They may know of some local outlets that have good alternative material you can use. Rotary Blade The Maker is not necessary but it really opens up a lot of materials mostly because while you can cut a lot with the Explorer, it doesnt cut well or it ruins the mat. If youre set on washing your mat, I have a separate tutorial on how to most effectively clean your mat. In addition, you may be able to find some sales, discounts, or other coupons. Take out the inside felt andink inside a, Favorites to use in place of sketch pens include, To get a chalkboard look on black paper use. Even $14 for an 18 by 36-inch mat can be very expensive to some people on a small budget. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The Instagram Growth Strategy that No One is Talking About. A credit card works too. Use a wooden cutting boardinstead of an ironing board if you are using an iron for HTV. Oracle 651 I find this is probably the closest for adhesive vinyl. Thanks for the info. Theres some reviews on Amazon that talk about how the size of the mat is wrong. Cutting mats are specialized tools so they carry a specialized price tag which some may not be able to afford. With the Cricut mat, as long as you dont apply too much pressure, youre going to find that debris comes off quite easily. If you own a Cricut, odds are youve been using Cricut mats the entire time. After applying the cardstock, we are then removing it so we can see how well it comes off the mat for repositioning. The Cricut branded blades always have a colored base where as the generic brand blades mostly just have a silver metal finish. A lot of extras, those darn things like to disappear in a blink of an eye! I have not used that specific one, Ive only tried a few select regular vinyl rolls from Cricut. If you cant afford a regular cutting mat, then you can try cardboard. (8 Substitutes), How to Sew On a Patch By Hand or Machine (Jeans, Shirt, Etc). This is where I really save money. We were able to remove the cardstock perfectly from the Cricut mat. Its just the tip of the blade that is different. That is because they can heal those grooves and keep your cutting mat ready for action with no grooves or scoring to worry about. Turn your mat around and feed it through backwards if youare repeating the same cut over and over to avoid cuts. I might be imagining it since Im saving so much! hmm, thats a tough one. The blue and red tip ones are the most similar in terms of the blade angle but the yellow one works too. You can use a lint roller to remove bits of paper from your mat. With our preferred method, it helps reduce the amount of curling you might get. Some of these tips are specific to one machine or the other, but most are universal to all! If youve been a Cricut crafter for a while, you may have noticed that the Cricut StandardGrip mats have changed over time. This post may contain affiliate links. (big surprise!) Thank you so much this information is very helpful. Can you advise if the non-branded deep cut blade can handle 2.4mm tooling leather? For the Paper Studio mat, because it is stickier, we are having to use a little bit more pressure and elbow grease to get it clean but the debris is coming off with the baby wipe. Boom instant light box. Scotch tape can even be used as transfer tape for smaller transfers. The best thing to do is talk to your local fabric store personal and see what they recommend as an alternative. Ive never been to Australia and know very little about that market. Depending on the type of material used for this style of cutting mat, the rotary or other blade can be absorbed into the material helping your cuts to be smoother. save some serious money on die cutting supplies. We are here to inspire and support you in your crafting journey! It makes faux wood projects look so good! All of these are standard grip mats. What can I use instead of a cutting mat? Reverse weed simple designs then place the back of the transfer paper back on, to save the negative space on a design you will use so you can use the design now and negative space as as a stencil later. The hard surface makes it easier to apply more pressure to get it to adhere well. The only difference between these mats and normal cutting mats is that they help cover up rotary cutter marks or grooves. Thank you for this awesome article. Best Generic OFF BrandS Cricut Tools and Materials. Im Kimber. There are substitutes for cutting mats so you are not stuck paying high prices when you need a larger mat than usual. I come across a lot of Cricut users that use nothing but Cricut products and I cringe as there are so many other great products out there! Just make sure those alternatives wont dull your blade, be weak, or cannot last you a long time. (more common than you think!). It is your choice. Our design was extremely difficult to remove from the mat and no matter how carefully we worked, it still tore and curled up. Get more use out of them! Great article, it is difficult to