DIY Personalized Mousepad Cover...

I’ve had my mousepad for so long now that I stopped really “seeing it.” Well, at least until recently when I tackled the “clean my studio top to bottom project”. After removing everything off my desk to wipe down the protective glass on it, I really “looked” at it for the first time in a long time and thought: “hmmm...pretty ugly!” No worries...spray adhesive and fabric to the rescue!

DIY Personalized Mousepad Cover

Mousepad

Spray Adhesive

Fabric

Scissors

Copyright-free image

Card stock

~*~Before~*~

You can use any printed or solid fabric for this project but I decided to personalize my mousepad even further by transferring a pretty Frenchy image onto plain fabric instead. To do this, you first need to make a sheet to run through your printer.

I use “Aleene’s Crystal Clear Tacky Spray” (Michael's), 1 sheet of card stock paper and “Linen Look” fabric that I found at JoAnn Fabrics.

 

Cut your piece of fabric so it is at least 1” larger,  all around, than your card stock. In a well-ventilated area, preferably outside, liberally spray your sheet of card stock and then press it face down onto your fabric square. Make sure you have a firm surface to work on that will allow you to smooth out all the air bubbles.

Let dry a bit and then trim the excess fabric off the card stock. You should now have a piece that looks like this....

I chose this gorgeous image from The Graphics Fairy to work with.....

 

...next, simply run your fabric-covered piece of card stock through your printer as you would normally do to print.

**Suggestions:  Remove all paper from paper tray and run your card stock through as a single sheet. I would also suggest that , when your printer begins to “grab” your sheet, you gently guide it into the printer to make sure it is working its’ way through it. Thicker fabric may jam your printer so cotton or the fabric I used would be best. 

Once your image is printed, simply peel the fabric off of the card stock and it should look like this.....puuuuuurdy!  

Now you’re ready to personalize your mousepad. Again, liberally spray the mousepad with your spray adhesive and then press it down onto the reverse side of your fabric. If your fabric has a definite “center point” then make sure you visually align the mousepad onto your fabric. If you’re using a solid fabric or one with an “all over” pattern, you don't need to worry about this step. 

Trim the excess fabric around your mousepad and....

...voila! 

You might like to really personalize your mousepad by transferring your favorite family photo onto your fabric as well. There are SO many copyright-free images so the sky’s the limit here. Have fun! 

Happy week’s end Mes Amies!