Review: Cricut Spatula Tool for Scrapbooking

Scrapbookers everywhere are familiar with the Cricut machine – a powerful paper cutting tool allowing crafters to professionally create die-cut designs out of paper for their scrapbooking projects. The Cricut Spatula tool accessory is useful for picking up the delicate paper designs from the sticky Cricut cutting mat. But is the Cricut Spatula tool necessary? How does it work? Here’s a review of the Cricut Spatula tool.

How does the Cricut Spatula tool work? Do I need this scrapbooking accessory?
You can certainly use your Cricut machine without buying the spatula. Your hands, a needle, or even dental floss will work, but the spatula makes removing your fragile designs for your scrapbook easier. How many times have you bent or ripped part of your delicate creation when peeling it off the mat? I was getting frustrated with wrecking my really intricate patterns with my hands, so I broke down and bought the spatula.

The Cricut Spatula tool allows scrapbookers to easily remove their die cut paper designs from the mat. Instead of bending the mat and using your fingers, simply slide the spatula under your designs and remove from the mat. It’s really easy and it speeds up the process, allowing you more time for the fun stuff, like designing your pages! Prior to getting my Cricut Spatula, I never realized how much time I was wasting removing items from the sticky mat.

Price and Availability
The Cricut Spatula tool ranges from $5 to $10. It can be purchased at most craft supply stores, scrapbooking stores, and you can even find it at Wal-Mart. Many online retailers sell this product, including Cricut.com, Wal-Mart.com, or eBay. I purchased by Circut Spatula tool from Wal-Mart’s craft section for around $5.

Product Specifications
The Cricut Spaula is 7.5 inches long and 1 ½ inches wide. The spatula end is constructed of metal and the handle is soft and comfortable.

Cons
The Cricut mat itself is sticky and, over time, the Cricut Spatula tool picks up the residue, making it difficult to pick up your scrapbook paper designs from the mat. Cleaning the tool with nail polish remove helps somewhat, but it doesn’t seem to get the tool completely free of the goo. For the price, you might be better off just purchasing another one.

Final thoughts
At under $10, the Cricut Spatula is an inexpensive, practical, and useful tool for scrapbooking. Removing intricate paper designs from the mat is a breeze and has saved me lots of time from trying to pick the paper up with my fingernails-not to mention, I never bent, curled, or tore any of the die-cuts using the spatula like I did with my fingers. The downside is that you’ll have to purchase a new Cricut Spatula tool periodically due to the sticky adhesive it picks up from contact with the scrapbooking mat.

Reference:

• www.cricut.com/shopping/ProductDetails.aspx?id=116&s;=5≻=1&AspxAutoDetectCookieSuppo;