The cutting process is one of the most overlooked steps of bag making. At face value, it might seem straightforward — we all know how to use scissors, right? But the truth is, using the right cutting tools and techniques can make a world of difference. Precise cutting reduces fabric waste, makes the construction process easier, and elevates your finished product. It helps keep your seams aligned, your corners crisp, and your edges even. Your cutting technique can also impact the shape, structural integrity, and longevity of your bag.
Don’t let that scare you, though! I will be the first to admit that I occasionally make mistakes when cutting out my pattern pieces, and that’s okay. Practice makes perfect, and the more you do it, the easier it will become. The tools and tips in this post will get you started in the right direction.
First, we will look at the cutting implements every bag maker needs: a rotary cutter, scissors, and a craft knife. Then, we will talk about other important tools that go along with them, including cutting mats, rulers, acrylic templates, and marking pens. Along the way, we will also cover some cutting tips and methods to give you the best results.
Video: Cutting Tools & Methods
In most of my bag making tutorials, I cut out all my pattern pieces off camera. The biggest reason for this is to respect the pattern makers’ hard work and avoid giving away exact measurements. If you are new to bag making, however, you may be wondering what the cutting process actually looks like. That is where this video comes in.
My video Cutting Tools and Methods goes over the same topics we’re covering in this blog post today. Throughout the blog post, I will also give you specific timestamps so you can jump to the parts you’re most interested in watching.
Note: This post may contain affiliate links. When you purchase a product through an affiliate link, you are supporting Simply Classic at no additional cost to you. As always, I will only recommend products that I personally use and enjoy.
Essential Cutting Tools for Bag Making
First, let’s go over the most important cutting tools that every bag maker should have in their workroom: rotary cutters, scissors, and craft knives.
Rotary Cutters
Rotary cutters are my favorite cutting tool for bag making. With a little practice, a rotary cutter will allow you to cut pattern pieces faster and more accurately than scissors. They also give you smooth, even cuts and reduce fraying on woven fabrics.
Keep in mind that when you use a rotary cutter, you also need a ruler for measurement and a cutting mat to avoid damage to your work surface. We will talk more about rulers and cutting mats later in this post.
Product Features to Consider
When you’re shopping for a new rotary cutter, here are some key features to look out for.
Blade size: Rotary cutters come in four sizes: 18 mm, 28 mm, 45 mm, and 60 mm. Smaller blades give you more precision, while larger blades are more powerful and can cut through more layers of fabric at once. For bag making, I recommend a 45 mm blade because of its versatility. I also find myself reaching for my 28 mm rotary cutter when I’m cutting tight circles and small areas.
Handle: Some rotary cutter handles are made specifically for right-handed or left-handed use, while others have a universal handle that accommodates both. Whichever you choose, look for an ergonomic, soft-grip handle that is comfortable to use.
Pressure sensitive blade: A pressure sensitive rotary cutter allows the blade to be exposed just the right amount, depending on how much pressure you apply. When you aren’t actively using it, the blade automatically retracts for safety. You can see this in action in the video at 05:08.
Safety lock: A safety lock will ensure that your blade is not exposed when your rotary cutter is not in use, even if you apply pressure. This will protect your blade and you — and any curious little ones in your life — from accidents.
Recommended Product
 | The Kai RS-45 Rotary Cutter features a comfortable, soft-grip handle with a pressure-sensitive, 45 mm blade and safety lock feature. It also has a universal grip for right or left handed use, as well as an easy change blade system, with no springs or washers to lose. The Kai RS-45 Rotary Cutter is one of the easiest blade change systems on the market. Note: In the video, I use a different model of the 45 mm Kai rotary cutter, but both versions have ergonomic handles, pressure-sensitive blades, and safety locks. |
Tip: If you are new to using a rotary cutter, practice with some scrap fabric until you feel comfortable. In our shop, we offer damaged leather hides at a big discount that are perfect for building your confidence with leather. You can mark them up, cut them up, and sew them without fear of making errors.
Scissors
Instead of a rotary cutter, some bag makers choose to trace the dimensions of their pattern pieces with a marking pen and cut them out with scissors. This method is less precise than using a rotary cutter and a ruler, as you can see in the video beginning at the 02:57 mark. With this method, the precision of your cut will depend on your marking pen and whether you cut inside or outside the line, so there is more room for error. Cutting with scissors also takes longer than using a rotary cutter.