make the decision to deviate from name brand because youre afraid its more of a waste of money. Putting ruler marks on the edge of your cutting table so you can always measure correctly without having to break out the tape measure or ruler. You need to allow them to dry completely and then they will be sticky once again. Here are some ideas that can serve as an alternative to a regular sewing cutting mat: One problem that some self-healing cutting mat owners experience is the fumes. This means, at no additional cost to you, we will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. About five Cricut branded fine point blades in, I gave up and just ordered the generic stuff. The Nicapa mat cleans pretty much the same as the Cricut mat. I have been thinking about this post for a long time since I have developed quite a few little tips and tricks to save time and money with my machine, but when I asked for more ideas in the group, I was overwhelmed with all of themany genius time and money savingideas they had and were so generous as to let me share with you. Since this is such a shiny material, you are unlikely to find a mat where it will stick perfectly. This mat is just too sticky. EWISWAY Blades Nevermind the terrible name, there are just as good as the real stuff and cost a fraction of the branded ones. My friend Dawn from By Dawn Nicole and I have a Silhouette group on Facebook where we trade inspiration with about 20,000 of our closest crafting friends. There are mats where you can pin your fabric, place your iron on them, and press that fabric, and can be used with other sizes of mats to make your work area larger. But really, whos going to find out with some of these. Ive tried all of them. As a new Cricut owner, I often wonder if all the Cricut brand materials are worth the huge difference in price. Other important criteria include the material should be smooth so your cuts are not affected; lightweight so that they are easy to maneuver when you need to store them and the right size for your space and needs. Cutting mats help protect your fingers as well as help you cut very straight lines. There is no non-branded knife blade so you will have to pay full price for the time being :-/. When in a pinch for transfer paper, use a roll of adhesive lint remover! You can see a great tutorial on. However, the Nicapa mat performed quite similarly to the Cricut mat and yet provides fantastic savings. Prices being what they are make finding the right sized cutting mat at an affordable cost something of an adventure. This is a sign of a good quality mat. Check this blog post for more tips and tricks when it comes to cleaning cutting mats. We hold NOTHING back for our yearly members and want you to have the best experience possible. If you have had your Silhouette or Cricut any length of time you know that it is AMAZING what these machines can do! Clorox wipes can also be used to clean cutting mats between projects. You will be SHOCKED at the winner! These off brand Cricut mats are cheap but just as effective. Which brings us to the second main criteria. If you are choosing between Cricut and Paper Studio, we think that based on our testing, the Cricut mats win every time, especially given how close they are in pricing. The sky is the limit or rather my amount of free time and our budget is the limit. It gets everywhere, terrible to clean up and Im terrified itll get into my kids eyes and cause permanent damage. There was no curling or tearing. Yes, the Joy mostly requires its own Cricut branded equipment from blades to pens to mats. Mom of 3 and Chief Creativity Officer at The Pinning Mama. I dare say I might like it better than the Cricut branded ones. I just stopped buying them altogether. Its our favorite way to clean cutting mats because its simple and convenient. I just use my cast iron pan scraper and tweezers. One of the first things were going to test with these 3 mats is how easy it is to reposition cardstock. Other brands are too thick or split or both. Also, something happened with the recent batches of Cricut Standard Grip mats. You will want to put it back on your mat in between uses to keep the surface sticky and clean. I can pick them up with double sided tape but cant work out how to transfer them to a project. In fact, when we peel the protective sheet off of this Nicapa mat, we can hear the difference between them. The good news about cutting mats is that they are not all made solely to help you cut material. Over 50 tips, tricks and ideas on how to save time, money and effort when using your Silhouette CAMEO, Cricut or any craft cutting machine. You can of course use non-branded crafting materials but might need to pre-cut them to size. You can try polycarbonate, plastic, or laminate materials as well as vinyl to see if those surfaces are smooth enough as well as protects your blade from going dull. The red cap one is the closest in terms of a blade angle but it really doesnt make that much of a difference. The