Using Cut Files Without A Cutting Machine

Maria:  Sometimes I see a cut file and I immediately know what I want to do with it. Nine out of ten times it's to cut it, but sometimes I like to do something completely different. For example, when I saw the mandala cut file, I knew that I wanted to watercolour it. I happen to have an A3 printer, so I printed it on 12x12 heavy cardstock. My watercolour is not perfect, but that's precisely what this layout will be about, so I was not worried about going over the lines 

Pol: Cut files aren't limited to using with a cutting machine.  I quite often print them out and use them as a template to poke holes through for hand stitching.  Simply stick the print out to your cardstock with washi tape, poke the holes through where you want them (you'll need a foam mat underneath), carefully peel the print out off, and use the holes for stitching.  It's handy to keep the print out next to you for a guide.

Jess:  I recently spent about 2 hours using a craft knife to cut out the UK Scrap Addicts mandala cut file - cause you know, that was the easiest one to try first.  I used a new craft knife but it took me a while to get used to it.
I printed out the file onto card using Microsoft Word and only printed half the image as that's all I needed.  I don't have a cutting mat so I used a cardboard box under the page to protect my desk.  I got quite good at cutting in straight lines using the tip of the craft knife, curved edges or corners were not as easy.  For bigger areas, I used scissors to make neater cuts.  For the circular holes, I used a hole punch.  It was very time consuming but the more I did the more I liked the look of it so I cut most of it and only left some small areas.

Vicci:

You can find our free cut files here!