one cut on a mat that is outlined in white whereas all the other mats show an outline in black. Why is that one mat outlined in white? Is this OK?

    Reply

  2. Here is another one. Thank You Miss Carries. I love your 5-minute classes as they are always so wonderful. I am making a gift box for my nephew, filled with chocolates. I wanted to make it a 3D octagon. Do you think it’s possible to create a score line for it? Please help, as I have never tried it.

    Reply

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