My review of the Sizzix Big Shot Machine

Recycled Soda Tin Floral Barette

Above is a cool view of a recycled project made from aluminum soda cans.

The flowers were cut out using the  Sizzix Big Shot Machine Only (Powder Blue & Teal) by Ellison  die cutting machine.  The teal is the newest color in the series and works just as well as the pink and black one.

Big Shot Machine

Lately, it seems like every craft show I attend has someone demonstrating and/or using a 
Sizzix Big Shot Machine or the Sizzix BIGkick Machine Only (Vintaj Special Edition) by Ellison
that is created specifically for metal at their booth.  I have seen people use such a variety of materials with these machines that it never ceases to amaze me.  Even beyond that, is the projects people make with their die cut pieces.  This tool appears to be one of the "must haves" for an avid crafter and recycling junkie.  

At the "Unique LA" show I attended recently, I watched my friend Stefanie Girard (author of 

 Sweater Surgery and reporter for Craft Gossip), demonstrate how to use the big shot to cut shapes out recycled felted wool sweaters and make fun jewelry.  These were popular workshops that were sponsored by various groups and organizations, including Craftside Publishing.   The folks in attendance just loved being able to use the "Big Shot" to cut up the sweaters to make cool jewelry pieces like the ring below.  For more great recycled project ideas, just visit one of her many blogs (included the card album blog).

Recycled Felted Wool Sweater Ring

Seeing all these cool demonstrations, has made me want to own a die cutting machine of my own.  I have a very limited crafting space so I had to do a little research to figure out which machine would do the most for the price, size, and cost.  The "Big Shot" retails for $99.00 (plus shipping) on the Sizzix website.  I did a google search and found the price on the Sizzix Big Shot Cutting-and-Embossing Roller-Style Machine varied depending on the retailers and some of the specials they were holding on machine.  Amazon offers it at a great price.  Also, I have seen it sold with accessories in kit form at various scrapbooking and craft shows (ex:  beginners kit, advanced kit, etc.).  So the price can vary. 

The Sizzix Big Shot Machine Only comes with:

• Big Shot Machine (14-1/4 by 12-3/8 by 6-5/8 )
• Multi Purpose Platform
• Directions imprinted right on the platform so you wont lose them (unless you misplace the platform)
• Pair of standard Clear cutting pads

Sizzix Big Shot Starter Kit

• The Sizzix Big Shot Starter Kit on Amazon comes with:
• Big Shot Machine
• Standard Cutting Pads
• One Extended Multipurpose Platform
• One Bigz Die
• Two Sizzles Dies
• One Textured Impressions Embossing folder (these work with thin metals too)
• One Framelits Seven die set
• Ten Cardstock Samples
• Instruction Booklet

My first question upon opening the box, was "what is this multi purpose platform for?"  It looked a bit odd so I did the smart thing and read the instructions.   I love the fact that the machine is so easy to set up.  The cool multi purpose platform itself has flaps called tabs.  Each tab gives the directions for using various dies, embossing and texture sheets printed right on it. The multi purpose platform is important because it shows many of the Sizzix products and how they are compatible with this machine. If you shop at the Sizzix website it has a button that leads you to all of their products that are compatible with the big shot.  Additionally, the platform allows you to use other company dies, embossing, and texture sheets with this machine. 

The base of the big shot is sturdy which is helpful when trying to use the extra long dies like the "Suitcase" die (#657124).  

Upon reading the directions, I realized that the Big Shot cuts and embosses a wide variety of materials.  Since, I had a limited amount of dies to test out, I decided to take advantage of my local craft store sale on dies and pick up a few to help me test out the machine's capabilities.  Once I was armed with enough dies, I had a field day running different materials through the machine and trying out the dies.  

I tested an wide assortment of materials including, acetate, card board, corrugated card board, card stock, 

aluminum and plastic from soda containers

chipboard, papers (different weights and textures), plastic, place mats, fabric, thin leather, some hand 

made papers, tin, sticker paper, rubber, and more using the Sizzix Die's.  Basically anything that was less

the blue felt material above is 1/8" thickness

than 1/8" went through the machine.  I tried out some craft wood that was the thickness of wall paper and very soft.  It went through without any problem.  

