When I first brought my Cricut I used my green standard grip mat for absolutely everything! Wow was that a mistake. Although 90% of my crafts do use the standard grip mat. I would have my projects ruined and chunks of paper stuck to it because the grip was just too strong for some materials. That is why I have developed The Beginners Guide To Cricut Mats. I wanted to help you make the right choice when it comes to what Cricut Mat to use. Taking the guess work away and making your crafting fun and easy.
Using the wrong type of mat for your project can be frustrating. For instance if you are using a mat that isn’t sticky enough for your material it will slip around the mat and slide out of place. This in turn will ruin all of your cut lines and your project too. In the craft world we are always trying to be frugal, so selecting the correct mat is paramount.
There are 4 different colours of Cricut mats and they all are different in terms of stickiness. I will go in depth on each mat below.
But first some top tips for easy Cricut use..
Top Tips;
1. Keep your mat clean and free of fluff and debris, You can do this by always replacing the plastic protector over the top of the sticky side as soon as your have removed your materials.
2. Hang your mats on peg board to keep them all easily accessible but also neatly organsied.
3. Always remove your materials from your mat by placing the mat upside down. Taking the mat away from the materials instead of the material away from the mat.
4. Always have more than one mat of the same type, this means you can unload one mat while you are loading in another mat to cut.
5. Make sure you are using the correct blades for your chosen materials.
6. You can use a Sharpie or a permanent marker to write on top of the mats protective sheet. Note on them all the materials than can be cut on that specific mat. This is a great alternative to a Cricut Cheat Sheet.
The Blue Light Grip Mat
What materials is it used for;
- Copy Paper
- Thin Cardstock
- Vellum
- Contructions Paper
- Baking Paper
- Wrapping Paper
- Light/Thin Vinyl
- Post It Notes
- Scrap Book Paper
- Sticker Paper
And any other delicate materials.
Comes in sixes 12in x 12in, 12in x 24in and 4.5in x 12in.
Compatible with Cricut Maker, Cricut Explore & Cricut Joy Machines.
The Green Standard Grip Mat
What materials is it used for;
- Standard Vinyl
- Infusible Ink
- Heat Transfer Vinyl
- Patterned Paper
- Textured Paper
The green standard grip Cricut mat will be, by far your most used mat. I always like to have two on hand as I use mine so much that it gets pretty grubby quickly. Also while you are unloading one project off the mat you can be cutting another project.
Comes in sixes 12in x 12in, 12in x 24in and 4.5in x 12in.
Compatible with Cricut Maker, Cricut Explore & Cricut Joy Machines
The Purple Heavy Grip Mat
What materials is it used for;
- Heavy Cardstock
- Glitter Cardstsock
- Poster Board
- Chip Board
- Faux Leather
- Suede
- Magentic Sheets
- Aluminum Sheets
Comes in sixes 12in x 12in and 12in x 24in.
Compatible with Cricut Maker & Cricut Explore Machines
The Pink Fabric Mat
What materials is it used for;
- Fabric
- Bonded Fabric
- Felt
- Burlap
Comes in sixes 12in x 12in and 12in x 24in.
Compatible with Cricut Maker & Cricut Explore Machines.
The Blue Cricut Card Mat
What materials is it used for;
- Insert Cards
- Watercolour Cards
- Cutaway Cards
This mat is such a cool idea, it helps immensely when you are making cards. It has little card slots and it is the same grip as a Blue Cricut Mat.
Compatible with Cricut Maker, Cricut Explore & Cricut Joy Machines
To purchase a mat you can go to my Amazon Storefront HERE.
–Disclaimer: This blog post contains some affiliate links. If you purchase through them I do receive a small commission, but this is at no extra cost to you.–
I hope you enjoyed The Beginners Guide To Cricut Mats.
To find out how to clean dirty Cricut mat, read our How To Clean My Cricut Mat HERE.
Until the next craft,
The Craft Chaser x