That doesn’t mean you’ll never use scissors in bag making. They are usually not my first choice for cutting pattern pieces, but they are great for trimming excess fabric, clipping into seams to reduce bulk, cutting zipper tape and cording, and so on.
Product Features to Consider
There are so many different types of scissors out there. Here are some factors to consider when you’re shopping for a new pair to use in the bag making process.
Blades: Make sure to look at the sharpness, length, and angle of the blades. It’s a good idea to invest in a few different varieties, depending on your needs. I will talk a little bit more about blades in my product recommendations below.
Handles: Handles come in all different sizes. For your comfort, I recommend investing in scissors with soft-grip handles that fit your hand size. And if you are a lefty, don’t forget to look for universal or left-handed scissors.
Weight and material: The weight of your scissors really does make a difference! Lightweight scissors are easy to maneuver and use for longer periods of time, but they may be less durable depending on the material they’re made of. Heavier scissors can be tiring to use for extended periods, but they provide more stability and (again, depending on the material) often have a longer lifespan.
Recommended Products
I absolutely love Kai scissors. They have ergonomically soft handles and stainless steel blades that cut through multiple layers of fabric with ease, and they make a pair for every task under the sun. If I could have a million different pairs, I probably would — but let’s be realistic today and stick to my top three picks for bag making, as well as one pair from another brand I like.
 | Kai 7230 9” Professional Shears These scissors are made with high carbon, hardened stainless steel and the blades have a sharp angle. This makes them an excellent tool for cutting thicker, more difficult fabrics. I like that the bottom blade lies flat, allowing it to glide along your work surface as you cut. Even though these scissors are powerful, they are surprisingly lightweight. The handles are also relatively small, so they are ideally suited for folks with small to average sized hands. |
 | This is a great pair of all-purpose scissors. It is my go-to when I’m cutting cording, binding, and zipper tape. The handles are quite big, so these scissors are great for anyone with average to large hands. |
 | I use these scissors for small cuts and tight spaces. For example, they are wonderful for clipping into seams around curved edges to reduce bulk and prevent puckering. At 5.5”, this pair is small but mighty, with sharp blades and comfortable handles. |
 | Famore Rubber Comfort Handle Scissors These scissors are my go-to for snipping threads at the machine. They are great for arthritis and fighting off hand fatigue due to their large, soft rubber handles. These scissors have extra sharp blades for precision controlled trimming and a 1.5" length cutting blade to tip. |
Craft Knives & Utility Knives
Craft knives and utility knives are useful for making precise cuts in a small space. For example, they come in handy when you’re cutting credit card slots, cutting zipper openings, or creating tassels. While craft knives and utility knives both have small, triangular blades, they do have some key differences.
Craft knives — also called art knives and precision blades — are smaller than utility knives. They offer more precision and control, but they may struggle to cut through thicker fabrics. Utility knives, on the other hand, are less precise but have robust blades that tend to handle thick fabric more easily.
Product Features to Consider
Handle: Just like with your rotary cutter and scissors, look for knives with ergonomic handles that are easy to grip and comfortable to use.
Blades: Some utility knives require a screwdriver to change the blade, while others have a quick-release switch. The downside to quick-release versions is that they give the blade less stability, so there’s more risk of the blade loosening when it’s in use. You should also consider blade storage; many utility knives have space to store extra blades, so you’ll always have a new one ready to use.
Safety features: Choose knives with retractable blades or high-quality caps to protect both you and your blades. You might also consider a squeeze utility knife (versus a push-button knife) if you’d like a blade that retracts automatically when not in use.
Recommended Products
 | The Zoid Art Knife offers greater precision and control than traditional craft knives, thanks to the TraX-Grip™ texture. It’s comfortable in the hand and easy to use, and it fits standard No. 11 blade refills. |
 | Kobalt Heavy Duty 3-Blade Utility Knife This is the knife I’m using in the video. It’s a retractable, stainless steel utility knife that features on-tool blade storage, so you can always have sharp blades available. |
Other Tools: Cutting Mats, Rulers, Acrylic Templates, & Marking Pens
Cutting Mats
Product Features to Consider
Self-healing material: Self-healing mats are made from compressed material that expands slightly when pressure is applied. When you’re done, the material comes back together, leaving behind a smooth work surface instead of an indentation.