material you use should not dull your rotary cutter on the first cut. While some people use cardboard, it is not recommended. This is a tip that could show you how to save some serious money on die cutting supplies! Dear Sharon, Tanner, Rachel, and Courtney are all here because we love diecutting and especially love sharing fun projects and tutorials with fellow makers. Knife Blade Again, if you have a maker, the knife blade makes it easier to cut thicker materials. Cricut Pens People on the internet love to talk about hacking their way with other branded pens. Sick of paying through the nose on Cricut supplies? Ive only noticed a subtle difference in cutting some brands of vinyl, I have to put it on the less setting but thats a small sacrifice Im willing to make. Learn how to clean your cutting mats here. Here are some of my favorites: For vinyl, I found the Cricut branded stuff cuts most precisely with the Cricut machine. Note the name and size of the font used off to the side of each design in case you need it again. The thing about using alternatives to cutting mats, you have to be very careful the material does not dull your blade the moment you finish your first cut. Yes, they all use the same housing. I find theres plenty of other cardstock brands that have a better color selection. Be sure to apply the HTV shiny side down. There are many different types of cutting mats on the market and usually, the self-healing ones are the better option. Enjoyed the information you provided for the Cricut. Using more than one mat is beneficial as your cuts are not always going to be large nor are they all going to be small. I made a little comparison chart for everyone here. If you do not know what a rotary cutter is, they are the fashion worlds pizza cutter except they have safety features attached to them. You have lots of materials that will work as a good alternative. Use your best judgement and try at your own risk. In fact, it even ripped the cardstock a bit and there is a little curling. When we went to reposition the cardstock and lay it down again, we wanted to make note of the fact that the moment it touches the adhesive, the mat grabs hold of the material and there is really no give to allow you to shift it a little bit. I would love for you to leave a comment and let me know if you have a favorite tip, trick or money saving idea you use with your cutting machine or materials! We will show you a Cricut cutting mat, a Paper Studio mat, and a Nicapa brand mat. Please be sure to check the pricing for yourself. Then, once cut out, were going to see how easily we can remove our design from each of the cutting mats. Silhouette CAMEO & Portrait Black Friday Sale + Coupon Code, How to Load Vinyl with your Silhouette CAMEO, Usea safety pinto weed and lift tiny pieces of vinyl, Add a small magnet to the side of your machine so you always have your safety pin handy, Use an old gift card or hotel keyinstead of a scraper to get paper scraps off of your mat. Subscribe to email updates for new recipes delivered to your inbox! The top blade is the Cricut branded one, the rest are generic brands. Ive never gotten this to work. Your email address will not be published. They are super sticky and peel off with some materials. Hi, Cricut Leather Both the metallic and genuine leather are beautiful and more importantly, cuts well with all Cricut Machines. Using sketch pens to outline your heat transfer vinyl can help with weeding. There are two main criteria to follow when looking for an alternative to a self-healing or other cutting mat. So sit back, relax, and prepare to be amazed at the secrets of the trade my crafty friends! This is the reason why many people are looking for alternatives. But how ever, you didnt speak much on the Joy. Disclaimer: I have not tried all of these tips personally. Your email address will not be published. If you want to use the best cutting mat with your Cricut machine, youre going to want to check this out. After all, the more money you can save, the more Cricut craft projects you can make. Lets find out how easy that is to do on each of these mats. Its not just the material cost that adds up, its also the equipment and the accessories that come with like blades and mats. (Box vs Knife Pleats), What Is Chenille Made of? Hi Lisa, Its already not super sticky so washing it doesnt help much. If you can adhere it well enough to keep it flat while feeding it into the Cricut machine, the rollers will help to do some of the work in holding it down. I know youre technically not supposed to use non-Cricut brand accessories. The blades are shaved to three levels of steepness. Thanks. Basically, you are free to use any material that is handy and will work for you without creating more problems when you go to cut. Always make extra dots for the tops of js and is or periods. You can even hear the sound of the extra adhesive and when you look at the mat, you can see a thicker layer of adhesive there. Finding