Whether or not you make money working from home or in an workplace, a mousepad is a should. And for my part, the larger, the higher. In order for you one thing giant and made from positive supplies, it may possibly get costly shortly. However why purchase a flowery felt desk pad when you may make your individual?
I’ve at all times most well-liked outsized mousepads, the sort so huge it’s going to match beneath your keyboard and mouse. They assist hold my desk clear, really feel gentle on my wrists, and make the general area look higher. The primary downside with desk pads is that they’re typically pricey, ugly, or each. Even once I discover one that matches my aesthetics and funds, it’s often an ungainly measurement that doesn’t match my desk effectively.
That’s once I noticed a felt desk pad you should purchase in a number of sizes. It’s stunning, large enough to take a seat beneath my keyboard and mouse with out taking over an excessive amount of area, and it’s… manner too costly nonetheless, at $70 plus delivery. Getting that trifecta is tough. So it lastly occurred to me: make your individual. The desk felt pad we’ve featured is simply felt utilized to a cork board. I believed it couldn’t be too tough. And excellent news, I used to be proper!
The Supplies You Will Want
To make your felt pad, you’ll need a number of objects. When you theoretically might simply lay felt down in your desk and name it a day, it gained’t be an pleasant expertise. Felt by itself isn’t steady sufficient to carry in place effectively when you transfer a mouse round and bang away at your keyboard.
So the very first thing you’ll need to purchase is a cork backing. To make the method simpler, you’ll need to get an concept of how giant your felt pad goes to be and order one thing larger than that. It is going to additionally assist an awesome deal down the street if you buy a cork piece with adhesive backing. In any other case, you’ll should fiddle with different strategies of attaching your felt to the cork. Fortunately adhesive-backed cork board isn’t onerous to seek out. It is going to often arrive rolled up, so be ready to unroll it and place a heavy object on it for a while to flatten it again out. For additional stability, goal for cork that’s 1/4 inch thick (a lot thicker than the Etsy listings promote).
Simple to chop and apply
Cork Board Roll 1/4 Thick
Though technically made for hanging on the wall as a push pin backer, this cork board works completely for a DIY desk pad.
Naturally, you want felt. Not simply any felt will do, nevertheless. Should you go for low-cost acrylic felt, you’ll remorse that call. Acrylic felt tends to tablet up (little material balls) from abrasive actions, like dragging a mouse over it. It additionally stains simply. As an alternative, you’ll desire a wool mix felt material, which gained’t capsule up and keep away from stains. You’ll be able to order giant wool felt items from Amazon, as seen beneath, but it surely’s higher to go to a neighborhood craft retailer and purchase one thing a bit bigger than you want. That manner, you may choose the colour you want greatest in individual, and also you’ll most likely save a bit cash by avoiding shopping for one thing far too giant or small.
Excessive High quality Felt
You’ll additionally want some chopping implements. You’ll desire a field cutter with a recent sharp blade to get via the majority of the cork board. Whereas it’s tempting to make use of scissors readily available, I recommend a material cutter for the felt. It is going to reduce via the fabric rather more effortlessly and turn out to be useful for rounding the corners of the pad. Utilizing scissors will possible depart you with a ragged outcome as an alternative.
Spherical and sharp
Rotary fashion material cutter
Field cutters and scissors do not reduce thick felt very effectively. However this rotary fashion material cutter will make brief work of the duty.
You’ll additionally desire a lengthy straight edge ruler and probably a plastic cup readily available to assist around the corners of your pad. You may additionally contemplate Scotch Guard to guard the desk pad from stains. It’s non-compulsory, however additional safety gained’t harm. Simply check it on a scrap of the felt earlier than utilizing it to make sure it doesn’t discolor the material.
And optionally, if you wish to give your felt mousepad some character, you would possibly contemplate chopping vinyl with a Cricut or related craft chopping machine. Whereas the Cricut 3 collection can reduce supplies out at a near-infinite measurement, nearly any gadget within the line will do as you probably gained’t create a design that can cowl all of the felt. Together with the machine, you’ll want vinyl and a design you want.
For chopping all the pieces
Should you don’t already personal a Cricut and shopping for one is understandably out of the query, you might purchase a pre-cut design from a store like Etsy.
Making the Felt Pad
You’ve your supplies; now it’s time to make the pad. The method is comparatively straightforward, although you’ll discover that if you happen to make a number of, you’ll get higher with every attempt. Step one is measuring your area and figuring out how huge you need to make your felt pad.
From there, you’ll need to use the yardstick and field cutter (with a recent sharp blade) to chop the size of the cork you need. You’re in search of an actual measurement, and the cork board you purchased will possible be outsized in no less than one dimension. It helps to chop with the adhesive facet down. After getting the essential rectangle reduce, seize your cup (I used a plastic solo cup) and draw some curves on the corners with a marker.
Field cutters don’t reduce curves effectively, so use the material cutter for this part as an alternative. In case you have a pointy blade within the material cutter, it’s going to most likely do the job effectively. However even if you happen to don’t, it shouldn’t be too onerous to work via the small bits of corners you’re chopping off. Rounding the corners is non-compulsory however does make for a better-looking remaining product.
After you’ve reduce the cork, flip it adhesive facet up and drape the felt throughout it. Don’t peel the adhesive backer simply but; use this as a possibility to check totally different positions of the felt and discover the most effective format. Chances are you’ll like a selected part of the material higher. As soon as you’re completely happy, flip the entire set over so the felt is on the underside and the cork is on prime. Then take away the adhesive backer and press the felt in place.
With the felt firmly hooked up to the cork, seize the rotary material cutter and trim across the edges of the cork board. It’s quite a bit like chopping a pizza, solely don’t eat the ultimate product on this case. After getting the felt reduce to suit with the cork board, you’re technically executed. The whole lot from right here is non-compulsory. However I recommend you contemplate making use of Scotch Guard to the material at this stage for additional safety.
From right here, all that’s left to do is create a vinyl design and reduce it out on the Cricut. Then apply it to your desk pad. In my case, I went with one thing a bit totally different. I’ve a break up keyboard that leaves the center of my desk pad open. I typically hold a Bullet Journal there, however typically it’s simply an empty area. In order that’s the place my newest Vinyl design went. Up to now, I’ve additionally positioned the Assessment Geek title within the corners of my pad, which you’ll have seen in a few of my opinions.
However that’s all there may be to it. Now you may have your individual fancy felt pad, and never counting the non-compulsory objects and stuff you most likely already personal (just like the field cutter), it most likely value manner lower than shopping for one on Etsy, and it’s arguably nicer. Simply reduce me in on the income once you listing yours on the market.
