Have you ever looked through all the Cricut mats available on the market and wondered which mat is right for your Cricut cutting machine or craft project? Well, we will help you with this. In this guide, we'll cover what Cricut mats are and which mat to use with which cutting machine. We'll talk about the mat sizes available and which material to use for each mat, so you don't get confused!
So, let’s get started.
What Are Cricut Mats?
A Cricut mat is the surface on which you cut your craft projects on the Cricut cutting machine. To do a project with the machine, put material like paper, vinyl, or fabric on a mat and feed the mat into the cutting machine. You need to use a mat for every DIY project you make with the cutting machine. If your project requires two different materials (vinyl and leather), then you must use two different Cricut mats. Each Cricut mat is reusable.
With the Cricut machines and smart materials, you'll need the mat for every DIY project. Cricut mats stabilize the cutting material. Otherwise, the material can shift when cut. This can ruin not only the material but the mat as well.
Which Cricut Mat Should You Use?
There are four various Cricut cutting mats:
- LightGrip Mat (Blue): Cut a variety of lightweight materials, such as printer paper, vellum, vinyl, light cardstock, and construction paper, using this cutting mat with the Cricut Explore, Maker, and Joy.
- StandardGrip Mat (Green): This mat can be the most widely used out there. It’s best for a wide variety of medium-weight materials, like cardstock, embossed cardstock, vinyl, textured paper, pattern paper, iron-on, and infusible ink transfer sheets.
- StrongGrip Mat (Purple): This mat is created for thick heavy-duty materials like balsa or basswood, cardstock, corrugated cardboard, chipboard, faux leather, magnet sheets, glitter cardstock (thick), and poster board.
- FabricGrip Mat (Pink): Use this mat with the Cricut Maker or Explore Series and a rotary blade or bonded-fabric blade. It can cut any fabric, such as flannel, quilting cotton, denim, knit, felt, cotton canvas, and more.
Each mat is used to cut a variety of materials, from lightweight materials to heavier materials. The material you're cutting with the Cricut machine can help you decide which mat to use.
How to Clean Cricut Mats?
If you see that the materials are not sticking where they used to, it may be time to clean the mat. Here are some easy methods to clean Cricut mats.
- Remove any remaining material with a lint roller. Use a lint roller sheet and gently roll the top of the mat to pick up small pieces of material left over from your project.
- Clean the mat with a scraper tool. Use a Cricut scraper tool to remove the fuzz and pieces of material from the mat. Just run the edge of the card over the surface of the mat to release the scrap pieces.
- Wipe with baby wipes. Gently wipe the surface of the mat with baby wipes until you have cleaned the whole working surface. Allow the mat to air dry before use.
- Wash with lukewarm water and a drop of dish soap. Allow the mat to air dry before using it again.
How to Use Cricut Mats?
To use a cutting mat with the Cricut machine, do the following:
Step 1: First, Put Your Material on the Mat
- When it comes to cutting your craft project, it is important to position your material correctly on the Cricut Mat. Here are a few tips:
- Check the orientation in the Design Space app on the mat window.
- It’s important for papercraft projects. If the Cricut assumes the paper is vertical and you lay the paper horizontally on the mat, it will screw up the cut.
Follow the steps in the section below once you have the orientation correct:
- Line up the corner of the material with the top left side of the mat.
- Smooth your material from left to right and from top to bottom.
- If you have a brayer tool, use it over your material to make sure all parts are glued to the mat.
- If you don't have this tool, use your hand to make sure the material is trapped.
Step 2: Then, Load the Mat Into the Cricut Machine
- Once the material is correctly placed on the mat, it is time to load it into the machine.
- With the top-up, put the mat under the two guide tabs on the back of the machine.
- Hold the cutting mat against the roller bar section and then press the load button on top of the machine.
- The roller bar will start and load the mat into the Cricut machine.
Step 3: After that, Remove Your Material From the Mat
- Once the material is cut, you need to get it off the mat correctly to prevent twisting the material.
- To gently remove materials, turn the mat over and peel back the Cricut mat from your material.
- Hold your material flat against the table with one hand as you continue to peel back the cutting mat gently.
How Long Do Cricut Mats Last?
The longevity of a Cricut cutting mat depends on how often you use it and the material you use on the cutting mat. The average usage of one mat is 40 cuts.
However, you may not get 40 cuts using a dirty material like leather or fabric. It may be less. Make sure to keep the cutting mat clean between your projects to extend the life of the mat.
