Is resticky even a word? Well regardless, that’s exactly what we’re doing today. Because our Cricut mat has lost it’s mojo. But not to worry, with a little help from one of our craft room staples, we’ll have our mat back to all its former sticky glory in just a few minutes.
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First, you want give your mat a quick cleaning. We had a bunch of little pieces of paper stuck to ours that we scraped off with a crafting spatula. If your mat needs it, you can give it a quick wipe down with a wet rag and let dry.
Next, we used an EK Tools Zig Memory System 2-Way Jumbo Tip Glue Pen to apply a thin, even layer of glue to our mat. The EK Tools glue pen goes on blue, but dries clear. This makes it easy to see where and how much you’ve applied. When you first use your glue stick, you will have to press the tip firmly against your work surface a few times to get the glue flowing.
We like to go around the outside border first, being careful to stay within the cutting area. If you happen to get a little glue outside of the border, just quickly wipe it off with a cloth. Then fill in your border with long even strokes and let it dry completely.
The EK Tools glue pen gives it just the right amount of stick in our opinion. We’re still using our original Cricut mat that we purchased almost 5 years ago, and we’ve used this method to resticky it a couple times with great results. If you give it a try, let us know what you think. Do you know of another technique to resticky a Cricut mat? Let us know what you used and what your results were!
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Ifound I can make my mat sticky by wiping it down with a wet wipe or baby wipe. First remove any excess lint or paper. Wipe the mat down. You are good to go once again.
Wet the mat and give it a rub with a soft tooth brush wash it under the tap and let it dry. It gets off all the old paper and gives it a new lease on life. It may need the glue after it looses the sticky again but it is good to go for a good long while after this process….
Great tip, Nikki!
this is fantastic. I purchased a slightly used machine from a friend and the sticky is about gone. Thanks for the idea, I will try it .
Where do you purchace this product? I can’t wait to use it. Some of my pads are about 10 years old and they are in great need of help.
Hi Kathy! I purchased it from Amazon here: http://amzn.to/2mCSXR3
I bought my last glue pen at Hobby Lobby. I also have purchased at JoAnn Fabric. I use this glue fo r many craft project. Love it
Someone said to try the Krylon Easy Tack Spray. I’m going to try that because it seems easier:)
Let us know how it works 🙂
Does an Elmer’s glue stick work?
Hi Karen! I don’t think Elmer’s glue would work. The glue pen we use remains tacky once it’s dry and can be used over and over as a temporary adhesive. Once Elmer’s glue is dry it no longer has a tacky surface.
Be careful using the spray it gunks up your rollers and per CRICUT voices your warranty.
How many mats can you resticky with one bottle of glue? I notice that the glue is quite expensive ($11) and I’m wondering if it is worthwhile?
I’m not sure exactly how many, but you don’t use much product and you will definitely get multiple mats out of it.
I have used the easy tack for years. You have to wash your mat with warm water and use one of those dish washing wands with the greenie pad on it and scrub that pad to remove all the remnants of projects past. Let it dry completely (sometimes several hours). Then you must use painters tape around the outside edge of the mat. This is critical! You do not want any easy tack on the surfaces that come in contact with the rollers. Then spray the easy tack on the cutting surface of the mat and let it dry completely. I like to use 2 or 3 coats depending on how much that mats been used. It sounds like a lot but it’s really easy! Happy crafting!!!
These are great tips, Deb! Thank you!
Can spray your mat with GooGone, let it sit for a little while to loosen glue, then using old credit card or whatever, scrape the old glue off the mat. Once scraped really good and clean, watch it with hot, soapy water to remove any residue. Then you can go back over it with whatever produce you are using to make it sticky again.
Question does this work on the lightgrip map too
I clean my blue mats and then use basting spray from the fabric departments. It’s not as heavy as the other glues.
I use the basting spray. I find it in the fabric dept. It works on the blue mats, as it is not as heavy. When my mats are especially bad, I use goo gone and then an old plastic spatula to scrap the icky stuff off. Then I use dish detergent to remove the goo gone.