Foam Coasters

In December I participated in a loom-along from Craftzine and knit these wrist warmers. There were prizes and I won a Cricut cutting machine from Provo Craft. If you couldn't tell from the lack of scrapbook or card projects on here, I don't really do many paper crafts unless you count the stiched paper bags which I try and make every chance I get.

I have cut out a few things with the Cricut, but these coasters are my first real project and I haven't figured out how to get them right yet. These blue doily shaped coasters were my first try. The blade just scored the foam and I ended up using a not-exacto-knife that was difficult to use and wished I had an exacto knife.

After working on these I decided to go buy the deep cut blade and housing for the Cricut. My next attempt with the new blade cut through the foam, but the settings I used were wrong and the cuts were more like tears.

After making the above green coasters I started adjusting the blade depth, pressure, and speed. I also thought the smaller, more intricate cutting designs probably wouldn't work in the foam so I changed the design again.

These black versions have been my most successful attempts yet. I am beginning to think that when using foam you will never get a perfectly smooth cut. The rough edges are slightly reduced in the black coaster on the left compared to the one on the right, but they are still there.

I am going to work on these coasters some more; try adjusting the settings a little, maybe switch to a different material. Have you had any experience using a Cricut for cutting foam? If you have any suggestions on ways to get a smoother cut or ideas on what other projects I can use the Cricut for I would love to hear them.