Crafting

How To Weed Cricut Vinyl

Learning how to weed vinyl is a very important task which allows you to remove the excess material off of the vinyl that you no longer want on your project.

Weeding vinyl can be tricky but you’re in the right place! This article will explore how to weed cricut vinyl. You won’t find instructions this detailed anywhere else so don’t go anywhere! 

Learning how to weed the vinyl from your Cricut is very important, but can be very daunting to do!

Luckily our years of expertise with Cricut devices, and the various materials used with them has enabled us to provide you with the ultimate guide to weeding the cricut vinyl after you have cut out your design.

Join us in our guide, as we are going to show you how to weed the vinyl from your Cricut perfectly every single time!

What Is Weeding? 

Weeding vinyl is the way that you will remove the excess vinyl from the design that you have cut out on the cricut vinyl.

Through this process you will remove any of the little pieces that don’t belong on the final design.

Many people find the process of weeding their design frustrating, fiddly and difficult. However, it can be very relaxing and therapeutic. 

Knowing how to weed your cricut vinyl successfully will really help when it comes to your enjoyment of the weeding process as it will take away any of the panic associated with the process if you are confident in your abilities. 

How To Weed Adhesive Cricut Vinyl

There are a few steps involved in weeding adhesive vinyl, and these are explored below. 

Trim Any Excess Vinyl 

The first step to weeding adhesive vinyl successfully is to get rid of any excess vinyl that you no longer want.

In order to do this, you can opt to use a rotary cutter and a quilting ruler in order to make sure that you are cutting straight lines. Using the ruler will ensure that you will get a nice straight edge for the next project. 

During my testing I found the rotary cutter to be the most successful way to trim the vinyl, however, if you don’t have this equipment then it is perfectly acceptable to trim your vinyl using scissors or a craft knife.

This may not give as straight a finish, but it works all the same.

Find A Weeding Hook 

The type of weeding hook that you use will have a huge impact on the success of your project so it is important that you choose a hook that works for you.

Cricut has a lot of different weeding tools so you can try lots of these different hooks out to find which one works for you. 

The most popular weeding hook is the Cricut weeding hook. Once you have chosen your weeding hook, you will find that you quickly get used to it and it will become second nature to you. 

When you start using your weeding hook you will want to dig the hook into the piece of vinyl that you want to take off and it should easily lift away. 

Try Using Other Tools 

While the weeding hook is the most effective tool to weed your vinyl, there are other tools that work well too.

If you have a tricky section to weed, you can try out a strong pair of tweezers or a sharp needle. These tools work well for tiny sections that need removing. 

During my testing I found that having lots of other tools were helpful in case I needed to work with smaller sections.

Print Your Design

Print Your Design

If your design is particularly complicated it is a good idea to print off a copy of the design so that you can clearly see what you are weeding.

If you do this, it is much easier to see what needs to be removed from the vinyl. 

Use A Strong Light 

It is extremely important that you can clearly see what you are working with. You should choose a good, bright light in order to carry out your weeding. Any bright light will work here. 

Start In The Upper Left Hand Corner 

If you write with your right hand, the best place to start is the upper left corner. If you are left handed, you should start in the upper right corner.

This is so that you can weed in a pattern that means you do not get in the way of yourself. Weeding down and across is the easiest way to do this.

Keep The Material Flat 

You will be able to weed with the best precision if you keep your material flat on your mat while you are weeding. This will ensure that your backing material stays still until you have finished weeding the vinyl.

Go Slowly!

You really can’t rush an intricate project such as weeding. Some vinyl weeds are a lot easier than others, but you should always take your time no matter what.

You should work slowly and calmly, following a pattern that makes sense for your particular design.  

You should also ensure that you are double checking your work as you go. You don’t want to end up with a half-finished project that has some of the more intricate details left on the vinyl! 

Frequently Asked Question

What Is A Cricut Machine? 

A cricut machine is a cutting machine that cuts out on lots of different materials. It works as a printer, as you can create an image on your computer and then send it to your cricut machine.

The machine will then cut the design out of whatever material you choose. This can be paper, fabric, vinyl and many more materials! In this case, we are looking at the process of cutting out the image from cricut vinyl. 

What Tools Can You Use To Weed Vinyl?


Weeding Tool 

The weeding tool is the best tool for the job. It is designed specifically for this job so it cannot fail. It is shaped like a pen and designed to let  the little bits of vinyl loose. 

Straight Pins 

Pins are a great way to cut through little pieces of vinyl and they are very cheap to buy. However, they are not the most sturdy tool of the bunch. 

Tweezers 
This is a great tool for picking up little bits of vinyl that you can’t get using your weeding hook. 

Final Thoughts 

If you are looking to weed your cricut vinyl you should follow the tips and tricks in this article!

There are lots of different ways to make the process easier for you, and these tips will have you weeding super successfully in no time!

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