So, you have your new Silhouette Cameo machine and you’re all set to start making some craft projects. Congratulations! We have lots of amazing Silhouette hacks to share with you!

There are two basic parts to making anything with your Silhouette die-cutting machine. One is the machine itself and the other is the Silhouette Studio software. These Silhouette Studio Tips for Beginners will help you get started. You’ll be making all kinds of custom craft projects for yourself and to give as gifts in no time!

Silhouette Studio Tips for Beginners

Working with Your Virtual Mat

The first step is to check out the “Reveal Mat” setting in the page tools box. This changes the white screen to a transparent one that allows you to see your cutting mat. “Reveal Mat” makes it so much easier to lay out your design. Then you can make sure it’s going to fit properly onto your surface material.

Another tool we highly recommend using at this point is the “Reveal Grid Lines” setting. With this, you’ll be able to see grid lines on your Silhouette Studio virtual mat which correspond with the grid lines on your cutting mat. This is so helpful for lining up your design perfectly!

Using Cut Files

When you’re ready to start designing, choose the cut file that you want to work with. You’ll find this in your Silhouette cloud, right in the Silhouette Studio library.

If it’s a fairly new file that you want to access, it will be simple to find in your “Recent Downloads”. When it comes to fonts, remember that all fonts installed on your computer can also be used in Silhouette Studio. Find these in your Text Style list.

Working with Text

If you want to add text to your design, click on the Text Tool (the capital letter A) in your left menu bar. Click anywhere on your virtual cutting mat (the work area in Silhouette Studio) to create a text box. Start typing!

To make changes to your text, find the options for changing the font, alignment, size, line spacing, kerning, and so on in the Text Style Window on the right-hand side of your screen. You can also open it up by clicking the capital letter A in your top menu bar.

When working with text, some people find it helpful to change the default font and text size to what you want first. Then, as soon as you select the text box, what you type in will already be set according to your preferences. You can always change it later so you’ll find your preferred way of working!

Another post you might like: How to Master Text in Silhouette Studio

Weld, Group, Ungroup

Next, if you’re working with cursive (script) fonts, you’re going to need to use the Weld function. The weld function allows you to take two or more overlapping shapes or text characters and join them into one solid continuous piece.

So, for example, when you want words written in cursive, you’ll need to use the weld function so that they will be joined together into one whole word instead of as separate letters.

Sometimes after welding, you will need to use the group/ungroup function next. Grouping will bring the letters (or other shapes) back together into one group if needed. You will draw a box around the elements that need to be grouped back together and then hit “group”.

You can ungroup items as well. Perhaps you have a design with multiple elements and shapes in it and you’d like to separate some of them out. Ungroup allows you to do that.

Fixing Mistakes

Possibly the most important function of all in the Silhouette Studio, don’t forget about undo. Make a mistake with your edits? Just press the undo tool along the top tool bar. Make a bunch of mistakes with your edits? Keep pressing to undo a whole bunch of edits!

This is really handy if you want to play around and experiment with different changes to your design without having to start from scratch if you don’t like them!

Doing a lot of cutting? How to change your Silhouette blade.

Time for Cutting

When you’re ready to cut, you will need to choose your settings accordingly for cutting with a mat or without one. This is found in the “Page Setup Menu”. You can choose “Cameo”, “Portrait”, or “None”.

No matter whether you are using a cutting mat or not, you must also make sure to set the correct page size for the material you are using. Set the height and width needed in the “Design Page Settings” window.

Select your design and in your Send tool (top tool bar), choose “Cut”. You should now see some red cut lines on your design. This is indicating where your Silhouette machine is going to make the cuts. You need to choose the material you are working with in the Send panel.

Silhouette’s recommended cut settings will be displayed. We suggest leaving their default settings in place while you are a beginner. They are almost always the best settings anyway! Once you have some experience, you’ll get a feel for any changes you might want to make.

Using Silhouette Studio to create your craft projects is not as difficult as you might think! It’s easy to look at it and get overwhelmed but with some simple beginner tips, you’ll be creating in no time.

