Crafting Tip of the Week #$156- Don't Ditch that ...

Overused Cricut or Silhouette Mat! You know the ones, my crafty friends. When you have used up your  cutting mats til' they just don't work for you anymore why not craft-cycle them? I know you can always reapply adhesive and continue to use them but in the event that you don't want to do that I have some other uses up my sleeve.

I know what you're thinking...how in the world can I use that in my  craft projects?
Well, simply put- it's not for your actual projects.

You can use it to help you during your creative process- just make sure there is no more adhesive left on it. Otherwise, it won't work.
Here are a few ideas:

1- As an extra cutting surface. For example: if you are using a rotary knife to cut fabric, you can place your fabric on your worn (non-sticky)  mat & use your rotary knife on it. You can also use your craft knife for fussy cutting. After all, it is a cutting mat.
2- As a back up cutting surface to take to crops. Just leave it in your crop bag & label it with a permanent marker. 
3- As a measuring guide.
4- In a pinch as an extra surface for inking, painting & chalking.
5- To set your acrylic stamps on temporarily when you're working with several at a time. You can lay them out on the mat, figure placement and keep them there until you are ready to work with them.

Maybe you can think of some more uses. I sure hope you find this helpful.
Have a wonderful week!