I have listed below some of the different materials and results I got from testing the Big Shot. 

Aluminum Cans

I started with some rinsed soda and energy drink cans then using an old pair of scissors, I cut up the cans.  I wore my leather 

gloves to protect me from the sharp edges that I was bound to encounter while cutting up the soda cans. This was a smart move, as I ended up with quite a few sharp edges.  I flatten out the piece of a aluminum and then ran through the "Big Shot" using my

butterfly die (#654996 ).

The finished piece was very cool and since this die is a butterfly and I could fold up the wings to give it more dimension.  

Burlap

I decided to test a nice orange burlap place mat that I had on hand.  I put a small piece through the big shot and used my Flowers Layer (#654982) die cut.   It did cut the burlap but the burlap started to unraveled fairly quickly.  So I decided to try the old stand by "Modge Podge" on the burlap.  

I used the my favorite gloss-lustre because it gives everything a little bit of shine.  I applied it to both sides of the burlap (allowing to dry between applications). Once the material had dried, I ran it through Big Shot machine.  This time it cut the burlap without any unraveling problems.  The dried Modge

Podge also made it easier to shape the petals.  I added a bit of glitter to the petals,  then attached a pin back to make it into a flower pin.

Cork Board

I tried a round cork board drink coaster in the machine that was a little thicker than 1/8".   I found that it was too thick to run through the machine.  So I decided to try a thinner piece of cork board (less than 

1/8") and then ran it through the "Big Shot" using my butterfly die (# 654996).  It worked just fine.

Aluminum Can and Cork Project:

I combined the aluminum can pieces that I had cut earlier with the cork board pieces to make some fun butterflies.  

Then my girls mounted them onto some plant sticks for one of many teacher's aid gifts that we have been working on.  My daughter added some sequins onto the butterflies to catch the light and make it fun.  

I love that my girls can join me in using the things we die cut from this machine, as well as its' applicability to kids crafts.

Felt Craft Sheets - Self Adhesive

I wanted to use one of my "Hello Kitty" dies that I had on hand, so I decided that one of those self

adhesive felt craft sheets would be fun to test the "Big Shot" on.  I tried a single thickness and it worked very well.  

Hello Kitty Die Cut in Felt

I decided to try a double thickness and it did not cut as cleanly as the single thickness did…so I think I will stick to a single layer of the felt for future reference.   

Second Project - Hello Kitty Tote

Since the felt is flexible, I decided it would be a great accent on a tote bag for one of my girls.

Hello Kitty Tote Bag

Foam Sheets

I received a really cute suitcase die cut that I was curious to try out and see if it would work with the foam sheets you can find at the craft store.  The suitcase die is very long and requires using longer clear

extended platforms to run this particular die through the Big Shot.  The felt sheets were a little less than 1/8" thickness.  I cut the sheet to fit the die and ran it through the machine.  Running the extended platform through the big shot takes only a bit more work than the shorter ones.  You need to hold them together until the die is 1/4th of the way through, then it run slowly through to get a nice cut on your paper or material.  Needless to say, it worked great and the thickness of the foam made the suitcase a little bit sturdier than if I had cut it out from card stock paper.   The foam did not fold as easily as paper would have and it did need to be stitched with thread to stay in the suitcase shape. However the end result was worth that little bit of extra effort. 

Foam Suitcase

Plastic 1 liter bottles

I washed out the bottle, then using very sharp scissors I cut the top and bottom from the bottle.  Then I cut down the center and laid it under some heavy books to flatten it out.  Once it was flat enough, I cut the plastic to fit the die.  I ran the die through the machine and it cut it out quite nicely.

It was very sheer so I decided to paint the petals before I put them together to create the flower in layers.  I used the Plaid Enamels to paint the plastic and they worked really well together.  Once the paint dried, I shaped the petals by pinching the ends and then put the flower together.  Since it was  plastic, I realized it would be great to use to decorate a pin wheel for the garden.

Plastic Bottle flower attached to pinwheel

Plastic Place mat

I had a plastic place mat made from a harder plastic than the 1 liter bottles.  The animal print just screamed to be used in some type of fun flower.