In time, you may find that the upgrade to the Designer Edition of Silhouette Studio is worth the one-time investment. There are some really useful functions available only in Designer Edition that you’ll probably want to have.

Now that you have these Silhouette Studio Tips for Beginners, what are you going to make today?  

Another great post you’re going to love: Silhouette Hacks You Probably Didn’t Know

When you’re looking for supplies for your Silhouette machine, where do you shop? As much as we love our big box craft stores, they aren’t always the best places to find a bargain.

If you’re doing a lot of crafting with your Silhouette, costs can begin to add up so you definitely want to be sure you’re getting the best prices possible. We’ve found some of the best places to find Silhouette supplies on a budget and rounded them up here for you:

Best Places To Find Silhouette Supplies On a Budget

Expressions Vinyl is one of the online stores we have heard mentioned over and over again when it comes to buying vinyl at great prices. In fact, while doing searching around the internet, it had the cheapest prices we could find anywhere on some vinyl brands!

Be sure to sign up for their email list. They’ll send out coupons and special offers every week. As a thank you, they’ll also send you a coupon for 10% off your first order.

Happy Crafters is another online store with amazing low prices. While the vinyl was still cheaper at Expressions Vinyl, we couldn’t find a better price anywhere on transfer tape. Their prices on Silhouette blades and cutting mats were also priced well below any others we found.

Happy Crafters also has equipment such as heat presses and tools such as those for weeding and burnishing. You can earn reward points for everything you purchase. Every dollar you spend (including on shipping!!) earns you 1 reward point. You can redeem reward points towards further purchases.

Swing Design has a wide variety of Silhouette supplies. Before shopping at the other stores mentioned, be sure to check out Swing Design. They often have some amazing deals and bundles!

Recently, we were looking for some Oracal vinyl and the prices for it at Swing Designs was well below that of anywhere else. Like Expressions Vinyl, they offer a 10% discount coupon for new email subscribers.

Pick Your Plum is a site with changing daily deals and products available. They do have Silhouette supplies available from time to time including things like plain t-shirts for you to embellish at rock-bottom prices but you will need to sign up for their emails and check in regularly.

Craft Direct sells a wide array of Silhouette supplies for discounted prices. While they have excellent pricing, you can sometimes find better deals elsewhere. Double-check before purchasing.

Silhouette America – the official Silhouette site – is obviously a source for Silhouette supplies. Not always the lowest regular prices, but they frequently offer promotions and bundles that can save you as much as 40%.

Amazon. Of course, Amazon sells Silhouette supplies. Amazon sells pretty much everything, right? You will find some good deals from time to time there but do your homework.

Double check the reviews and make sure that you are getting good quality products and not counterfeits. Don’t forget about the free Prime 2-day shipping!

Etsy and eBay are some of our go-to resources for finding dirt-cheap bargains on Silhouette supplies. Once again, use caution here. Look at the reviews because as with Amazon, it’s easy to receive inferior product passed off as something better.

Don’t forget to check out Michaels, Joann Fabrics and Hobby Lobby too! They sometimes have these items on sale and you can usually find coupons on their website.  Be sure to read the fine print for terms and conditions.

Another tip: Look for rewards programs wherever you shop for Silhouette supplies. You can often get freebies, coupons, and big discounts that way too! And don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletters for free gifts and great deals there as well.

As you can see, there are plenty of places to order your Silhouette supplies from and get a bargain too! If you know of any others we should add to our list, let us know in the comments below.

Have you ever tried out a Silhouette Cameo? If you haven’t, you might be wondering why so many people are big Silhouette fans! Well, get ready to have your mind blown with the amazing things this machine can do. You’re going to want to run right out and buy one!

First of all, a Silhouette Cameo is so versatile. With this one machine, you can cut so many different types of materials and create so many different types of craft projects. From t-shirts and caps to tumblers and mugs, from onesies and baby blankets to greeting cards and home decor, and so much more, you will be able to make a huge variety of craft projects with your die cutting machine!

