8 materials to use with your cutting machine for your costumes
Personally, I love tools. I love gearing up to try new things and make my costume-building more efficient. A while back, I bought myself a Silhouette Portrait cutting machine*… and the more I use it, the more I try new things with it, the more I love it.
Whether you're into cosplay or LARP costumes, a digital cutting machine can really change the way you work — for the tiny details that make all the difference, as well as for big projects that would otherwise take hours to cut by hand.
So, are you thinking about adding one of these to your workshop arsenal? Or did you just buy one and aren't sure yet what all you can do with it? Perfect timing, I'm here to walk you through it.
What exactly is a cutting machine?
The name says it all, it's a machine that cuts. But more specifically:
- It connects to a program on your computer, where you can create or import images.
- Once your design is ready, you load your material onto the machine's cutting mat.
- Then, kind of like with a printer, you send the image to be cut, choose your cutting settings — and your little machine does the job.
It's a really popular machine among scrapbooking fans — but it's also super useful for costume making.
Note: I personally have a Silhouette Portrait cutting machine. That's the one I'll be talking about here — it's the one I know best, and it's quite a bit cheaper than others. Cricut and Artistic Edge machines do pretty similar things, but I'm less familiar with the specifics of how they operate.
1 - Clear vinyl
I talked about stencils in my article on fabric painting. It's really handy for regular patterns — especially when you want to make a lot of them. Also covered in my article on techniques for adding patterns to fabric.
The big advantage of a cutting machine is that you can go for much more precise and complex designs than if you had to paint everything by hand.
📌 LARP note: clear vinyl stencils are perfect for reproducing crests or faction symbols on a tabard. Plus, with a cutting file, you can prep the same design in different sizes.
2 - Heat transfer vinyl
To create a super clean design, with crisp edges and uniform color right on fabric, heat transfer vinyl is really a great solution. What I love about this material is its super smooth texture. Plus, it holds up better than paint in the long run (as long as it's applied and cared for properly). Worth considering for a costume that'll be washed often... like your LARP costume.
There are also heat transfer vinyls in glitter, glow-in-the-dark, holographic, flocked (velvet-style)... there are some really cool options to explore.
📌 Important note: since the design is cut on the reverse side of the material, if you're making an asymmetrical design (like lettering), whatever you do, don't forget to flip the image before cutting. With my Silhouette, when you select this material, the program warns you before starting the job. Nice touch, right?
3 - Colored and textured vinyl
Adhesive vinyl is the classic go-to for cutting machines, but you might think it's only good for wall decals and scrapbooking. In costume making, its real superpower is texture.
There are vinyls with metallic, holographic, chrome, carbon fiber, snakeskin, camo, baroque effects... a really wide range that opens up some interesting possibilities for props and armor.
The catch: you can't stick this vinyl onto just any surface. You need something firm and smooth. So fabric is out (but for that, you've got heat transfer vinyl anyway). That said, if you're working with styrene, PVC, or Sintra, you can apply adhesive vinyl directly onto your armor pieces to create really cool effects without having to paint.
For cutting out precise or delicate shapes in vinyl (logos, emblems, ornaments), a cutting machine is really the ideal tool. Faster and cleaner than an x-acto knife for fine details.
4 - Faux leather
I really love making appliqués out of faux leather. I love the dimension it creates and how super clean the result looks. And for appliqués with fairly complex designs, my Silhouette has become a genuinely essential tool.
It cuts upholstery-weight faux leather really well (a bit less well on thinner, stretchier faux leathers) and does a super clean job. And the scraps are so pretty you'll find yourself brainstorming what to do with them.
Faux leather cut with the Silhouette is perfect for badges, armor appliqués, or belt ornaments, whether for cosplay or LARP gear.
📌 Tip: To keep all the pieces of your appliqué firmly in place, I'd recommend gluing them down before sewing. And to help your sewing machine foot glide smoothly, place a water-soluble stabilizer (or very thin tissue paper) over the whole thing. You'll see, you'll thank me. 😉
5 - Cardstock
Of course, you can cut paper and cardstock, which is great for salvage projects or for prototyping shapes before recreating them in a fancier material.
