Cricut Standardgrip Cutting 12-inch by 12-inch 

You may find that the Cricut Yellow Cutting Mats with Standard Grip is a versatile product that you can use to make decorations with the kids, create a special card or create vinyl letters and stencils for your business. This product is versatile and easy to store.

Pros

• Holds a variety of materials
• Comes in a pack of three
• Made specifically for Cricut Explore and other brand-specific cutting machines.
• Easily removes vinyl and paper/td> –

Cons

• Not self-healing – the top layer of material can cut and peel off the surface.
• It May require some experience to use the mat effectively.

 

Many consumers find the Cricut Standard mat an excellent option for home use. All ages can use this mat, which stores very easily with a foot-on-foot size that fits on any desk, envelope, or shelf.

Nicapa Cutting Mat for Silhouette Cameo 3 

Consumers may enjoy this trio of one-foot-square cutting mats because of their size and the ability to use them for various media. The thin material is flexible, making it easy to use in tight spaces or traveling.

Pros

• Grid pattern
• Can use other brands’ materials on this cutting mat
• Flexible matting

Cons

• Requires a spatula and scraper to remove materials
• Attracts dust

Medium grip strength for working with window stickers, decals, lightweight fabrics, thin card stock, and vellum

Since this product is not self-healing, the manufacturer recommends not pressing too hard when cutting out designs. You can use the thin cover to prevent dust from adhering to the sticky texture of the mat.

Cricut Standard Grip Mat 12-inch by 24-inch 

We like this version of the Cricut Standard Grip mats because of its double length. This product could be easy to store while giving you the length you need to cut large items like vinyl panels and posters.

Pros

• Useful for items with a pattern or embossing
• Rubber material stays in place
• Narrow width Not self-repairing

Cons

• Might need to use plastic covers to sit on
• Works best when you use Cricut tools like spatulas to remove items

This product comes with two mats. You may find that the product works best in a specific craft area.

The size may make the mats difficult to store when traveling.

OLFA 17″ Rotary Self Healing Mat 

If you work with a wide variety of materials or spend a lot of time crafting every day, then the OLFA cutting mat may appeal to you the most. One of the best things about this mat is the self-healing feature that makes it smooth after many uses.

Pros

• 360-degree grid
• Quarter and center marks
• Gridlines in inches on the side
• Self-repair
• Heat-welded construction
• Rotating top layer

Disadvantages

• Must be stored flat
• Must be out of the sun when not in use
• Two-part mat

 

This cutting mat can be great if you’re a quilter. The grid marks make it easy to cut straight lines. If you have to trim edges and constantly turn your material, this cutting surface can significantly help.

 

Silhouette America 12-inch cutting mat 

The Silhouette America mat might be a good choice when you need a flexible product that stores quickly and takes up little space. The lightweight mat weighs less than three ounces, which means it’s portable if you keep it covered and out of the sun or hot vehicles.

Pros

• Small size and weight
• Easy squaring to cut lines of different sizes
• Medium adhesive will hold various craft materials without tearing when removed.

Cons

• Specific to the Silhouette Cameo 3
• Not self-healing

This cutting mat might be a top choice if you have a specific area for your craft materials. The cutting surface does not repair itself, but with careful use only with a rotary cutter and proper storage, this product can last quite a while.

 

Cricut Lightgrip Cutting Mat 12-inch by 12-inch Triple Pack

When working with vellum, vinyl, stickers, and thin paper, you may find Cricut’s Lightgrip cutting mat more than useful. This surface is slightly sticky, allowing you to remove materials without tearing them.

Pros

• Small size for convenient storage
• Works with other brands that require 12″ x 12″ mats
• Quick removal from the surface
• No stench like previous mats

Cons

• Thin mat
• Does not show inch breakdown with half, quarter, eight, or sixteen-inch marks
• Does not repair itself

Lightweight Cricut can be a great option when you need to line up the edges of the paper. The pattern goes across the mat instead of down the sides. You can make multiple cuts at the same time when cutting strips.

 

Fiskars 12-83727097J

The Fiskars mat is wider and longer when you need a larger area to protect your desk. It can be a great choice when you need something durable.

Pros

• Two sides
• Contrasting colors
• 30, 45, and 60-degree bias lines to create triangles and other shapes like stars

Cons

• Weighs close to three pounds

 

You may find this cutting mat advantageous when using many fabric bolts. The grid numbers contrast with the lines, making them more recognizable.

Fiskars Crafts 95237097J 

If you work with fabric and like to use a ruler to get clean cuts, this may be your best mat choice. Fiskars include a ruler and a 45-millimeter rotary cutter with an 18-inch by 24-inch mat in this set.