Why I Love my Silhouette Cameo

You’ll be able to cut fabric, cardstock, paper, felt, heat vinyl, adhesive magnet paper, glitter and rhinestone paper, chipboard, freezer paper, and more!

And a Cameo doesn’t just cut. You can use sketching pens for drawing designs too!

You can get professional looking results. There are quite a few people making some extra cash with their Silhouette creations. Sure, you can sit down and cut things out by hand but it’s never as easy to achieve the crisp, clean, flawless results you can get when using your Cameo.

With your Silhouette Cameo, you can create personalized items. This is great not just for making projects for yourself but think of the gifts you could make! Baby showers, wedding showers, anniversaries, birthdays, and more! Adding that personal touch makes a gift extra special.

It’s such a time-saver! Lots of people use their Silhouettes for DIY weddings, parties, and conferences – any time there’s a need for a large quantity of items to be made. It saves an incredible amount of time to get your machine doing most of the work for you!

Not only does it save time, your Cameo can save you money too! If you’ve ever priced out things like place cards, invitations, or party favors, you’ll know just how expensive they can be. Making your own with your Silhouette is really budget-friendly!

It’s really simple to use. And there are loads of Silhouette tutorials online (you can find more of our Silhouette tutorials here) as well as video tutorials on Youtube.

And finally, once you start making things with your Silhouette Cameo, you’ll be amazed by just how creative you become. Each time we make a project, it gets those creative juices flowing with ideas for what we could make next!

Are you a die cutting enthusiast with a Silhouette machine? Often when people first buy their new crafting machine, they think it can only be used for vinyl projects, but there are so many other materials you can cut with your Silhouette Cameo 3.

When you realize that there are so many more things you can cut with your die cutting machine, it really opens up the craft project possibilities. It’s more than just making signs and customizing t-shirts, mugs and tumblers.

You can use your Silhouette machine for scrapbooking, greeting card making, sewing projects, magnets, stickers, temporary tattoos, and so much more. You’ve invested in this amazing craft tool – get the most use out of it that you can!

25+ Materials You Can Cut with Your Silhouette Cameo 3

Vinyl – but not just regular vinyl. Glitter vinyl, chalkboard vinyl, whiteboard vinyl, holographic vinyl, iridescent vinyl, glow in the dark vinyl and more!

Paper – scrapbooking, making greeting cards, so much more!

Specialty patterned papers

Cardstock – including Silhouette adhesive cardstock

Vellum – Vellum paper makes such a lovely addition to greeting cards and wedding or party invitations.

Iron-on heat transfer material – Make those customized t-shirts, hats, and sweatshirts that everyone loves so much!

Fabric (when using interfacing products) 

Sticker paper 

Felt

Fondant / Gum Paste

Wax Paper

Fun Foam

Tissue paper

Cereal box cardboard

Rhinestone template material

Magnet Paper – personalized magnets as gifts? Perfect!

Kraft Paper

Chipboard

Cork sheets  – Think about the fun mini cork boards, coasters, and embellishments you can make with these!

Corrugated Paper

Faux Leather Paper

Sticker Paper Foil

Temporary Tattoo Paper – you’re going to love making fun temporary tattoos for your kids but also think about using them for school carnivals or when taking the family out for a day at the amusement park!

Washi Sheets – We LOVE adding Washi tape to our craft projects. Having it in sheet form so we can use it in our Silhouette is even better!

Window Cling – That’s right. You can make your own window cling “stickers”! Create some for every season and occasion!

What are you going to make with your Silhouette Cameo?

Obviously, the cutting blade is one of the most important parts of your Silhouette machine. Without it, you can’t do any cutting and that is the main point of a die cutting machine! You need to use the right blade for your die cutting project so it’s important to learn more about them.

Whether you’re cutting vinyl, paper, fabric, HTV, or any other items, you don’t want to waste material. Knowing your blades well can help you save time, material, and frustration. There are several different types of blades available for the Silhouette machines and we’re going to look at each one of them and outline what they do!