Careful though, not just any cardstock. Thin, flexible cardstock (like a cereal box) works fine. Thicker, denser stuff is generally too much for a Silhouette's blade. For other cutting machines, check the manufacturer's specs.
That said, you can still use a cutting machine on thicker cardstock for scoring folds. Scoring your cardstock makes it a lot easier to fold cleanly afterward. It's a technique I used a lot for my Vah Medoh helmet project (Zelda: Breath of the Wild). The trick: keep spare scraps handy and run tests before committing to your final piece.
6 - EVA foam
If you're more into armor and accessories, you'll be happy to know you can cut EVA foam with the Silhouette, up to 2mm thick. You won't be able to cut your entire suit of armor with your cutting machine, but for adding raised patterns and details onto a piece, it's really awesome.
My favorite technique in particular: scoring. I set my Silhouette's blade to cut only halfway through my foam — without going all the way through. Then, using the heat from my heat gun, I make the pattern pop up in relief. It's a really cool effect for armor textures, geometric ornaments, or decorative details. If you want to learn more about working with EVA foam in general, I've got an EVA foam 101 article that covers the basics.
7 - Flexible plastic
Thick plastics can't be cut with a standard cutting machine (for that, you need a laser cutter, and that's a whole other category of equipment).
That said, if you want to create accessories with transparency, a very specific kind of flexibility, or even work with light, there are a few options that'll work with a Silhouette or Cricut. Polypropylene (like file folders), PETG (like plastic bottles), or acetate (like the clear plastic sheet wrapped around cakes) are good choices.
You can use them to cut templates or stencils that'll be much more durable than paper or adhesive vinyl. But in my opinion, the main draw of plastics is definitely their transparency. Visors, windows, screens... plastic is what you'll want for that. And if the shapes you need are complex, or you've got a fairly large quantity to cut, your cutting machine becomes a really valuable tool.
8 - Fabric
Careful! Don't go thinking you'll be able to cut your pattern pieces with a cutting machine. Fabric's too soft to be cut easily with a blade. Ever tried cutting fabric with a straight x-acto knife? Didn't go great, right? (that's why we use a rotary cutter).
But if you want to cut small pieces for appliqués, there are ways to make it work. You'll need double-sided fusible sheeting and a fabric stabilizer. It's a bit of prep work, but it's the best way to get your fabric ready for a clean cut.
Even with a clean cut, on standard fabric I still prefer to finish my appliqué with a zigzag stitch to cover the edge. It's still fabric that'll fray, even with the stabilizer and adhesive... especially once it goes through the wash.
How to create your designs
Ok, so now you're thinking: "This little machine seems pretty cute. Really handy... but how do I actually create my designs?"
The basic software The free program that comes with the Silhouette (Silhouette Studio) is pretty basic, but it's enough for a lot of things. Lettering, simple shapes, text... all of that can be done directly in the program.
Illustration software For more complex designs, I personally prefer preparing my files in Photoshop or Illustrator, then transferring them into Silhouette Studio. If you work with other illustration programs (Canva, Inkscape, Affinity), that works too (as long as you can export in the right format).
File formats For the Silhouette, I'd recommend PNG format. For Cricut and most other cutting machines, SVG is often a must. Check your machine's compatibility before buying a template elsewhere.
Don't have illustration software? No worries, there are tons of designers out there creating files specifically for cutting machines. You can find some on Etsy, among other places.
| I actually have a selection of cut files available in my shop. |
If you're looking for something specific and can't find it — reach out to me, I can probably help.
Psst! One last note: every technique covered here can also be done entirely by hand. It's easier, more precise, and faster with a cutting machine, but if you don't have one, you can grab your scissors and x-acto knife. Take your time, it still works.
If this article made you want to try out some new materials, also check out my article on 10 cosplay materials to try at least once, there are some ideas that pair really well with a cutting machine.
And if you want to stay in the loop on new products, promos, and new articles to help you with your creative projects, join The Harbour!
In the meantime,
Happy sewing! Happy crafting! 🤓✂🐙