Which Cricut Mat Should I Use? A Guide to Choosing the Correct Cricut Mat

Grab the correct Cricut mat for every material with this informative blog post. This post contains affiliate links which, when purchased through, add no cost to the consumer but provide a small commission to this site in order to bring more Cricut projects. 

One of the most common beginner Cricut questions is all about the Cricut mats. What do all the colors mean? Which mat should I use for the different materials? It can be a bit overwhelming at first, but with a little time and practice, you can be a Cricut mat expert in no time!

Which Cricut Mat Should I Use?

Green Mat  –  StandardGrip Cutting Mat

The green mat, or the StandardGrip Cutting Mat, is a commonly used mat that every Cricut crafter should have in their craft room. The StandardGrip Cutting Mat is great for a variety of materials. I personally use this mat the most. It has just enough adhesive to secure medium-weight projects while also allowing the materials to be easily removed.

The StandardGrip Cutting Mat is great for the following materials:

• Heavyweight card stock
• Patterned paper
• Embossed card stock
• Iron-on vinyl
• Regular vinyl (removable or permanent)

Blue Mat  –    LightGrip Cutting Mat

The blue mat, or the LightGrip Cutting Mat, is probably the mat that I reach for the least. With minimum adhesive, this mat is perfect for lighter weight materials or materials that have a high chance of ripping when being pulled from adhesive.

The LightGrip Cutting Mat is great for the following materials:

• Light weight card stock
• Printer paper/office paper
• Vellum paper
• Washi tape sheets
• Scrapbook paper

Purple Mat  –   StrongGrip Cutting Mat

The purple mat, or the StrongGrip Cutting Mat, is the mat that I use for all of those projects with heavy weight materials, including those that are only for the Cricut Maker. The StrongGrip Cutting Mat is the strongest adhesive mat that Cricut offers. For any crafter who wants to do more than card stock and vinyl projects, the StrongGrip Cutting Mat is a must for their craft room.

Keep in mind that some materials still may require additional securing. For instance, the chipboard should be secured with tape around the edges. If you find that any material still seems too loose even with the StrongGrip Cutting Mat, tape around the edges will do the trick! See an example below.

The StrongGrip Cutting Mat is great for the following materials:

• Chipboard
• Magnet sheets
• Poster Board
• Faux Leather
• Leather
• Glitter card stock
• Glitter vinyl
• Cardboard

Pink Mat –   FabricGrip Cutting Mat

The pink mat, or the FabricGrip Cutting Mat, is for, you guessed it, fabric. While this mat was released with the Cricut Maker machine, it can be used with bonded fabric projects and the Cricut Explore machines. The FabricGrip Cutting Mat should be used with the Rotary Blade and the Bonded-Fabric Blade. Here it is pictured with felt for a project that I worked on earlier this year.

All of the Cricut Mats are especially sticky when first used. Repetitive uses greatly diminish the adhesive. This doesn’t particularly mean that they are unusable. For instance, when my StandardGrip Cutting Mats lose their adhesive, I use them for light weight materials.

The mats come in a variety of sizes. Research and purchase the mat that suits your project and crafting style the best.

For those who have been a Cricut crafter for a long time, note that the Cricut Cake mat has been discontinued. Cricut has also changed their Cricut mat designs over the years, but the color for the mats and their adhesive has remained the same. Maximize the use of your Cricut Mats with these Tips on Making Cricut Mats Last.

What Cricut mat do you use the most?

If you are looking for more Cricut related tutorials and tips, check out my Cricut project page!