OLFA 24" x 36" Self Healing Rotary Cutting Mat (RM-MG) - Double Sided with Grid for Quilting, Sewing, Fabric & Crafts Review (2026)

Size and build

The OLFA RM-MG covers a 24 by 36 inch grid area on a mat that is about 1.5mm thick, made from a self healing material designed for use with rotary cutting blades. The surface reseals small cuts from a rotary blade as you work, so it keeps a smooth cutting face rather than accumulating grooves the way a bare desk or a thin cutting board would over repeated use. That size matches the kind of mat used for quilting and garment sewing, and it comfortably covers layout, cutting, and gluing tasks for hobbyists who work with sheet styrene, cardstock, or basing materials in addition to fabric.

Double sided design

One side of the mat is solid green for general purpose cutting, while the other side carries printed grid lines marked in inches along with angle markings that help with cutting straight or angled strips. Having two usable surfaces effectively doubles the working life of the mat before it needs replacing, since a worn side can be flipped for a fresh cutting face. For hobby work like scoring plasticard, trimming resin bases, or cutting paper templates for terrain, the gridded side in particular makes it easy to line up straight cuts without pulling out a separate ruler for every pass.

What it is not built for

OLFA is explicit that this mat is designed for use with rotary cutters, and using a fixed blade knife such as a hobby knife or craft knife on it can damage the surface rather than heal cleanly the way a rotary blade cut does. That is an important distinction for miniature hobbyists, since a lot of model and terrain work involves fixed blade hobby knives rather than rotary cutters. Painters and modelers who mostly use a craft knife for trimming sprues or scoring plasticard should treat this as a cutting surface for rotary work specifically, and keep a separate cheap cutting mat or board for fixed blade knife tasks.

Fit on a hobby desk

At 24 by 36 inches, this mat is considerably larger than most dedicated miniature painting desks need for day to day work, and it will not fit neatly alongside a paint rack, lamp, and brush holder on a compact desk without taking over most of the surface. It suits a shared hobby table, a garage workbench, or a craft room where the same mat gets used for terrain building, basing, and fabric or paper projects, rather than a narrow desk set up purely for painting. OLFA also recommends storing the mat flat and out of direct sunlight, since heat and sun exposure over time can cause warping in mats like this one.

Who should buy it

This mat suits hobbyists who need a large, durable rotary cutting surface for terrain building, basing material, fabric, or paper crafts, and who have the desk or table space to accommodate a 24 by 36 inch mat. It is a poor fit for someone who only needs a small protective surface under a paint palette on a cramped painting desk, where a compact cutting mat sized closer to letter paper would be a better match. For anyone doing regular rotary cutting work as part of a broader hobby setup, the double sided self healing design offers strong long term value.

Frequently asked questions