I am never surprised by the number of ways you can use a Silhouette cutting machine - or by the number of materials that can be cut.
Silhouette School monthly contributor, Cat from Pocketful of Posies, is here today to share how she cut fall leaves with her Silhouette CAMEO to create a stunning table setting!
Cutting freshly fallen leaves isn't like cutting paper. They are soft, flexible, and they sometimes have a thick vein running down the middle.
After a great deal of trial and error I am happy to report you can cut them with your Silhouette Cutting Machine! And here is everything you need to know to make it happen!
Choosing the right kind of leaf: The perfect cutting leaf needs to be thin, and still mostly soft. The main vein can't be too think as the drastic change in density doesn't work well with the machine. If you set the blade too deep it will drag over the rest of your design and too thin, it won't cut through at all.
The biggest difference seemed to be choosing a wide leaf as opposed to a long leaf because the blade only has to pass over the vein in one location as opposed to over and over again.
Aligning your leaves: If you are lucky enough to have a PixScan mat then this step isn't as necessary for you. However if you don't, like me, I recommend aligning the center of your leaves along at least one axis of your cutting mat. This will make planning your cutting placement much
easier.
Getting the leaves to stick to the Silhouette Cutting can be tricky. I added an extra bit of stickiness to my mat using a can of Easy Tack. Since the leaves tend to curl, this was necessary for keeping them flat. When it's time to remove them, do it very carefully.
Getting the cut settings right: After a few failed attempts I found the right cut setting for my leaves with my Silhouette Machine was Blade depth: 7, Speed: 1, Cut Depth: 26, Passes: 2.
Thank you for stopping by to check out my beautiful fall cut leaves! I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Note: This post may contain affiliate links. By clicking on them and purchasing products through my links, I receive a small commission. That's what helps fund Silhouette School so I can keep buying new Silhouette-related products to show you how to get the most out of your machine!
Get Silhouette School lessons delivered to your email inbox! Select Once Daily or Weekly.
.png)
No comments
Thanks for leaving a comment! We get several hundred comments a day. While we appreciate every single one of them it's nearly impossible to respond back to all of them, all the time. So... if you could help me by treating these comments like a forum where readers help readers.
In addition, don't forget to look for specific answers by using the Search Box on the blog. If you're still not having any luck, feel free to email me with your question.