Mouse Pad Make over
I was reading a blog post last week entitled The Top 10 WORST Corporate Gifts! Item # 4 on the list was the mouse pad. "The average person is never in the market for a mouse pad. And with laptop sales on the rise, they won’t need one in the future either." When I saw this post I had to give my mouse pad project a second thought. But then it occurred to me that I am not your average user. Not only am I old school - I prefer to use a mouse as opposed to a track pad, I can't imagine trying to draw one of my designs using only the tiny track pad on a laptop.
Anyway, I was looking around at my many well used mouse pads, and they were looking a bit grimy and uninspired. It hit me, why not make them over...
I purchased a plain white mouse pad from Ikea for $1.00 a few years ago - as time went by it got a bit soiled so I decided to use it for my mouse pad project.
[caption id="attachment_987" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="The Before"]
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You will need:
[/caption]
*Please note - There is no need to create your own fabric - you may use a piece of fabric from your stash.
I also had a boring blue mouse pad that I rescued from my old office when they went under. It was just begging for a little pizazz. So it went from uninteresting...
[caption id="attachment_991" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="lackluster mouse pad"]
[/caption]
To something more inspiring...
[caption id="attachment_992" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Isn't this more fun?"]
[/caption]
[/caption]
You will need:
- Fusible webbing - I used Wonder Under.
- Mouse Pad
- Iron
- Scissors
- Fabric
- Create your design or select your fabric of choice. I created a design in Adobe Illustrator using one of the graphic styles that came preloaded with CS5.
- Cut the piece of fabric - (8.5" x 11" worked well).
- Cut a matching piece of wonder under or any fusible webbing of your choice.
- Iron on the fusible webbing to the wrong or ugly side of the fabric (follow the manufacturers instruction).
- Place your fabric in your printer and print your design. The design should be printed on the side that does not have the webbing.
- Following the manufactures instructions, iron the fabric to your mouse pad.
- Trim excess fabric.
[/caption]
*Please note - There is no need to create your own fabric - you may use a piece of fabric from your stash.
I also had a boring blue mouse pad that I rescued from my old office when they went under. It was just begging for a little pizazz. So it went from uninteresting...
[caption id="attachment_991" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="lackluster mouse pad"][/caption]
To something more inspiring...
[caption id="attachment_992" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Isn't this more fun?"][/caption]
I created the bicycle pattern to be used in an embroidery project (my nod to all the fixy riding hipster I met while visiting the San Francisco Bay area). However, I have not been able to find the time to start this project - so doing a printable was the next best thing. Feel free to download the pattern.
To Download - click on the image of the bicycle, then right click and save the image to your computer.
Send me a pic of your project.
xoxo
Al