Super Fast, Fabulous Mouse Pad DIY!
So the other day I was in Wally World in desperate need of a new mouse pad. You know how one day your old one is fine and then BAM! It’s suddenly dingy and gross? My need level felt desperate and they only had one style in one color. Crazy, bright, ugly blue. I dug around in the box. I looked all around the shelf. I just knew there had to be a different color than this. Red maybe? What about black? There wasn’t.
Since it wasn’t worth it to drive across town to another store, I paid my $3 and went home. Sitting on my white desk, day after day, the serious blue was really ticking me off. So, rather than having an ugly mouse pad staring at me for one more day, I decided to DIY it.
For this project you will need:
- mouse pad (preferably cheap, disgusting or ugly)
- fabric
- Mod Podge
- cheapie foam paint brush
- scissors
- fray chek
STEP 1: Apply a healthy amount of Mod Podge straight onto the top of your mouse pad with a cheapie foam brush. Be sure to spread it all the way to the edges and corners.
STEP 2: Take your piece of fabric and press it onto the Mod Podge, doing your best to keep your pattern straight, if that matters. If you’re not sure if you’ve got is straight, don’t sweat it – you’ll be able to tell in step 3. Which reminds me…
STEP 3: Flip your pad over and double-check on your pattern. You can kind of finagle it here to be more the way you want it to be. Give the back a good wash to remove any stray Mod Podge.
STEP 4: Flip your little sucker over and give it a good rub or two to make sure there are no bubbles or other weird goings-on with your fabric. Use scissors to cut around the pad and remove any excess fabric.
STEP 5: Go around the edges of your pad with some fray check. This will keep the fabric from, well, fraying and looking like a hot mess. Allow your mouse pad some time to dry out and VOILA! You went from nasty to classy in 5 easy steps and about 10 minutes!
I hope that you enjoyed this DIY. Feel free to post any questions in the comments. Have a wonderful weekend!
Comments (14)
Ashley @ The Latest Find
March 6, 2012 at 1:41 PM
I absolutely love this, thanks so much for sharing!! I had to laugh when you talked about searching Walmart for anything other than that bright blue, because that bright blue is exactly what we have, and it's hideous! LOL. Royal blue is possibly one of my least favorite colors, but it's all that's available (that's under $20). Thanks to this tutorial I can now cover up the blue. =)
Allison Murray
March 6, 2012 at 4:37 PM
I'm so glad that we'll be two less ugly blue mouse pads in the world! Thanks for stopping by! :)
Sharlotte Hughes
March 6, 2012 at 6:12 PM
Great idea! Love you sense of humor too. :)
Katie
March 9, 2012 at 12:14 AM
I want a new mousepad now! Wonderful idea! Thanks for sharing!
Cindy Kinnaman
May 12, 2012 at 12:42 PM
A sheet of craft foam is excellent for making a mouse pad. You can buy different colors and cut them into decorative shapes. You can cover it with cloth too.
Allison Murray
May 12, 2012 at 10:58 PM
What a great idea, Cindy. Thanks for sharing!
Lacey
July 13, 2012 at 12:35 AM
I am so doing this tonight!! Our mouse pad isn't ugly…it's actually really cute with pictures of Golden Retriever puppies on it, but it's really dirty and nasty looking and no matter how much I try to wash it…nothing really seems to work. Now I have a fix that won't cost me anything other than some time since I always have scrap fabric and mod podge in the house!!!
Allison Murray
July 13, 2012 at 3:10 PM
I'm so excited, Lacey! I hate the idea of buying something new just because what I have isn't as pretty as I'd like it to be. It seems so wasteful. I am very glad that you are able to revamp your mouse pad essentially for free. Awesome! Thanks for reading!!!
[email protected]
August 6, 2012 at 1:31 AM
Love this idea! You really have good taste in Alabama houndstooth fabric too!
Allison Murray
August 6, 2012 at 2:20 AM
As far as I'm concerned Alabama has good taste as well :)
Barbara Frondel
December 13, 2012 at 6:46 AM
Thank you so much for reminding me that my ugly mouse pad MUST GO. It is disturbing the careful quiet of my office and is filthy as well. Such a small detail, yet so important.
Allison Murray
December 14, 2012 at 5:01 PM
That is always the way, isn't it Barbara! Thanks so much for stopping by :)
Rebecca
September 22, 2013 at 12:25 AM
I actually like the bright blue mouse pad you started with, and I’m really not a fan of houndstooth. (Don’t judge me.) But I absolutely love this project, and I plan to cover my own not-so-lovely slime-green mouse pad forthwith!
Allison
September 22, 2013 at 9:42 AM
I figured they mass manufacture that pad in that particular blue because people do like it so it’s okay that you do. But how could you not like houndstooth, oh my?!!! :) Best of luck covering up that slime green.