Cutting Mat Tips for Beginners

Are you looking for tips on how to get the most use out of a Silhouette cutting mat? Maybe you’re like me, and rushed to make that first cut, and now your mat is in rough shape! Here are cutting mat tips I wish someone would have shared with me when I started my Cameo crafting journey.

Cutting Mat Tips

  • Use Silhouette branded mats to keep your manufactures warranty in tact!
  • Keep the blue film that comes with the mat. You can save it as a cover when you’re not using it to keep, dirt, dust, and other mystery items off!
  • De Sticky the mat when it’s brand new with a clean cotton cloth by dabbing it all over a few times. This will make removing those first few cuts much easier, and prevent delicate items from tearing.
  • When the top half of your mat becomes less sticky from use, rotate it, and cut from the bottom half if your in a pinch.
  • Resticky the mat when you need to. Over time the mat will become less sticky, which makes it harder to make those perfect cuts. Instead of buying a brand new mat, you can try restickying your mat. This involves using a crafting spray to lightly coat the mat, allowing it to become sticky again!
  • Keep more than one mat on hand. In case of catastrophic mat accident in the middle of the night, which involves a deep cut, that goes a little too deep, or to avoid contaminating every project you ever make after you try glitter card stock. What I mean to say is, if you decide to cut glitter card stock, it will stick to your mat. When you make your next cut, it is possible that some of that glitter transfers to that project no matter what you do…#becauseglitter!

For those of you who are more visual learners here’s a cutting mat tips video! I made for my Cameo Craft Class members! Every month we share tips like this with a community of crafters just like you! You can follow us on Facebook!

I hope these cutting mat tips help you get the most of of your mats! If you have questions shoot us an email at info@cameocraftclass.com!

Here’s a link to the mat, and the spray I use in the video!

Products from Amazon.com

Happy crafting,

Kathy Whimsy Willow Creations

How to get the Free Shape of the Week in Silhouette Studio

Getting free files is awesome, but with so much to learn with a new machine, it can become overwhelming to keep up!

Check out this video. I will walk you through the process for accessing, downloading, and installing the Free shape of the week that Silhouette provides all Cameo owners!

Check it out here!

If you’re looking for more free stuff, check out my favorite place to get free commercial use fonts!

Happy crafting,
Kathy Whimsy Willow Creations

Amazon Prime Deals!

Check out these awesome Amazon prime deals for the kids! Do you think 6 year olds are too young for a microscope? It has great reviews and is almost 50% off! They have tons of toys and things on special, so I thought you might be able to find something for the next Birthday or Christmas! Tons of slime making kits, and it looks like the Bob books might be on sale too!

Fossil dig kit

 

Microscope

 

 

 

Let me know what you think…I’m gonna order these for our house!

 

Kathy

 

You’ve Been Boozed Free Printables

You’ve Been Boozed

In the spirt of fun, pass on this cute you’ve been boozed free printable just in time for some thirsty moms, neighbors, friends, family, or witches! Click here to downloadYou’ve been boozed printable, and read on for instructions

Supplies for a You’ve Been Boozed Halloween Treat

Buy a bottle of your preferred beverage, print the free you’ve been boozed Halloween tags, and tie or tape the tags to your spirits before delivery. To make it fun, I recommend a mask to keep your identity invisible!

Here are the supplies you need from amazon if you are in a hurry and don’t have time to shop for your you’ve been boozed gift! Click affiliate images to order. I love the twine because you can use it over and over for so many things, like Christmas or Valentine treat bags, stringing banners, and wrapping presents. It comes in lots of colors, but black can be mixed into almost every holiday! If you are feeling extra festive the polka dot ribbon adds an extra touch, but it’s not necessary. The Halloween themed washi tape is great to tape the tags to the bottle, but if you get the scotch tape you can use it to wrap Christmas presents, so I’ll leave it up to you! I’d love to see how you used these, so please share on my Facebook

 

Twine

Spirit Idea

Halloween Washi Tape

 

Pumpkin Chocolate

Tape to attach tags to bottles

Ribbon to attach tag to the bottle if you want to tie it.

mask


Always Booze responsibly! I recommend delivering with a friend. My partner in crime also came up with the idea of saying “don’t shoot” as we made the drops. We were spotted a few times, and if you see a ring doorbell, make sure you do a little dance, I mean you’re wearing a mask, and people need a reason to smile!

free Halloween printable
You’ve been boozed poem

making the deliveries!

 

If you love this, feel free to share it with friends and neighbors, it’s so fun to see everyone excited about Halloween! It’s not just for the kids anymore!

You've been boozed printable
free Halloween printable

You’ve been boozed printable download link    

Happy Booze-ing,

One Crafty Witch

 

Links in this post were shared to help you put together the easiest you’ve been boozed Halloween treats. A small percentage of your purchase from those links pay me. Which in turn allows me to create more fun, free printables and designs! Enjoy!

Using Cricut Design Space to Change an SVG File

Have you bought a digital cut file from me, and you’re having trouble editing it? Please never hesitate to reach out! I have recorded a video below with step by step instructions on how to change the name on the Frankenstein Monogram Box File. I hope it helps you!

 

 

Craft Happy,

Kathy Whimsy Willow Creations

Quick and Easy Pizza Party Favors

Pizza Party Favors

When one of your best friend calls from 520 miles away in need of pizza party favors for her kindergarteners first class party, you have to help. Did I mention the party was less than a week away, and she has another little one to keep busy?! Amazon Prime to the rescue!

I immediately thought it would be cute to do little rolling pins with play doh. Something the kids could use at home to help build muscles in their hands for all of that letter writing practice they are doing, however I didn’t want the kids to be able to open the pizza party favors at school. In case the teacher didn’t appreciate it. With that in mind,  I decided to make a tag that would cover the top of the ziploc bag. You can download it here: pizza my birthday printable.

Supplies for Pizza Party Favors

The pizza party favors go together super quick. One mini play doh, one mini rolling pin, and one snack size ziploc bag

 

Fill the bags, and print the bag topper, cut them out, and staple 2 staples to the top of the bag.                                                     Pizza Party Favors Idea  free printable pizza party favors

The pizza party favor tags pizza my birthday printable file turned out super cute and is available for download here! You can print 2 on a page in any color you like. I recommend using a thicker cardstock so they hold up better, but plain paper is fine too!

Look at her finished product! So cute! She said all the kids in the class loved them!

pizza party favors

 

I hope this helps some of you last minute moms put together quick and easy pizza party favors your kids will love! Don’t forget, if you don’t have Amazon Prime yet, you can sign up for an Amazon Prime free trial, and get free shipping on everything you order. I have saved hundreds of dollars in shipping fees from everything we have ordered over the years, not to mention all the money I saved not buying toys and candy in the grocery store check out line while shopping with my kiddo.

Happy Crafting,

Kathy Whimsy Willow Creations

You may also be interested in:

https://whimsywillowcreations.com/best-disney-princess-party-ideas/

Disclaimer: The links in this blog pay me a small commission that I in turn use to create more fun, inspiring, crafty ideas for all of you. Thanks for your support!