Cricut Cutting Mat

Here's the video for using Best Glue Ever from ScraPerfect for revitalizing Cricut Mats.

http://www.youtube.com/scraperfect#p/a/u/5/_ HoF3O9xEuk

My experience is that my mats curl at the corners and become very brittle before the glue is gone. I also like to keep at least one barely sticky mat for use with thin papers.

Like Kory mentioned, being careful about blade pressure and cleaning off the paper lint after each use (lint rollers, baby wipes as mentioned) can preserve both the glue and the surface. You're kinda my hero Kory.

Using any kind of glue on the mats that leaves a residue either on the roller or up in the workings negates your warrantee. I would say wait until that is expired anyway before doing these things.

For those of you using Aileens, are you using it undiluted? I'd heard to mix it 50/50 with water, & it seemed perfect after allowing drying time. Thanks!

I wipe mine with baby wipes and let dry, same as the soapy water but you don't have to leave your scrap room!

If you do re-adhesive it what I found works best for me is to remove the old adhesive with goo gone or something similar. Use masking tape to block off the edges outside the cutting lines, keeps the adhesive from the outer boarder and holds your mat down while you apply adhesive! For the adhesive I use Aileen's as well.

I usually wash mine with soapy water and let dry really well, then it seems to come to life!! I always rotate them to you can cut them from either end (not just the end with the arrow!! I also have sprayed them with the repositionable spray adhesive just becareful not to get too much on the mat as it will gum up the rollers on your cricut!!

When my mats loose their stickiness I spray them with re-positionable vellum spray adhesive. I seem to be cutting in the same spot all the time on the mat, so being you can set where the blade starts cutting on the Cricut Expression, I am going to start moving the blade over so I'm using more of the mat.

I feel like I cut lots- but maybe I don't. My mats last FOREVER. I treat them like an expensive child. I am always adjusting and readjusting the blades/pressure/whatevers for every thing I'm about to do, and I wipe them after every use... so I'm hoping all this work has something to do with it, lol.

I even have some brand new ones I bought when I first got my Cricut, thinking I'd need them right away, PLUS a few I bought when I saw them on clearance for a few bucks at "The Wal-Marts."

But so far, I'm still using the two that came with it...

-k

You can do the same thing with Aileen's Tack it Over and Over glue. Just be careful to put it ONLY within the cutting margins. You don't want to get it out onto the border. I generally let mine set overnight before I re-cover it with the plastic cover. If your blade is cutting into the mat, you might want to try lowering the pressure guage.

Thanks I will have to try this!

Wash it with warm, soapy water or clean it really well with Windex. Let dry completely.

Get yourself some Zig 2 Way Glue and cover the entire cutting surface of your mat. LET DRY.

(I learned that little trick from the nice people here at sb.com, I cannot claim it as my own. It works.)

How long do your cutting mats last you? I am on my second one and seem to be ready to move on to the third one. It seems to be too fast, although I have been doing a lot of cutting lately, I just wondered if this was normal, to go through one cutting mat in about a month but as stated before I have been doing a lot of cutting for swaps.

Also about how often should you replace the blade?