Pros

• Self-repairing
• Use on both sides – Ruler indicates seam allowance
• Ruler means seam allowance – Rotary cutter works to cut
• A rotary cutter works to cut through multiple layers –

Cons

• Must be stored away from heat, light, and extreme cold and covered when not used.

If you do a lot of sewing and hemming, you may find this cutting mat most useful. The extra-long, wide mat allows you to work on larger projects. The grid marks cover the entire mat. The bias lines on the ruler can help you crease.

US Art Supply 24-inch by 36 inch  

If you want a self-healing mat that works for any material you work with, then the US Art Supply mat is a great choice. This product can cut plastic, vinyl, fabric, and paper.

Pros

• Large size
• Half and eighth-inch markings – Corner lines
• Corner lines – Double-sided
• Double-sided use –

Cons

• Weighs five pounds

Three millimeters thick may be just what you need when doing a lot of cutting. This large mat is excellent for protecting your table and other surfaces when cutting large or thick pieces of material.

 

OLFA 24″ by 36.”  

If you’re working on many projects at once, you may find this large OLFA mat is the best choice. We like it because it’s a millimeter and a half thick and has angles, diagonals, and grids to keep all of our cuts fast and accurate.

Pros

• Self-repairing tray
• Easy squaring with a grid block
• Diagonal lines and circular degrees to cut various shapes –

Cons

• Must remain at room temperature and away from irons

Using this mat can help your rotary cutter stay sharp longer. The double side markings allow you to use the mat longer. For use with rotary cutter only.

 

Buyer’s Guide

You can choose the right product from our Best Cutting Mats Buyer’s Guide by selecting mats by function, size, and durability. There is no right or wrong product. We suggest choosing a variety of mats to give you options.

Everyday Crafting

The Cricut Standardgrip Cutting 12-inch by 12-inch triple pack and the Cricut Standard Grip Mat 12-inch by 24-inch double pack might be suitable for people who want to make multiple items at once. Nicapa cutting mats may also be a good choice.

Use and Care

You should always use a self-healing cutting mat when using a rotary cutter. The rotary blades are incredibly sharp and designed to cut through multiple layers of fabric at once. If you don’t use a mat, you are cutting through your fabric or leather into your work surface, damaging your work surface and your blade.

Self-repairing cutting mats provide a permanently smooth work surface. This feature is also what helps extend the life of your blade. Cutting mats are somewhat soft and absorb the blade as you cut, unlike a rigid mat, and the blade rolls across the surface. Just like using your kitchen knives on a glass cutting board will dull your kitchen knives, using your rotary cutter on a rigid mat will dull your rotary blades, requiring you to change them more often.

For example, OLFA mats are double-sided. There are grid lines on one side for precise measurements and solid green on the other for general use. To prolong the life of your rotary mats, follow all general care instructions printed on the label. You want to make sure and always store your mat flat on your table, on the floor, under your bed, or anywhere that allows you to lay it flat. You don’t want to wedge it against the wall because it might sag or buckle, so don’t do that. Always lay it flat. In general, keep your rug out of the heat because that can also cause it to sag or warp. You don’t want to leave it in the trunk of your car. Don’t iron over it; don’t put your hot cup of coffee anywhere else.

If you do a lot of repetitive cutting, you may want to vary how you arrange your leather or fabric. For example, if you cut many three-inch strips, you can arrange your material so that you often lay on the four-inch or five-inch line. This will allow your mat to self-heal and eliminate the possibility of a groove forming in one spot.

Finally, if you cut a lot of fleece, down-fill, or fleece, you may notice that some fibers start accumulating on your rug. An easy way to eliminate this is to use an art eraser. You can find one at any art or office supply store; all you have to do is erase those fibers. It’s that simple.

Heavy Duty or Commercial Applications

Self-repairing cutting mats can be your best friend when you’re constantly cutting out lettering or creating pretty decals. Window stickers, fun decorations, and cards are other items you can cut on a mat that repairs immediately. These surfaces hold up longer and allow you to use them for various materials and thicknesses. Fiskars 12-83727097J and US Art Supply mats are two of our top choices for long-term use.

Requires special tools or care and handling

The Nicapa cutting mat for Silhouette Cameo 3/2/1 may last longer if you use the manufacturer’s suggested tools. The Cricut and Silhouette cutting mats also use scrapers and strippers and come with covers to maintain mat grip and reduce dust.