alternatives that meet those criteria is not always going to be easy and will be done on a trial and error basis. So Ive made a little list of all the generic (more importantly, cheaper) brands of materials and equipment that I like and my thoughts on it compared to the Cricut branded stuff. Please note that any prices mentioned in this post are for comparison purposes only. Tanner will compare 3 different brands of standard grip cutting mats. You will not do yourself any favors by using a material that lasts only for a week. Were using our fingers to apply some pressure and it is still trying to curl up a bit at the corner. We are going to compare 3 different brands of cutting mats for die cutting machines. You can use a tool such as a scraper tool to help it adhere to the mat. There are many alternatives to using a cutting mat that work just as well. Remember that these prices may vary from the time we recorded this to the time you are seeing our comparison. The problem you will face using alternative materials is that those materials may dull your rotary cutter on the first cut. Now, lets look at pricing. Take a minute or two and see all the reasons you should use a cutting mat when you are using a rotary cutter or even a fixed edge knife. Nicapa This is my favorite brand of generics. Use code "FLASH30" and save $30 on your best value membership today! Is Chenille Soft? Its important to make note of the fact that if you use an off-brand cutting mat in your Cricut machine, you could void the warranty on your machine. Today, were going to do a cutting mat comparison that might just blow your mind. Those blades can be very sharp and if you have nothing under the fabric, you can scratch your cutting surface, table, floor, etc., very easily. In our experienced opinion, we think all 3 of these mats could be used to cut glitter vinyl but some will need a little extra work to get it to stick. We find that they are less sticky than they used to be and have a lighter grip than before. Please note that these are products I know/use and recommend to my customers. Is there anywhere you can recommend online? While you can get replacement blades with your purchase of the cutter and buy extra blades separately, replacing blades is not a good use of time or money. Sometimes you just have to think outside the box a little to see what is available to use. (How To Blanket Stitch Tutorial), What Are The Different Types of Pleats? can I switch blades 30 60 45 and use the same housing? As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Baby wipesare great for maintaining your mat. A glass should work well also and all these materials are smooth so you can lay your fabric out flat and get a smooth, straight cut. I have no had issues with this. If not, you should as they are very handy and easy to use. Similar to the Cricut mat, the glitter vinyl really wanted to pull away from the Nicapa mat. When looking at the overall performance of these mats, the Paper Studio mat just doesnt work as well as the other two options. There are many alternatives to using a cutting mat that work just as well. I go through way more material than what you see in the finished good because I had to test my designs sometimes a dozen times before I get it right. That is certainly a factor to take into account, but shouldnt be the deciding factor in your choice. Plus, the pens are like the cheapest accessories they have! Next, were cutting out each of the designs on the 3 different cutting mats. Just as there are reasons to use these mats, they are not perfect and they do come with some negative aspects that may have you looking for an alternative surface to use: You may not have used one of these great sewing tools. I love your site and I tried to sign up, but it wouldnt go through. Your Download limit has been reached - Upgrade to our best value year membership tier today and get ultimate access to our site! At NO ADDITIONAL COST TO YOU, I will earn a small commission, if you purchase them. What Can I Use Instead of a Cutting Mat? Prices change all the time and you may be able to find a sale or a coupon to use. Cutting mats can be used by both left and right-handers, Comes in durable thick layers that are supposed to last, Most are portable and easy to transport to another location, They can be versatile and can be used for other purposes, Most come with rounded edges so you do not scratch yourself, The materials help keep cutter blades sharp, They can come with both Imperial and Metric measurements, You can get them in more than one color, usuallyb, At least one is electronic and provides 4 hours of light with new batteries, rechargeable battery included and stays cool when you touch it, The surfaces are very smooth with grid lines that are easy to see, Batteries run out of power and you have to wait till they recharge or spend time replacing the battery, Gridlines may be hard to see due to color blindness and other factors, The healing aspect doesnt work that