Something I Learned About Using My Cricut!
This is an article using the benefit of the experience of a new Cricut user.
**Reprinted from November, 2008
Topic this time: Re-sticking Your Mats!
How many mats do you have? THAT many?? I’ll admit that I have quite a few mats too, but I’m not planning on buying any new mats for a LONG time! …and Yes, I do use my Cricut Expression almost daily!
Here’s the scoop on re-sticking your mats. Zig Pens! Get yourself the wide tipped Zig pen. I’ve seen them up to $6 in the craft stores – use a coupon to save some $$ for carts and paper! Even if you don’t have a coupon, for $6 a glue-pen, you can re-stick a LOT of mats!
I’ve read that some people clean off their mats by washing them with soap and water. When I used this method, I just made sure I had all the little bits of paper off the mat.
Take your Zig pen and apply adhesive all the way across your mat. Be careful that you don’t get any adhesive on the outer green area – or it will mess up your rollers. Really, it’s easy! Apply the adhesive to the entire mat, and then let it sit out, uncovered, until the mat has ‘dried’. Be sure to let it air-dry before you place the cover sheet back on your mat.
This is just the easiest way to re-stick your mats! I’ve already done 5 of them, and they work just like new. I actually think this adhesive lasts much longer than the original adhesive that came with our mats!
Here’s a link with a video from Ms. Robyn, the Pink Stamper showing exactly how this process works. http://thepinkstamper.blogspot.com/2008/11/episode-69-how-to-make-your-cricut-mat.html
Good Luck, and let me know how this works for you.
**
Update to this article: (August 2009) I've been using this mat re-sticking method since a short time before I wrote this article for Gracie, and haven't bought any new mats since! I actually have a few still in the packaging. I just clean off the mat really well, and re-stick it with the Zig Pen!
There’s so MUCH to learn!
Until next time,
Susan Vilar
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2 weeks ago
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2 comments:
I have used the Zig pens very successfully....but, at a store where they were selling a bunch of scrapping overstock, I found something even quicker. Plaid repositionable liquid adhesive! it comes in the same kind of bottle that acrylic paints do, and mine came with a foam brush as well. Just a teensy bit of this in the center of a clean mat, spread out and left to dry gave me perfectly tacky mats and was quicker than the pens. They don't hold the paper any better than the zigged mats do, but it was a smoother application of adhesive and i didn't have any of the *gaps* I sometimes leave using the pens.
KarelJ.... THANKS for that tip!
When I use my Zigs to re-stick, I'm always sure that I cover every bit, and go back over any spots I've missed.
Everything helps!!
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