Size: I recommend a cutting mat that’s at least 36” x 48” to give you plenty of space to work.
Recommended Products
 | ALVIN Self-Healing Cutting Mat This durable, vinyl cutting mat is self-healing and dual-sided, so it will last you a long time. It comes in several sizes to fit your workroom. |
Rulers
Rulers are useful for more than just measuring. They also provide a smooth edge for cutting your pattern pieces with a rotary blade. As we talked about before, you can use a ruler, cutting mat, and rotary cutter to measure and cut out pattern pieces. You can even use a curve corner ruler and a rotary cutter to quickly cut curved edges and corners. Check out the 08:23 mark of the video to see exactly how to do it.
Product Features to Consider
Transparency: Bag making, just like other types of sewing and crafting, requires transparent or translucent rulers so you can see your fabric underneath.
Non-slip grip: Some rulers come with non-slip grips to hold them in place on your fabric. For rulers that don’t come with non-slip grip, you can get adhesive ruler grips and add them yourself.
Recommended Products
 | TrueCut TrueGrips Non-Slip Ruler Grips This package contains fifteen ¾” x ¾” inch and fifteen ¼” x ¼” adhesive grips to keep your ruler in place. They are transparent, so they won’t impair visibility. |
 | Omnigrip 4" x 24" Protractor Ruler This Omnigrid ruler is one of my most commonly used measuring tools. I like the 24” ruler because a lot of the time, bag straps are 24” long. I like that I can cut a long, straight line without adjusting my ruler during the process. |
 | Creative Grids Multi-Size Curve Corner Ruler This ruler lets you create perfect corners every time. It features 45 degree and 90 degree markings, so you can create sharp corners as well as curves with a 1.5", 2", or 3" radius. Equipped with non-slip grip, this ruler slides easily on fabric yet stays in place when pressure is applied. |
Acrylic Templates
Templates ensure consistency in your projects, and they come in all shapes and sizes. There are acrylic templates for cutting tassels, placing hardware, creating zipper overlays, cutting pattern pieces, and so on. They are reusable and durable, so they’re great for any cuts or pattern pieces that you plan to create again and again.
Recommended Products
 | This laser-cut acrylic template allows you to cut ¼” and ⅛” wide tassel strips with ease. |
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 | Easy Circle Cut Ruler 8" x 12" This template makes cutting circles and half circles so simple. It gives you nine size options, allowing you to cut circles from 2” to 10” in diameter. |
Templates for Specific Patterns
If you sell the bags you make, you may want to invest in templates for the patterns that you use most often. Some pattern makers sell their own templates on their websites, and many popular bag pattern templates are available at www.thattemplateshop.com.
Marking Pens
When you use scissors to cut out a pattern piece, you will need a marking pen of some kind. The type you use depends on your fabric and how long you need the mark to last.
Recommended Products
 | This silver ink pen creates markings that are highly visible and easily wiped away with light rubbing. It works wonders for marking on chrome-tanned leather and other fabrics, but it should not be used on suede or veg-tanned leather. |
 | Chaco chalk has a fine point, similar to a pen, that allows you to draw both straight lines and free hand curves with ease. The fine point makes lines and marks more visible and is easy to use with a straight edge ruler. Chalk is a good choice for darker fabrics, as well as textured fabrics that may not allow a traditional marking pen to glide smoothly. |
 | This marker has a ceramic roller point for smooth marking on fabrics. Special self-erasing ink gives a sharp, clear line that gradually fades away over several days then disappears completely and will not reappear. If changes are needed, the ink lines can be erased by dabbing with water. |
Next Up: Interfacings and Stabilizers
So far in our Bag Making Essentials series, we have covered everything from sewing machines to fabrics to cutting methods. In the next blog post, we will focus on interfacings and stabilizers. What are they, how are they different, and how do you use them? We’ll be back next time with all the details.
Until then, don’t forget to subscribe to Simply Classic on YouTube for more bag making essentials, tutorials, and other helpful videos.
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