well, May warp on you if stored improperly or if there is too much heat in the room, Only comes with Imperial markings or Metric markings only and not both. Ilyssa has not used the non-cricut branded smart materials yet so shes not much help there. It was extremely helpful. You can use a smaller portion of a large self-healing cutting mat but you can use a larger portion of a small mat. You can see a big list of. People really should not limit themselves or worse be to up tight about breaking the warranty ..that one kills me. I dont have any of the dedicated tools. Basswood If you are doing any wood cutting with your Cricut, I would highly recommend the branded stuff. There are just so many other HTV options out there that are cheaper. Instead of alight box put the design you areweeding on a glasscoffee table and turn the flashlight on (or use your phone,) set it on the floor under the table. Bear in mind that with a stickier mat, certainly you might find it a little trickier to remove items like paper from it when its brand new, but as it gets some use, it will lose some of its stickiness and become easier and easier to use with some of those more delicate materials. Going for an alternative is their answer to preserving their budget. They are basically a must-have item when you use a rotary cutter over a pair of scissors. If you only have an explorer, the Deep Point Blade is a nice alternative. With the Paper Studio mat, you can feel that its a little more difficult to remove. It definitely has a little more pull to it, indicating that it is stickier than the Cricut mat. Its important to remember that as you use the mats, they will become less sticky over time. I make A LOT of intricate papercraft projects. When purchasing one for your sewing needs, do not just think of one project, think about all of them, and buy the size that will work for all your projects. My only advice here is to use the light grip mat because the backing sticks too much to the Standard grip mat. Some of them are branded to target other cutting machines but they seem to have all converged on the standard 1212 inch material size for the mats work across all the latest cutting machines in market today. Cricut StandardGrip Mats Current pricing at time of publication: $15.49 for 2 on the Cricut website (approximately $7.75 per mat), Paper Studio Mats Current pricing at time of publication: $14.99 for 2 (approximately $7.50 per mat), Nicapa Mats Current pricing at time of publication: $12.99 for 3 on Amazon (approximately $4.33 per mat). Not worth the time. Read my disclosure policy here. We have everyone from people about to purchase a machine, to extremely seasoned pros! Glitter vinyl is one of the trickiest materials to place on your cutting mat. -> If you dont have a machine yet, you can see the most recent deals on them here->SilhouetteDeals or Cricut Deals. Soft & Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Recipe. So, you might prefer to wait until the warranty has expired. That is a good way to waste money and your time. Lisa. Plus, you should use some type of fan near you to keep ventilation moving and the air around you fresh and safe. The rollers still have something to grab when all the length of the vinyl is under the blade when cutting without a mat. Self-healing mats need to off-gas and should not be stored in closed containers inside the house. Hi, can you advise if there are comparable non-Cricut brand Smart materials for the Cricut Maker 3? This will keep vinyl from unrolling and help it stay organized. HTV, glitter, metallic The rest of the varietals are a mixed bag in performance and no notable winners. You need to store them flat so they do not warp on you if the room gets too hot. Remember that will all of the mats, if they are damp (whether from the baby wipe or from water), they will not be sticky. it looks at this topic and provides you with the information to help you find solutions to your cutting mat issues. We love doing these product comparisons for you and giving you the knowledge and real-life experience needed to make an informed decision when making your purchases. We have used a variety of materials on each of the cutting mats felt and other types that will leave behind some fibers and residue. These mats are made from very durable materials and can last you a long time. If you accidentally cut through your mat, you can repair it with sturdy packing tape on the back of the mat. take a few minutes to see if this information is helpful to you. EZ Crafts I have to mention this one because of the price. (Helpful Guide). The problem you will face using alternative materials is that those materials may dull your rotary cutter on the first cut. Im sorry I cant be more help :-/ You can always make your own with some contact paper and untreated chipboard? It is important to consider how well the Cricut mat will perform over time since it is already starting out with quite a bit less adhesive than the other two mats.