Decorative Mat Cutting Decorative Mat Cutting Decorative hand mat cutting is a technique which involves cutting out freehand shapes from the matboard. You can derive the shape from a feature in the piece being framed although they could be selected from designs applicable to the cultural origins of the artwork.
Most cultures have specific designs and colour schemes that can be identified.
The patterns or shapes are cut out of the board and usually another coloured matboard is used beneath the cutout. How to cut a decorative cut mat 1. Work out the design to be cut on scrap paper first. The easiest designs to cut are ones that have smooth flowing curves that start and stop in waste areas of the design. When you have settled on a suitable design draw it out on a piece of tracing paper.