If the template is only for a few pieces, then I use a manila file folder to make my template. If the template will be used over and over for a long time, then I use the hard plastic (that sometimes covers things that you buy like a curling iron...you know the kind that you need a scissors or knife or box cutter to open it). I also found that manila file folders come in plastic. And any kind of plastic such as the commercial grade shelving came with plastic liners for the shelves. What a score on that one as the pieces were super large and 6 of them (one for each shelf)!!! But if the template might be something like squares or a triangle, then I might buy the template if the size fulfills the need. On the issue of cutting the plastic, I purchased (but haven't tried as of yet) an electric wood burning tool. I'm thinking that maybe it would be better using this idea for those areas where you cannot manipulate a pair of scissors to cut through the plastic very accurately. I also thought that if the wood burning tool makes the edges of the cut jagged, then I could use fine sand paper to smooth it out.