Cutting Mat
This week, I am asking readers for ideas for a frugal hack.
JennyAnyDots wants a cutting mat to go between her table and the material she is cutting. She wants something like this- only bigger:
She says she doesn't really need the grid marks, but she does want the thing to be large, flat, and thick enough that she can use her rotary scissors and they will cut the material all the way through but not the table.
She says this is too expensive. So I thought I'd ask the Frugal Hack community for suggestions. Thanks for your ideas.=)
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18 Responses to “Cutting Mat”
July 17th, 2009 at 5:34 am
Sheet of dry erase board? Though the dry erase side is slippery, the back is a woody kind of card board material. 4×8 sheet is roughly $20-25, and most places will sell half sheets or cut it down to the size you want for free or minimal cost.
July 17th, 2009 at 7:48 am
I would try two different things. The first is to shop around. Watch those Michael’s coupon days. The percentage off coupon plus a sale could save you a lot. Some items just cannot be handmade at home. Also, price shop the internet.
The self healing cutting mats are made from PVC vinyl. If you can think with that mindset, look for the raw material. Maybe that would take you to the flooring department or the automotive dept instead of the craft department.
July 17th, 2009 at 10:42 am
I tried homemade no comparison…. do the 40 % off coupon and get a real one. You will saves HOURS and HOURS. It really does make a difference.
And you can turn them over and use the other side to extend the life.
July 17th, 2009 at 11:42 am
Believe me, if there was a less expensive ‘thing’ that the real self healing cutting mats I would found it. I have looked, thought and thought, and not come up with anything that does not mess up the blades of the cutting tool. I too needed a big one to fit my cutting table. I waited till Joanne’s had a sale and used a coupon. Got it for half price. Mine is about 9 years old and still is in great condition.
July 17th, 2009 at 12:22 pm
How about those flexible kitchen cutting boards?
July 17th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
I found mine at a Goodwill for $1.99. But that is very unusual. I would keep watching for the coupon sales at Micheal’s, Joanne’s or Hobby Lobby. As well, if you are a part of freecycle.org I would list your need there. Check also craigslist.com for your area….just make sure to take someone with you or meet in a public place.
There really is no comparison. Dry erase boards, drywall, etc., will NOT work. You will just have a BIG mess to clean up!
July 17th, 2009 at 4:05 pm
Cheap placemats, taped together, might work. Probably hard on the cutter, though.
July 17th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
I got mine at Jo-Ann fabrics. It was 50% off plus I got 15% off teachers discount. You get the 15% off when you first sign up for the year and it is off of your entire order. It is well worth the money. You will just be wasting money trying other things in the mean time.
July 18th, 2009 at 12:04 am
Thanks so much, everybody. The coupon watching sounds like our best deal since what she wants is pretty large.
July 18th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
I’ve used a piece of old formica countertop for many various projects. Everyone loves it for everything from cutting on, to working puzzles on, to hot gluing, a multi-purpose surface. You can probably get a section free for the asking on Freecycle. I was surprised too that when we redid the counters in our house, I offered a section, figured no one would want it and got many many responses. The only thing is you’d have to be careful of what you put it on to work. Like you wouldn’t slap it down on a nice dining room table.
July 18th, 2009 at 10:47 pm
I second (third, fourth?) buying an actual rotary cutting mat. Rotary cutters are finicky, and using anything other than a self-healing mat will ruin the blades. I lucked out and found one at a garage sale, but they aren’t common. Ebay might be a possibility, but I agree that your best bet would be coupons.
July 20th, 2009 at 2:05 am
I second (third, fourth?) buying an actual rotary cutting mat. Rotary cutters are finicky, and using anything other than a self-healing mat will ruin the blades. I lucked out and found one at a garage sale, but they aren’t common. Ebay might be a possibility, but I agree that your best bet would be coupons
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July 21st, 2009 at 6:40 am
I don’t have an answer to this, but I did just learn something this week that I thought I would share. We always buy at least one newspaper on Sunday so we can get the coupons. Where I live in Virginia it’s $1.75 at all of the stands and stores. This past Sunday after church I had to run in to the Dollar Tree to pick something up and saw the Sunday paper in there so I decided I’d just get it there (save some time). I was pleasantly surprised when they rang up at $1.00 a piece. Apparently most people had already figured this one out, but I thought I would share just in case!
July 22nd, 2009 at 11:52 am
Katy! I didn’t know that, so I am glad you shared! Thanks!
Incidentally, the reason Jenny wants a cutting mat so badly is because of all the sewing she’s doing for the upcoming wedding. The mother of the groom-to-be loaned her a large cutting mat to use, so we have time to keep looking for a good sale.
July 23rd, 2009 at 6:16 am
FYI
With all the trouble with Fil, I thought I’d point out that some SPAM got through. See post from3 & 4 above mine.
Happy mat hunting!
August 2nd, 2009 at 2:54 pm
An idea I found in The Tightwad Gazette (I think), and that I have done myself is to buy a sheet of plastic from our hardware store. It is the kind used to cover boxy florescent lights. Only one side is flat, and it’s not nearly sturdy enough for a permanent mat, but I will do very nicely in the meantime. I spent about six dollars on mine, I think, and will someday get a vinyl one but this works great for me now. Oh, and the measurements are around 3 feet by 2 feet.
August 14th, 2009 at 9:54 am
A few years ago, the sewing store had these folded up cardboard cutting mats that were fairly large, but much cheaper than the heal-yourself type mats. You could see if you could find those. (maybe $5?)
July 14th, 2010 at 5:47 pm
I think you should be able to use drafting board covers, you can get a big one for cheaper than rotary mats. They are also made of vinyl and self healing.
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