Renew your cricut mats!

There are many youtube vids out there on how to renew your cricut mats.. after much deliberation I decided to use a zig 2 way broad tip glue that looks like this… I got mine at Hobby Lobby for $6.50 but a great store online is Scrapbook Pal.  I get most of my adhesives from them and it is cheaper there 🙂

You also need a scrubber sponge like this…. I got mine at the Dollar General for $1.50

and a little Dawn or other good cleanser that is nonabrasive

Finally you need a baby wipe that is alcohol free…..in case you have an oops outside the cut area.

Got your supplies????

Take a cricut mat that needs replacing and scrub it well with a little soap and water… initially I was afraid to get in there and use elbow grease to scrub but you are trying to CLEAN all the gunk off your mat so pick up a sponge or sponges at the dollar store and use them up for this!  I do recommend a sponge scrubber specifically for this job that hasn’t been used prior.

Drying the cricut mat after washing was tricky because paper towels will add lint to the still tacky mat.  I shook it off and let it air dry about 1 hour… that was overkill but I wanted this test to be accurate 😉

With a clean, dry mat prime your glue pen until the tip is blue… if it already primed go to the middle of the mat to start it well… get a small puddle of glue and wipe is with the broad tip in lines all across your cricut mat making sure to cover it well and evenly and not going outside the cutting area… THIS IS IMPORTANT!!!!  If you go outside the lines wipe it off with a baby wipe before it turns clear and you are golden!!!

All together I spent about 5 minutes scrubbing the mat then another 5 minutes later gluing the mat.

An hour after that… air drying again… the glue is all clear and my mat has a shine to it that it hadn’t seen in quite a while!  lol  BUT WAIT THERE’s MORE!!!

Now SEASON your mat so it isn’t super sticky and pat the palm of your hands all over it… it will stick to them but just put them down and pull them up and repeat until you have seasoned the whole mat! 

You now have a mat ready to use.. as a precaution always make your first few cuts with heavy cardstock… I have used lighter cardstock with less pressure too and didn’t have issues new mats have of being oversticky even when seasoned… this Zig glue seems to stay sticky longer than my new mats do too!  SCORE!

If you would like to see a video tutorial on this process just let me know in a comment below.

I hope this post has been helpful!  It will save me a TON of money as I spent about $8.00 on supplies and I am using mats I just couldn’t throw away!  lol  And not buying new ones!  I hear money being saved… cha-ching!

*****One more tip I can share is to write on your mat cover on the front side so it doesn’t get put on backwards (use a permanent broad tipped marker for best results)… one side doesn’t really stick to the mat but lays over the mat… that is the correct side to use against the mat.  The other side sticks and removes sticky with each removal and replacement.*****  I write my name and the date I glued it

Have a blessed day and have fun crafting with your new mat!

Kathi

P. S. For all you Cameo owners I have heard that Cricut mats work better in the Cameo.. you can still restick them for the Cameo using this technique… it shouldn’t change the depth or dull your needle 🙂

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