Cutting Your Images Into Fun Shapes Using Your Cricut - Tutorial

Hiya Everyone! This is ♥Carol♥  hope you're all having a wonderful day!

Today I'd like to share a quick tutorial on Using Your Cricut to Cut Images into fun shapes. We all want our scrapbook pages, greeting cards and other crafts to be as unique as possible. We also want to use methods that won’t require hours and hours to complete. One way to achieve a unique look is to cut your images into delightful shapes using your Cricut. However, cutting your images so that they are perfectly centered within a shape cut can be a challenge, even for the most expert crafter.

If you are using the Cricut Expression or Cricut Create, and know the exact center point of your image, you can use the “center point” key by following these steps … 1) Place your image on the mat; 2) Load your mat in the Cricut; 3) Select your desired shape and Size; 4) Using the arrow keys, manually move the blade to the center of the image; and 4) Select the "Center Point" feature key; 5) Cut. I would definitely suggest FIRST trying this technique with a copy of the image you wish to use, as more often than not, finding the exact center is very difficult to do – but keep trying …. You will eventually have success. 


Now I’d like to share with you another way to do it.  There are few more steps involved, but they are easy, and it will cut the image into your desired shape perfectly every time without any waste.  By the way, you can use this technique on ANY Cricut machine, regardless of the machine size.  Simply follow these easy steps:

1)  Use a piece of scratch paper, any kind at all, it can be typing paper, a page from a magazine, old scrapbook paper … something that you don’t mind cutting up.  Place it on your mat and insert it into the machine.

2)  Select the shape and size you wish to cut

3)  Cut.

4)  Remove the mat … but do not remove the paper.

5)  Leaving the paper in place, remove only the cut out piece.

You now have a stencil-like cutout of your desired shape that looks something like this …

6)  Without removing the paper completely, lift up one side of the paper and slide your image behind the stencil and adjust it so that it is centered and showing only the part of the image you wish to cut.

7)  When it is positioned correctly, firmly press it down on the mat and remove your stencil paper.

8)  Re-insert the mat into the Cricut

9)  Re-cut your image using the same cut and size (Hint: use your “repeat last” button).


Your image will be cut perfectly into your desired shape.


If you would like to cut a mat for your image … increase the size of your desired shape and cut your matting paper. Repeat this same process for a double mat and again for a triple mat.

Your finished cut (with double mats) will look similar to this …

Just a few tips on cutting sizes ...

1)  To determine the initial size of your cut, measure your image at it’s widest or highest point (whichever is greater) and add not less than ¼ inch so that you have at least a little boarder all the way around. Be sure to take into account for odd sizes … for example, a heart shape has two humps on the top, is wide in the center section and narrows to a point at the bottom.

2)  Cutting your mat size ½ inch larger than your original cut will give you a ¼ inch boarder all the way around. Similarly, cutting your mat size 1 inch larger will give you a ½ inch boarder all the way around. Remember, if you are making a double or triple mat, each mat size must be cut increasingly larger.

Try it … I think you will be very pleased with the way this technique turns out and how easy it is to do.  Don't forget to leave me a note and let me know how this technique works for you ... I love hearing your success stories.


HAVE A GREAT DAY  and  HAPPY CRICUTING EVERYONE!!! ☺