If you have a small crafting space, you might be better off with one of our smaller mat options. We think the 17-inch OLFA rotary mat is an excellent option if we have to choose just one. We hope this guide helps you find a cutting mat to protect your furniture and help you create fun and exciting items.

FAQ

What are self-healing cutting mats?

Self-repairing cutting mats are thin pieces of material useful for cutting objects without damaging tables and desks. These items are common in craft, art, fabric, and hobby stores. People use these mats to cut materials like fabric into strips or squares for sewing and other projects.

These mats use tiny incisions to allow the material to flex and move out of the way of the blade. After use, the mat closes and leaves a flat surface for the next use. Many rocket manufacturers use these mats to cut small pieces of plastic for custom rocket parts. These mats are protective elements that allow people to use sharp blades without tearing the surface underneath.

What is a self-healing cutting mat made of?

These mats use polyurethane rubber for their primary construction:

• The word poly means more than one ingredient.
• The rubber is a combination of urethane and organic materials.

These materials combine to create a soft but durable surface that many people use to cut out craft items like clothing or small objects like balsa wood for miniature creations.

The mixture of these elements forms a solid surface that separates using a rotary cutter or other blades. These mats come in a variety of sizes. The self-separating feature means that the material’s surface opens and closes to allow the blade to penetrate the item being cut without damaging the mat.

How does a cutting mat self-repair?

Although the name indicates the mat closes, the technology is a bit more complex. Polyurethane mats use small squares of material assembled with openings that allow the mat to bend and pull away from the blade when cutting. The mat heals itself by moving away when the person applies pressure. After cutting, the mat closes to form a solid surface ready for reuse.

How do I straighten a self-healing mat?

Cutting mats are susceptible to warping and bending. Heat, excessive use, and ironing cause the material to change shape. Over time, rubber materials can also dry out and lose their shape. To solve this problem, you can try one of two solutions.

First, try using an iron on the lowest setting. You can use a few towels to protect the carpet surface while you work. This may take longer in the area where the warping is most severe.

Another method of repairing self-healing carpets is to use heat from the sun. Place the item on a flat surface. You can choose a dark object, such as a table, that absorbs sunlight. Use thick glass to cover the mat and place a brick over the most flexed area. It will take a few hours to see if this method works. If the flexing is significant, you may want to leave the material under the glass during the hottest part of the day.

If these two methods of repairing damage to your cutting mat don’t work, you can always salvage some of the mats. You can cut away the part of the rug that does not lay flat. The smaller, flatter part of the urethane mat is still usable for cutting small objects.

What is a rotary mat?

A rotary mat is a self-healing mat that lets you get the most out of your rotary cutters. These mats are often double-sided with lines to help the user cut a straighter line. Many rotary mats have an inch or centimeter markings, making it easy to measure quilt pieces or multiple objects. Using these mats extends the blade’s life because the self-repair feature allows the mat to move out of the way of the blade, allowing it to penetrate the object being cut entirely. The inside of these mats comprises a durable layer that will not allow the blade to penetrate the entire board.

What to do with old cutting mats?

Old cutting mats can be used in a variety of ways:

• One idea is to use the mats as coasters for drinks, pitchers, and plants.
• You can also use the mats to create templates for common projects.

For example, to create pillows, you can cut the old rug to the size you need for your fabric pieces. With these templates, it is easier to cut the shapes to the same size every time.

Another idea is to use the material to make a purse and bag bottoms. You may want to sand the fabric a bit to soften the edges before sewing it into the lining to ensure it doesn’t get inside the purse.

How do I restore my Olfa cutting mat?

You can soak your Olfa cutting mat from time to time. All you need is a tub full of cool water. These mats will warp when you use hot or warm water, so remember to let the water come to room temperature or cool down before using it. Use a soft brush to remove small pieces of rubber along the seams. Soak the mats in water for up to an hour and let them air dry. Using a container or bathtub allows the mat to lie flat until it is completely dry.

Can I iron on a cutting mat?

Self-healing and rotary mats bend and warp with heat. To prevent this, manufacturers recommend caution when ironing on a cutting mat. If you must iron on the mat, putting a few towels on the surface is one way to minimize bending. However, if you use towels and the lowest temperature setting, you can use this technique to repair a mat with a bend or crease.

What size cutting mat do I need for quilting?

You can start with an 18″ x 24″ board if you are a new quilter. This size is ideal for most quilting projects. However, if you plan to use the mat to create a quilt border, you may want to use a larger mat, such as a 24 by 48-inch size. For smaller projects such as creating appliques, it’s best to use a smaller size like the 12-inch by 12-inch version. You can also buy various packs or mats in several sizes if you quilt often.