A few days ago I posted a great recycled soda can craft using the Cuttlebug die-cutting and embossing machine and Nestabilities Dies made by Spellbinder. I thought that in this post, I’d talk about all of the things you can cut with the Cuttlebug using the Nestabilities dies- and how they can help you continue to recycled materials in your crafting!
Of course, you can use paper in with these dies. While scrapbooking paper is nice, how about re-using old texts, sheet music, or magazines to make fun, funky flowers:
Cardstock also cuts well, as well as thin cardboard!
Fabric is also an option. In this example, I took apart on old blouse, fused some paper-backed fusible web on the back, then cut it out. What a great way to both re-use fun fabric (like Dad’s workshirts or Grammy’s housedresses) to make fun appliques. AND this also lets you “upcycle” plain shirts or hand-me-downs to make them more fashionable and contemporary. Win-win!
While I wasn’t sure about it, felt is also cuttable with the Cuttlebug. The adhesive-backed version is too thick, but the standard polyester craft felt works great! It makes creating little glue-or-sew-on embellishments SO easy. (That little button in the center really sets it off, don’t you think?)
Another surprise- FOAMIES! Really! I never thought they would cut so cleanly, but as you can see, it worked perfectly, even on the 3MM foam. This really opens up a LOT of possibilities.
Lastly, as you saw in my brooch tutorial, it even cuts craft metal, tin, and aluminum!
I hope you feel comfortable purchasing these versatile dies to use in your crafting and have some ideas for what to do with them!
28. April 2010 at 9:25 am
Thanks for the overview Jenny! I’ve been saving for my first set of nestibilities and I think this week is the week. It’s great to have a head start.
14. May 2011 at 11:07 am
Hi
For the life of me I just can NOT get my Cuttlebug and Spellbinders Nestabilities cut fabric. I’m trying it on plain cotton and it barely makes a mark on it.
I’ve tried this way: http://sewcando.blogspot.com/2010/07/how-to-make-die-cut-fabric-flowers.html
AND with A > B > fabric > die > C > cardstock
HELP! Surely this can’t be that difficult
Thanks
Riette
14. May 2011 at 3:03 pm
Riette- Sounds like your rollers are “loose” and you just need more of a shim. I sometimes use a sheet of that foamie craft material (like in the kids section) and place that top either instead of or in addition to the cardstock. Also, make sure that the die is the right side DOWN. (I know that sounds goofy, but sometimes in haste you can forget to put the cutting side against the fabric.) If your Cuttlebug can still cut paper OK, then you should be able to shim it for fabric. Good luck, and let me know if you get it work! -Jenny
15. October 2011 at 8:41 pm
I was wondering about the aluminum cans (Soda cans), I saw this on the internet and had just bought the snowflakes set and so I cut a can apart and made some snowflakes…My question is this, I hadn’t used this set on any paper or anything else, BRAND new…I cut 1 set of snowflakes from the can and then cut 1 set of snowflakes from paper and both the can and the paper had one area where the die didn’t cut the can/paper…Could the die itself need sharpening or something OR did cutting the can mess it up??