I cut the plastic to fit the Flowers Layer die cut (#654982) and put it through the "Big Shot" using the extra long clear plastic pads.  I was glad to see that it worked well cutting out the petals without leaving any sharp edges.

Third Project - Animal Print Flowers
Using the plastic flowers I cut out from the animal print place mat, I took the pad from my pergamano set so I could use a stylus to give the petals some shape.

I glued the pieces together, added a brad in the center, and then glue them to pin backs so they could be used as a pin.

The animal print flowers were so cute that I decided to add them to a gift bag to decorate it and for  the receiver of the gift to be able to use the wearable pin later on.

I also made some cute barrettes from some of the many flowers we had cut from the placement (which was a very large place mat).

Rubber Shelf liner

I picked up some the non-slip rubber shelf liner and put it through the machine using my Flowers Layer (#654982) die cut.  I was able to run 2 sheets at a time with out any problems.  It probably would have done 4 but I only needed a few flowers for this test.  It did cut the through the rubber without any problems.  I tried putting the petals together to make a flower but it was too thin to hold it's shape well.  So I decided to coat the rubber with the Modge Podge and glitter to see what would happen.  I let it dry overnight and it stiffened it up the petals so I could attach them to some flip flops to make them a little more decorative.  They came out cute!

Self Adhesive Plastic Shelf Liner

This is a little thicker than most shelf liners, however,  it cut without any problems.

The girls used the cut outs to decorate journal pages and an old tag I had from a trade show.

decorate tag

Competitor Dies

According to the information on the tabs, you can use the wafer thin die and other competitors dies on this machine.  So I decided to give it a try. I had a set of the "Spellbinder Nestabilities" frames in my craft box to try out. These are so versatile and it would be fabulous if I could use them with the Big Shot.

I placed one of the clear pads on top of Tab Number 2 (which means both tabs are under the pad).  Since the Spellbinder frame die is considered to be fairly thin, I decided to see what would happen if I feed it through without the proper backing (foam pad).

It went through without any problems but did leave deep marks on the clear plastic cutting pads.  You can see below how clean this machine cuts through the paper.

Then, I followed the actual directions on the tabs for wafer thin dies.  I placed the die face up on the pad.  I put a piece of paper stock on top of the die followed by a piece of foam and the second clear pad.  It cut clean without any problems.

Using the impression part of the die, was a little trickier.  I put Tab Number 2 through the machine first to hold the platform in place.  Then, I placed the Spellbinder Nestibilities die face up directly on top of Tab Number 1.  Then placed the paper.  I covered the die with two pieces of foam, and the clear pad I ran it through slowly.  

When I removed the pads, the die had left an impression perfectly, 

however it did leave some cuts on the piece of foam.  

I checked the Sizzix website and found that this problem is easily fixed by using the sizzix silicone pad and by following the directions on that packaging.  However, for now at least I know it works with what I have on hand.

Next I tried the Sizzix die "Shells & Starfish" (1/8" thickness).  This is a fun little die with a summer beach theme.  The shells and starfish on this little die are so cute!

I put it through the big shot and using card stock and it cut through cleanly.

I decided to try to cut another piece of soda can tin and I was surprised to see that it cut through the tin cleanly.  

Texture and Embossing

I also read that you can use texture sheets and embossing tools with the Big Shot.  I do not own any embossing tools, so testing those were out.   However, I did have some texture and embossing sheets from other companies to test out.  I decided to try one of the Cuttlebug embossing folders (Provo Craft) out in the Big Shot.  I used a piece of

aluminum can that I had cut from an energy drink.  Using the enclosed platform, I made sure that tab
number 2 went through the machine first.  I placed the cutting pad with the "Cuttlebug Emboss Sheet"

(Victoria) sandwiched between the top and bottom pad.  I laid them on top of Tab number 1.  I ran it through the machine.

I carefully removed the aluminum from the embossing sheet.  The design embossed beautifully and looked great on both sides of the aluminum piece.