All About Silhouette Blades

Self-Adjusting Blade

The Self-adjusting Blade comes with the Silhouette Cameo 3 and can only be used in that machine. It can cut through a variety of materials. This blade is loaded into the left-hand side of the dual carriage. Make sure it is locked in place – once you’ve pushed the sliding blade holder in, you should see a blue dot and hear a tiny click.

The Cameo 3 was originally set up with a default for the Ratchet Blade. However, Silhouette Studio V4 defaults to the Auto Blade. If you do need to change to the Self-adjusting Blade, this is what to do. Simply click on the blade menu in Silhouette Studio. Pick the material you’re going to be cutting and then, click on edit. This will allow you to change the blade settings and choose “Automatic Blade”.

Once you’ve chosen the Self-adjusting Blade and have all your other settings in place, it’s time to cut. You’ll notice that once you send your file to cut, the Cameo 3 will tap the blade up and down until it reaches the proper setting before it actually begins cutting.

IMPORTANT TIP: Connecting to the Silhouette Studio via Bluetooth doesn’t always give you the auto blade option. Be sure you have plugged in your Cameo 3 with the USB cord and you should be just fine!

Ratchet Blade

The Ratchet Blade (or the Black Blade as it is sometimes called) comes with the Cameo 1 and 2, Curio, Portrait, and Silhouette SD machines. It cuts felt, paper, cardstock, vellum, vinyl, contact paper, freezer paper, magnet paper, thin leather, and more.

Although this blade can cut many different kinds of materials, you need to understand that the more kinds of media you cut with one blade, the faster it will wear out. Keeping separate blades for different uses will help them last much longer and cutting more precisely.

You adjust the blade by using the ratchet adjusting cap, the built-in blade adjuster on the machine, or the blade chuck that is included with the Cameo 3. Line up the red line on your blade with the arrow on the adjuster. Simply twist until you have the red line matching up with the number of the setting desired.

Fabric Blade

The Fabric Blade is, obviously, for cutting fabric. It is very similar to the Ratchet Blade in every other way. It is easily distinguishable from other blades by its blue color.

Remember that keeping this blade solely for the use of fabric will help it last much longer than ones used to cut both paper and fabric.

This blade can be used with the Cameo 1, 2, and 3, Portrait, Curio, and SD.

Premium Blade

The Premium Blade can be used with the Portrait, Curio, Cameo 1, 2, and 3, and the SD. It is similar to the Ratchet Blade except that it is made of a Tungsten Alloy and can last up to 3 times longer under normal use.

This blade is meant to be used with the same types of materials as the standard blade. Using it with denser materials can cause it to wear out much faster.

You can tell it apart from the other blades by its blue cap. You will notice that this blade doesn’t have a fin so it can be loaded either direction and work properly.

Deep Cut Blade

The Deep Cut Blade is for cutting thicker materials up to 2mm thick – chipboard, for example. Silhouette does caution that some especially dense materials may not cut smoothly. If you’re using materials that are not Silhouette brand, be sure to use caution and make a test cut. Such media may also damage the blade or cause it to dull much faster.

As with the premium blade, there is no fin on this blade to be concerned with when loading it. The Deep Cut Blade can only be used with the Cameo 3 and Curio machines. Using it in any of the other machines can cause damage and void your machine’s warranty.

Learn how to change your default blade setting here.

HOW LONG WILL YOUR SILHOUETTE CUTTING BLADES LAST? It’s not an easy question to answer because it depends on quite a few different factors: how often it’s used, how intricate the designs being cut are, and what materials are being cut.

Silhouette says that a good estimate for the lifespan of one of their blades is about 6 months. However, this can easily change based on some of those factors previously mentioned. If you’re cutting one material more than others, it can extend the life of your blades by having them dedicated for one material only. For example, one blade for paper, one for vinyl, and so on.

You might have a really important question at this point. We’ve talked about the different types of blades available and what they can be used for. But how do you know what setting you need? Thankfully, we have a handy chart here for you to use!