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A lot of people are attracted to the Sizzix Texture Boutique Embossing Machine because of its relatively tiny price tag and its equally tiny size.

The manual embossing machine is easy to travel with and yet, it fits most medium sized embossing folders. Other machines that both cut and emboss, like the super popular Big Shot,are expensive and heavy to carry around. Unless you have one of our top 3 craft bags with wheels, you cannot easily travel with such a big machine.

To be fair, you probably do not need to die cut and emboss on the go very often. But if you are going to a friend’s house for a crafty day or to a scrapbooking crop, it can be useful to bring along a way to die cut. Since the Texture Boutique is so compact, inexpensive, and light, a lot of people wonder if it is possible to die cut with it.

The answer is………………………………………………………………………

sort of.

Sizzix claims that the machine can only be used for embossing, not die cutting. Thus, you should keep in mind that you run the risk of damaging your machine if you try this at home.

However, you actually can cut with the Texture Boutique. But only with very thin metal dies. No, seriously. They have to be the very thin ones.

And they have to be smaller than 4.5 inches, otherwise they will not actually fit into the machine. You also have to fiddle with the pressure a little bit and run the die through a few times, but you will get a clean cut most of the time.

Tip – You should always try to put the fewest cutting points through a die cutting machine at a time. For example, if you have a long, thin border die, you should send the die through the machine vertically. This will allow your machine to put the maximum amount of pressure on fewer cutting points. Go ahead and try it now. Put the same die through your machine once vertically and then once horizontally. You can absolutely tell the difference.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand. 

1. First, you need to put your paper on top of an embossing folder with the die in place.
2. Then, you should make a sandwich with your two embossing plates.
3. Finally, run it through your machine and presto! A beautiful cut.

However, be prepared for whatever embossing folder you use as your base to get scratched or damaged.

And depending on the thickness of the die, you may have to play around with different brands of embossing folders. Even a millimeter of difference can determine whether or not the machine will cut your paper.

So there you have it. You can cut thin dies with your Sizzix Texture Boutique, but it is a bit of a hassle. And you do run the risk of damaging your machine if you are not careful.

On the other hand, if you are not ready to attempt die cutting with the Texture Boutique, there are still plenty of other reasons to get one. If you already have a cutting machine, like the Silhouette Portrait, which cuts but does not emboss, then the Texture Boutique can be a great option for you. We like the Portrait because it is less expensive than the Silhouette Cameo, especially when you purchase it in a bundle. But we realize that any of the traditional die cutting machines can be too expensive for a crafter on a budget, so we wanted to show you an alternative.