I then tried the "Makin's Clay Plastic Texture Sheet" and the "Shade-Tex" rubbing plates (Scratch Art) which are significantly thinner.  I put a piece of foam down onto the platform, then I placed the texture sheet on it.  I put a piece of parchment paper on it and then a piece of foam followed by the top pad.  I ran it through the machine.  The texture sheets are not made of the same material as the Cuttlebug sheet and they did not work well on this machine.  Both did leave a slight impression on the paper but it was not much of one.  I think the texture sheets you use on this machine need to be made of sturdy materials to work well, instead of the lighter plastic or rubber.

For the money, this machine is a great investment because of its versatility and portability.  My friends and I enjoy having outdoor crafting parties and often there is no electricity easily available.  The Big Shot offers a tremendous potential for both my crafting needs and my upcycling projects.  The fact I can use it too cut so many different types of materials is a real plus.  I often switch between fabric projects and paper projects, to be able to use the machine for both is a not only a spacesaver but a money saver too!  Also, having seen some my favorite recycling gurus out there utilizing this machine to create some really cool art is inspiring as well. I would highly recommend this machine, for its many great qualities and affordable price.

Update August 21, 2015:

Many of you have contacted me to find out when I will post a review of the newest  Sizzix 660340 Big Shot Plus Cutting/Embossing Machine, White/Gray,

well the current price of that machine is $143.00 with free shipping (if you are a member of Amazon Prime) so it will have to wait for a bit.  My friend Stefanie purchased the Big Shot Plus Cutting/Embossing Machine, so I spent the afternoon checking it out and here are some of my preliminary thoughts about it:

• The Big Shot Plus Machine measures:  15 3/4 inches by 11 3/4 Inches with a height of 7 1/2 Inches. These measurements are approximate. 
• The biggest draw of the machine is that you can feed your 8 1/2" by 11 inches papers through the machine to cut out the die shapes.  I use the 12 inch by 12 inch papers a lot more, so I would still end up having to cut my paper to feed it through the machine.  So I am not sure if spending an additional $75 for the machine is worth it at this time, with out knowing more about it.
• I not sure if you can use your collection of dies in this machine, as I did not have my collection of dies with me that day (and she lives 75 miles away from me) to test out and she only had regular 8 1/2 by 11 paper to use. 
• The color of this machine is a simple white with grey trim look.  It doesn't have the fun colorful designs that the regular big shot does but it really does not need it either.  It is a nice machine to have if you have the space to store it.  
• Because of its' size, it is not as portable as the big shot.  However, it does not need to run on electricity which is always a plus when crafting on the fly.

Tips for using the regular size Big Shot:

• Always use the right platform or cutting pad board with the appropriate die.
• Carefully place die or texture plate facing the correct direction (according to manufacturers directions).  If you are new to using these types of machine, just know that the clear plastic pads will get scratched and cut over time.  The die cutting process does leave its mark behind on those, so try to remember to rotate and flip the clear pads to get even wear on them.
• Local craft stores do not have a large selection of these dies in stock, they are trending towards the electric die cut machines which I think is a mistake.  There is a need for both types, especially if you want to take your die cutting machine with you somewhere where there is not electricity readily available. Anyway, you can find a great selection on die's online.
• Check the Sizzix website to get some more project ideas to make the most of your machine.
• The Big Shot comes wrapped in a huge plastic container.  If you cut it carefully, you can use that same plastic and run it through your big shot to die cut it and use it for craft projects or mini books.
• The longer dies are harder to push through the machine, but have patience and it will go through.  I found that if I put a rubber anti slip mat under the big shot while using those longer dies it does help keep the machine it from moving as much.

Leave me a comment, I would love to hear about your experience with this machine and hear what types of materials you have cut with this machine.

The bigkick is a good deal if you like using the extended multi purpose platform.  And it is cheaper than the Big Shot above.



Update: June 22, 2017: I went to a class at Sizzix University where we used leather to make some fun micro travelers notebooks.

The leather was pre-cut for our use, so I did not personally see them feed it through the machine to cut it.  I did, however, feed the leather through using one of the embossing plates to give my leather a really pretty texture. We spritz both side of the leather and then fed it through the Sizzix Big Shot Machine.



It took one person to hold the machine down (because my arms are not that strong) and I fed through the machine. So it can be done.  The results are worth it.