Cricut Joy Cutaway Cards are designed for use with Cricut Joy Card Mat (sold separately).
Cricut Joy Card Mat is uniquely designed with a divider to protect the back of the folded Cricut Joy Cutaway Card while cutting or writing a design on the front.
Select a link below for information about how to use Cricut Joy Cutaway Cards and Cricut Joy Card Mat.
Tutorial Videos
What you need
- Cricut Joy smart cutting machine
- Cricut Joy app, or Design Space software on computer or mobile device
- Cricut Joy Blade and Housing
- Cricut Joy Cutaway Cards + Backers
- Cricut Joy Card Mat
- Weeder tool (optional)
- Scraper tool (optional)
- Cricut Joy Pens or Markers (optional)
- Cricut Joy Foil Transfer Tool (optional)
Instructions
Cutaway Cards give you greater creative flexibility – design cards without the need for corner tabs or stencil designs.
1. Start a new project. Create your design using any image, text, draw, or foil element you wish.
Tip: To ensure your design will fit on your card, insert a rectangle from the Shapes menu and size it to match the finished size of your card. Leave a 0.25” in (6 mm) margin between your artwork and the edge of the card on all sides to make sure the adhesive will hold down all elements of your design. Hide or delete the rectangle before you send the project to the machine. 
2. When your design is complete, select all design elements, then select Attach – this holds design elements in position relative to one another, so your design appears on the mat preview exactly as you have it designed on the Canvas. Select Make It.
3. Choose On Card Mat > Continue, then ensure the material size selection matches your card size. Your design will be auto-centered on the mat preview. Select Continue/Next.
4. Select Browse All Materials and choose Cutaway Card + Backer.
1. Scroll to the Cutaway Card project flow. Select Design Your Own, then Start Designing.
2. Choose card orientation and size. Select Next.
3. Add images and text to the front of your card and edit card, backer, pen, and foil color as desired to visualize your finished project. Then select Next.
4. Material cut and load settings are automatically selected. Select Make It.
5. Open card. Remove liner from inside of card.
- Start on an outside corner (away from the fold) and slowly peel up the corner of the paper liner. If the adhesive is coming up with the liner, use a Cricut scraper to scrape down the outside edge of the Cutaway Card.
- Next, on the opposite outside corner use a Cricut weeding tool to tease the liner up from the adhesive. Once the edge is lifting, slowly pull it off with your fingers.
6. Apply backer to adhesive — decorative side facing adhesive.
7. From the left side of card mat, slide one side of the folded card (side without backer) under the plastic divider.
8. Ensure card is aligned to the top left corner of card mat. Push card up until it's flush with top, then align the inside fold of the card against plastic divider.
9. Press the front of the card into the adhesive on card mat.
10. Insert mat into machine, arrow end first.
11. When cut is complete, peel mat away from card.
Assembly
Carefully weed away cutouts to reveal your design. Use your fingers to remove the pieces. If the pieces are too tiny, very carefully use a weeding tool to remove. Be careful, the weeding tool can scratch and/or damage the backer.
Tips
- To write or draw on the inside of your card, fold the card inside out and repeat the steps above. Be sure that your Draw design is properly oriented and positioned on the project preview screen.
- The cuts will leave impressions on your mat. This is normal.
- If material is not adhering well to mat, use a brayer to create a firm bond. Cricut Joy Card Mat will lose stickiness with use and will eventually need to be replaced.
- Cricut Joy Cutaway Cards are compatible with all Cricut Joy Pens and Markers, and the Cricut Joy Foil Transfer Tool.
FAQ
Do I apply the backer before cutting my card?
Yes! Apply the backer just before you cut – don’t batch them beforehand.
What’s the best way to make sure my backer is aligned on the card?
Peel the liner off the card. Place the card on a table at a 90-degree angle— the non-adhesive side of the card should be facing up. Use the 90-degree bend in the card to align the edge of the backer. Once it is centered on the card, press the backer onto the adhesive.
How large can my design be?
Leave a ¼ inch (6 mm) margin between your artwork and the edge of the card on all sides to make sure the adhesive will hold down all elements of your design.
What’s the smallest cut I can make?
Keep small details ¼ inch or larger or you may have difficulty weeding the designs.
My design had elements that were too small and they lifted off the backer while weeding! What should I do?
These elements should still have adhesive on them. Just stick the pieces back onto the card and they should stay.
My weeding tool is scratching the backer and leaving a mark – what should I do?
Use the weeding tool to gently lift just the edge of your pieces, then use your fingers to peel them off the card.
My machine isn’t cutting all the way through the paper and it tears when trying to pull the paper up. What should I do?
Try selecting “more pressure” when cutting your cards. Alternatively, it might be time to change your blade to achieve clean cuts.
Some of the sharp corners on my design look mushy. What should I do?
You may need to replace your blade – a sharper blade should yield crisp cuts.
My machine is cutting into the holographic/foil backer and the foil comes up when I weed away the card.
Try selecting “less pressure” when cutting your cards. Some machines have higher force when cutting and this should solve the problem.
Do I need to use stencil fonts and images?
You can, but you don’t need to! Cutaway cards allow for islands in your images, like the shape inside the letter “o” to remain on the card backer.
Can I write on the inside of the backer?
The backers are coated paper and standard pens will smear. We recommend a permanent marker if you want to write on the inside of the backer.
Do you have a sizing template for cutaway cards?
Yes! Search Design Space for the card size you purchased, and we have templates to make sure you design your card to the correct size.
My design didn’t cut onto the card in the right place – what happened?
Make sure you are selecting the right card size in Design Space before cutting. You can double-check the size of your cards using the lines on the card mat. Design Space will automatically select the smallest card size that will work on your artwork and center the card on the design. If you want your artwork on a larger card, you can adjust your placement on the mat preview screen.
Can I use other paper/cardstock instead of the backers you provided?
For the best experience, we recommend using Cricut Cutaway Cards and backers.
Can I make a Cutaway Card on the Cricut Joy App?
Yes! There is a guided flow with step-by-step instructions on how to make a Cutaway Card on the Cricut Joy App. You can also make a Cutaway Card on the Cricut Design Space Desktop App.
Can I use Cutaway Cards with Cricut Explore and Cricut Maker cutting machines?
No. Cutaway Cards require Cricut Joy Card Mat which is not compatible with Cricut Explore and Cricut Maker cutting machines.
Can I reposition the backer after applying it to the adhesive?
Cutaway Card adhesive is not repositionable; take care to align the edge of the backer with the inside fold of the card – centering the backer between the top and bottom of the card – before pressing into the adhesive.