How to Die-Cut Felt
Die cutting is the process of running a bladed shape through a high pressure machine that punches the shape out from paper or some other material. There are die cutting machines that operate on roller power, and others are hand-operated. Cutting felt with a die cutter can be a challenge because felt is a thick, soft fabric. Wool and rayon felt is the easiest to cut with a dye cutter. Acrylic felts may have issues with some die cutters.
Instructions
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1
Lay the cutting plate onto the machine. If you have a narrow cutting cartridge, use a thicker plate. Use a thinner plate if your cartridges are thick. You want the cartridges to just be able to squeeze under the roller so that the blades cut through the felt.
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2
Lay a piece of card stock over the cutting plate. This helps keep the cutting edges sharp and eliminates pulling on the felt pieces.
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3
Place the felt pieces over the card stock, then lay the cutting cartridges on top of the felt, cutting side down. Place the top cutting plate over the cartridges to hold them in place as you roll the cartridges through the machine.
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4
Roll the cartridge through the machine until you hear a cutting sound. Roll the cartridge back through the machine in the other direction to ensure you have a clean and thorough cut.
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5
Cut out as many shapes from felt that you want before continuing with the rest of your project.
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Tips & Warnings
Larger, simple shapes work best with felt. If you use complicated shapes with a lot of small edges, they may not cut cleanly through the felt.
Do not use handheld punch die cutters to cut through felt. They do not cut cleanly through the felt and leave messy, rough edges that you have to trim away with scissors, or you may end up needing to throw away the felt altogether.
