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Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Quick Tip Tuesday: Cutting mats

Welcome to Quick Tip Tuesday! As we all know, paper crafting can get expensive. For this reason, I love to extend the life of consumables, and this especially includes my cutting mats. Here are some suggestions for taking care of mats and making them last a bit longer:

1. Always keep your mat covered when not in use. Any dust particles and hairs that float through the air could adhere to your mat and shorten its lifespan.

2. As soon as I get my mat, I get a Sharpie and write “Top” on the top of the plastic covering. I find that if I use the wrong side of the covering, the next time I use it, the “tack” on the mat comes off on my covering.

3. If you use Design Studio or Gypsy, place your cuts in different areas of your mat. This ensures that all portions of your mat get equal use and you won’t wear out just one section – and you’ll still be able to cut larger images that use the entire mat. If you do not use Design Studio or Gypsy, rotate your mats when you use them.

4. Get rid of all paper bits on the mat after use. Leaving bits on your mat will make it difficult to remove them at a later point – and might bring the tack off the mat when you do clear it.

5. Use baby wipes to add a bit more life to your mat in its end days. I’ve never tried this myself, but have heard this tip used by a number of crafters.

Happy crafting!

 
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9 comments:

  1. Great idea about writing "top" on the plastic cover - I'll have to start doing that!

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  2. Great idea about writing "top" on the plastic cover - I'll have to start doing that!

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  3. Thanks, these are very useful tips!

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  4. when mine are beyond the baby wipes I used a brillo pad the non-rust one and scrub it really good, rinse it off, let it air dry, mask the edges and lightly spray it with a re positionable adhesive. Let it sit for a few minutes and I have a brand new mat.
    Just wanted to share what I do with mine. Of course, my warranty it's long gone too.

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  5. Kate
    Thanks for the great tips.
    I have one that makes my mat go forever. Wash it good with dish detergent (not for dishwashers)
    Scrub all those bits off with your fingers or run a flat metal ruler over them. Rinse well. Let dry. Cover with Zig 2 way glue. Let dry. Use for months.
    Myrna

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  6. The baby wipes do work. I use them all the time. The baby wipes are also a great way to clean your stamps after using.

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  7. Such great tips, Kate. Thanks for sharing them with us. I have tried the baby wipe tip and it does work. I couldn't believe how clean and sticky my mat was that I thought was no longer usable.

    Shawnee

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  8. Thanks so much for the extra tips - and the confirmation of the use of baby wipes. I'm going to try that before I get rid of my current mat.
    I also use wipes to clean my stamps. Works like a charm!

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