Several months ago I bought a “temporary” mousepad at some discount store (I don’t even remember what store it was) for a couple of dollars. It was a stopgap measure until I could find a “real” one. As I said, that was SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, and I still haven’t gotten around to getting that “real” mousepad. So when I saw a simple tutorial on Going Home To Roost about how to give your tired, old mousepad a makeover, I knew it was meant to be. My procrastination was paying off for once!
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My only concern about this project was finding some cute material to use. There aren’t too many fabric store options where I live.
But then I remembered the fat quarters (quarter-yard cuts of fabric often used by quilters) I had ordered for my “Fabric Covered Letters” post back in March. They were almost EXACTLY the right size for this! Another sign it was simply “meant to be!”
Now all I needed was some Heat n Bond Iron-on Adhesive (which I found easily at our local discount store) and I was ready to rock this makeover!
DIY Mousepad Makeover
What you’ll need:
- (1) old mousepad
- a piece of fabric large enough to cover the pad
- a piece of Heat n Bond Iron-on Adhesive large enough to cover the pad
- a pencil
- an iron
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Start by placing your mousepad onto your chosen piece of fabric and lightly trace around it with a pencil.
Carefully cut out your circle.
Place the mousepad onto a piece of the Heat n Bond and again trace around it with a pencil. Cut out this circle also.
Preheat your iron to wool setting without the steam option.
Place adhesive, paper side up, onto the back (or wrong side) of your material. Place and hold iron on paper side for 2 seconds. Repeat, gliding iron to a new area and pressing, slighting overlapping previous area until entire surface is bonded. Allow material to cool.
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Now you’re ready to put your a new “face” on your mousepad….but first you have to get rid of the old one!
Peel that tired old layer of black fabric off the top of your mousepad! Since mine was already curling up on almost the entire perimeter, it was very easy to take off.
Peel off paper backing. Place the bonded material, adhesive side down, in desired position on top of mousepad. Make sure to line up the edges precisely! Press and hold iron for 8-10 sec on each section until entire piece is bonded.
After I was DONE with this project is occurred to me that it would have been easier to first bond the material with the iron-on adhesive THEN cut out the circle (thus eliminating the need to cut out TWO circles) but that would have just made entirely too much sense. :-) I point this out not just to embarrass myself, but to save you a step, if you so desire. It will come out much the same either way though.
This was one of those projects that looked so simple that I figured there had to be a catch…but there wasn’t! It truly WAS simple and I absolutely love the results!
I’m totally diggin’ my pink polka dot mousepad! But when I get tired of it, all I have to do is find another cute scrap of fabric and repeat the steps above. This “temporary” mousepad I bought could conceivably last FOREVER. :-)
[…] DIY and photo credit: www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com […]
[…] little tutorial I have for you today I originally found at One Good Thing by Jillee. Jill has so many great idea’s! I would highly recommend visiting her website and browsing […]
[…] taste. But I know this stuff still got its potential for a great make over. Last week, I found this mouse pad upgrade DIY project and head to the fabric store to bought some bright colors covers. […]
This is just what I need. My mouse pad is a mess and I never think to get another one. I already have everything to do this project. I have an optical mouse but it works beter on a pad and I use my lap top and mouse on surfaces that need a pad. Thanks! Making over the mouse pad this morning..
Good idea…but wait! Most mouse pads are made of a rubbery, foam-type material.
Won’t the heat from the iron melt the pad? Anyone have trouble with that? I’ll maybe cover with a piece of parchment before adhering the fabric, just in case?
Another suggestion I might make… I just thought off… You can get a mouse personalized at places like Walgreens, etc, costing money… why not print a picture/s of your family or pet or whatever on a piece of “quick-fuse” material, or you could print it on a transfer and press it onto plain white material and then put it on the mousepad, using the fuse material. You would need to use a program that gave you the right size for the circle. I haven’t done it yet, but I’m going to try it… thanks for the idea!!
Since I use an optical mouse, and they like to work on a busy pattern, I bought an inexpensive plastic placemat. To keep it from slipping, I applied several strips of double faced tape. It’s SO easy to clean and works like a charm. When I finally wear down through to the keyboard shelf, I’ll go buy another plastic placemat :)
You know Y we love you? Cause you R one of us. I love that you tell us your mistakes instead of “playing it off”– keep it up, you’re doing just fine :)
I don’t dare cover our mousepad as it has the Oregon Ducks logo and colors….My husband would have my head……anyway, we’ve had it for ages and it’s still in excellent shape……….occasional cleaning is all it seems to need……Tried the electronic mouse and didn’t like it at all…..again, your website is the only one I go to every single day (even on your day off)………..
Wow I didn’t think anyone used mousepads anymore. Bought my wireless mouse years ago and have not needed a ‘pad’ since then. Cute idea though~