DIY Dollar Store Tracing Mats with Cricut

Time needed: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Turn dollar store cutting mats into personalized learning and tracing mats using your electronic cutting machine!

1. Download & Install Tracing Font

   Choose a tracing font and download to your computer for use with Cricut Design Space. You can find detailed instructions on downloading and using fonts with a Cricut here.

2. Create your Design

   Open a blank canvas in Cricut Design Space. The mats are 11 x 14 so I find it helpful to create an 11 x 14 rectangle to use as a guide (I changed the color to white) Note: We will not cut this rectangle
   
   Add all the information you would like to on the canvas being sure to stay within the area of the rectangle.
   
   TIPS: I used KG Primary Dots Lined font and needed to move the Letter Spacing down to 0.1 in order to get the 2 letters to appear as a single block.

3. Attach Layers

   First you may delete the 11×14 rectangle or use the “eye” to turn that layer off so it does not cut.
   
   Select all layers of your letters or numbers and click the “attach” tool so that they stay exactly where you put them!

4. Click Make It

   In the upper right-hand corner, select MAKE IT.

5. Select Large Mat & Mirror

   You will automatically get a blue message banner at the top of the screen because our design is larger than 12 x 12 saying CDS will move you from a 12×12 mat to a 12×24 mat. Click OK.
   
   You will also need to MIRROR your design. Click CONTINUE in the bottom right after both of those tasks are complete.

6. Create a Custom Material

   If using an Explore machine, turn your knob to CUSTOM. If using a Maker just keep following along!
   
   For Materials, click “Browse All Materials” and in the bottom left corner is a link for Material Settings, click that link.

7. Create Custom Material

   Next you will Create a Custom material by scrolling past all the materials to the very bottom and click the button that reads “Add New Material”

8. Assign New Material

   Enter a new material name, I used “Tracing Mats” and then slide the slider up to 320. Keep double pass on OFF and keep FINE-POINT blade selected as your tool. Click SAVE.

9. Select Material

   In the Search Bar, simply search whatever you named your new material and select it as your material.

10. Enable MORE Pressure

    Once your material is selected, you will want to switch the drop-down below that from Default to MORE.

11. Prepare your Mat

    You will want to place the Dollar Store Cutting board mat with the SHINY SIDE DOWN onto a 12 x 24 StandardGrip mat (green mat). Ensure it’s firmly in place by using a over the whole cutting mat.

12. Load the Mat

    Load the Mat with the flashing arrow button

13. Make it!

    Click the Flashing “C” button and let it do its thing! It takes a bit of time depending on how much you put on your mat.
    
    Unload after it’s finished.

14. Use the Tracing Mat

    Flip the mat over so the shiny side is UP and use a dry erase marker to trace! Wipe clean with a tissue or wet cloth! You can use it over and over!