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!
