Recently we had the opportunity to use a Silhouette Portrait Vinyl Cutter for the June Instructables Build Night.

We were looking for a good project for our first attempt and this came in the form of a present for our friends of ours following the birth of their son.

We found the cutter and software so easy to use that we have bought our own and have since made several of these paper cuts for many different occasions.

We're just getting started but find us at Mean Kitty Crafts

Step 1: Choose Your Paper

For a successful mounted cut, you will need two pieces of card in different colours.

One will be for the paper cut itself and the second will be for backing.

We went for the classic cream on blue combination.

Step 2: Software

We used Silhouette's own software which is free to download and also comes with the cutter itself.

Design your cut and ensure that there are no characters or pictures that are not linked.

Step 3: Cut Setting

When you have finished, the design should look like the first picture.

Based on the card, you will then need to choose your cut settings.

We found that the blade setting needed to be slightly higher than the one suggested by the program and the speed doubled to ensure a clean cut.

The more intricate your design, the slower the cut speed will need to be.

Step 4: Using the Vinyl Cutter

Line up your card on the mat provided, ensuring that it is in line on the grid and feed it into the machine.

Ensure that the paper is well stuck down so that it does not move whilst cutting!

Step 5: Cutting Out the Papercut

Once the vinyl cutter has finished, your design will be clearly visible and should peel off of the mat easily.

You may need to use the tools provided with the vinyl cutter to help with this.

Next, separate your design from the rest of the paper. We found that the best tool for this was a scalpel as there were some additional cuts needed along the way!

Step 6: Cut Complete!

Once cut out, your design should be free of the excess paper and be all clean edges.

Use a scalpel to tidy up any areas if needed.

Step 7: Backing

Next, compare your frame to the backing and cut it down to fit if needed.

For this we used a metal ruler and the trusty scalpel but admittedly, a guillotine would have been a better tool!

Step 8: Mounting

Line up your design on the backing and make sure it's straight.

We used a cutting mat to help with this and also made a small mark on the backing with a pencil for guidance.

Next, you will need to affix your design to the backing.

We found that a good craft mount spray is ideal for this as glue tended to make the design look a little bumpy.

Step 9: Nearly There

After you have fixed the design to the backing, the only thing left to do is frame your design!

Make sure that the design, backing and glass of the frame are all free of dust and any ragged bits of paper. This will drive you mad if you don't check now!