Silhouette Cameo 4 Must-Have Tools and Tips

There is so much to learn when you buy a Silhouette Cameo® 4. But have no fear, today I am sharing my Silhouette Cameo 4 must-have tools and tips to make sure you can start crafting as soon as you take your machine out of the box.

First, you need your Silhouette Cameo® 4. It is regularly priced at $299 on the Silhouette America site and is generally about the same price on Amazon (color selection and bundles can vary).

Silhouette runs sales that every month and you can always check with me to see what is on sale – I will help you get the best deal, even if it isn’t with my affiliate link.

My Silhouette Cameo® 4 Beginner Must-haves:

• Silhouette Cameo® 4 (power cords and USB cable)
• Cutting Mat – Standard
• AutoBlade for Silhouette Cameo® 4
• Silhouette Software – the basic software is FREE but I highly recommend upgrading to business edition. It makes importing SVGs and cut files so easy. It is definitely worth the extra investment.
  I used the free version for 3 years but wish I had made the switch sooner.
  • Basic Download – Totally FREE.
  • Business Edition

Tools and Supplies:

• This tool kit is a great value for some of my favorite tools:
  • Weeding tool – I like the Silhouette hook. Other crafty friends like the Pin Pen.
  • Scraper
  • Spatula – especially helpful when cleaning tiny paper scraps off your mat.
• Cutting mat – Light tack is very important for cardstock crafting. The standard tack cutting mat works fine but may cause your paper to curl or tear. Click here to read my friend Teresa’s blog post all about cutting paper with a Silhouette Cameo.
• The Cameo 3 and the Cameo 4 have DIFFERENT auto blades. They are NOT interchangeable. – Don’t buy the old ones at a great price; they won’t work with the 4.
• I recommend ordering some samples of transfer tape to find the one you like the best. I always use one with a grid to help me center my designs.

For Heat Transfer Vinyl

• A regular clothes iron works well for small heat transfer projects but if you will be making shirts or designs larger than 6×6 I recommend getting a heat press. The clothes iron doesn’t distribute heat as evenly and the steam holes on the iron can sometimes leave marks on your vinyl. *I used an iron for 2 years and most of my projects were fine – but a press just makes it easier!
  • Heat Press
  • Easy Press
  • Mini Iron for small HTV projects
• I also love using a re-usable Teflon sheet to make sure my press doesn’t scorch my heat transfer vinyl. Lay it between your press and your clear carrier sheet when applying the heat.

You can always find my favorite Silhouette products on my Silhouette Favorites Amazon list. I add new and fun things all the time.

I am always available to help answer Silhouette questions or ooooh and ahhhh over your latest craft project. Tag me @pdbjay on social media so I can celebrate your projects.

Check out this Storage Box post for my pencil box I use for my Silhouette Cameo tools.