Why and When to Use a Brayer (Silhouette Tutorial)

I recently discovered a new must-have craft tool: a brayer.

Think of a brayer like a rolling pin for your crafts.  It's super handy with Silhouette crafts when it comes to applying materials to the cutting mat.

I first started using a brayer with Silhouette projects when I was cutting fabric with my CAMEO 4.

This is a WRMK brayer that was sent to me...I didn't even know what it was before that. Now I can't NOT use it.  Cricut and Nicapia also make brayers for crafters.

Putting the material onto the cutting mat, then rolling it with the brayer not only smooths out the material so there no wrinkles, but it also creates a more secure bond between the cutting mat and the material.

Once I realized how great the brayer was working with thin fabrics I started using it with almost all materials.  It's perfect for all kinds of fabric.

You can see this thin cotton fabric was folded up. I unfolded it and placed it directly on the cutting mat...

Now take a look at this...I used the brayer on the right side, but not the left. You can see how flat the fabric is laying on the right with no wrinkles!  That's the beauty of the brayer.

I'm probably over-using it or using it with materials that really don't need it...but it's seriously my new favorite thing.  Felt, paper, vinyl....brayer, brayer, brayer.

I've noticed it also helps extend the life of my cutting mats. Mats that have lost a lot of their stick are now able to securely hold materials because of the pressure provided by the brayer as it rolls across the material.

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