Tutorials

Trick for Cutting Intricate Designs out of Cardstock

If cutting intricate SVG designs in cardstock has ever made you want to pull your hair out, then this paper crafting hack is for you!

In this tutorial, we'll show you how to reinforce your cardstock with vinyl for sturdier and cleaner cuts - giving you more creative options!

Grab these rainbow SVG designs from the Big Love SVG and Font Bundle!

Start with a piece of cardstock and a piece of adhesive vinyl cut to about the same size. You can use any color of adhesive vinyl, but we thought this glitter vinyl would really make this cardstock pop!

Next, fold back about a half inch of the vinyl backing to expose the adhesive.

Align the edge of the vinyl to the edge of the cardstock and adhere that first half inch of vinyl to cardstock.

When you have such a small amount of the adhesive exposed it's much easier to work with.

Using your burnishing tool, gently push it down and across the top of the vinyl. As you do this, the vinyl backing should automatically begin to roll back off the vinyl, but gently pull it if necessary.

What you want to see is as the vinyl backing is being removed from the vinyl, the scraper is almost immediately pressing it on the cardstock so it doesn't have a change to wrinkle or wrap and you get the smoothest application of vinyl onto the cardstock!

Load onto the mat.

Next, do a test cut! You'll probably need to increase the cut settings on your machine because you need it cut through both the vinyl and the cardstock.

Remove the cut design from the mat and what you'll find is that the vinyl gives strength to the cardstock, especially in smaller areas of the design, but without adding bulkiness to it.

Plus, with specialty vinyl like this glitter, you get the additional benefit of the added interest to your cardstock.