How to Make a Mouse Pad

Creating the Base of Your Mousepad

Select a piece of cardboard. Measure and cut it to the size you want your mouse pad to be. A standard mouse pad is around 8” x 10”, but feel free to customize the size to your personal preference. Use corrugated cardboard, rather than flat cardboard, because it provides a layer of cushioning. If you have any cardboard boxes on hand, you can simply cut the base of your pad from the side of a box. If the cardboard you have isn't thick enough for the mousepad you want, you can glue a few pieces of cardboard together to create your pad's base. Instead of cardboard, you can also use a piece of foam core.

Make your base non-slip. You don't want your mousepad to slide around on your desk while you are trying to use it. You can use shelf and drawer non-slip liner for the bottom of your mousepad. Just cut it to the size of the base of your mousepad. You can find this type of liner in stores like Target, Walmart, Lowes, or Home Depot. If you don't buy the adhesive kind of liner, use glue to attach it. Alternatively, you can use a piece of a rug liner in the same way. If you want a simple, household nonstick alternative, you can use a piece of double-sided tape on each corner of your pad. Add your tape when you are completely finished constructing your pad. Simply use it to stick the pad to your desk. You can also use adhesive pads or putty meant for hanging posters.

Cut a sheet of thin self-adhesive foam padding. This should be the same size as your cardboard and will give your mouse a good surface to move on. You want to place your foam directly on top of your cardboard surface so that all the sides line up. After you cut the foam, remove the paper protecting the adhesive and apply it to the top of your cardboard. If the foam you find doesn't have adhesive, you'll want to glue the foam in place. You should be able to find this type of foam at any hobby or craft store. If you don't want to use foam, you can just leave the cardboard plain, as it will still function as a mousepad. Alternatively, you can use something like a piece of cork as this layer of your mousepad. If you have an old bulletin board, simply cut out a piece the size of your pad.

Adding the Decorative Top Layer

Choose a design. The beauty of creating your own mousepad is that you can customize it to match your workspace. Decide if you want it to include a pattern, a solid color, or a photograph.

Find your material. Once you know what you want your design to be, decide on a material for the decorative top layer of your mousepad. Remember that you want your mousepad to stay smooth and flat, so your mouse can move across it easily. For photographs, you can use simply a printed sheet of paper with your chosen image. When you're using a photo, you want to make sure you use a photo that is the size of your mouse pad, rather than gluing a smaller photo in the center. If you'd rather have a pattern, you can use wallpaper or wrapping paper. Thrift stores are a great place to find cheap remnants of wallpaper perfect for crafting. Fabric is also a good material for solid or patterned mousepads. You can find fabric at any local hobby store or repurpose an old cotton shirt.

Cut to size. Whatever material you choose, you'll need to cut it to the size of your mousepad base. You want it to be the exact size of the top of your base with clean-cut edges.

Attach your decorative top to your mousepad. After you cut it to size, you will want to attach your fabric or paper top to the base. White glue or mod podge works well for paper tops. Just use a paintbrush to spread a thin, even layer of glue onto the surface of your base, and then smooth on your top layer of paper. If you are using fabric, use fabric glue or a spray adhesive for the best results. Avoid hot glue, as this will leave lumps in your mouse pad.

Cover the top with clear contact paper. The clear contact paper will protect your design and allow your mouse to move smoothly. First, cut your contact paper to size. Then, peel off its backing, and apply it to your mousepad. Be sure to smooth out any air bubbles. You can use the side of a ruler as a tool for smoothing. If you'd rather skip the decorative paper or fabric, you can simply use opaque contact paper with a preprinted design.

Creating a Quick Temporary Mousepad

Gather your materials. To make a very simple pad, you will need a small book or similarly shaped flat object, a plastic envelope, and some tape. The book inside the envelope creates a nice flat surface for your mouse to glide on. If you don't have an envelope, you can also use a zip-lock bag. If you're in a real hurry, you can use a thick magazine or a book alone as a mousepad. Make sure the book you use has a smooth cover and enough surface area. Simply place the book or magazine beside your computer.

Choose the exterior of your mousepad. If you have a plastic envelope, this works best. It has a smooth surface and a small amount of cushioning.

Cut your envelope in half. This will make your mousepad a more manageable size for use on your desk. You can leave the envelope whole if you want a very large mousepad or want to reuse the envelope later.

Insert your weight. You'll want something to put inside of your mousepad to give it weight and give your mouse something to slide around on. The weight should be slightly smaller than your envelope half. A slim book works well. You could also use a scrap of wood or a few small pieces of cardboard.

Put your weight inside your envelope. You want it to sit comfortably inside the envelope with a bit of room on the end so you can enclose it.

Tape your envelope shut. Use a few pieces of masking tape or clear tape to seal the edges of your envelope. This insures that your weight won't fall out while you're using it.

Add nonslip surface. If you really need a mousepad right away, you can skip this step. However, it can be nice to ensure your pad stays in place on your desk while you use it. The simplest way to create a nonslip surface is to use a few pieces of double-sided adhesive to attach the pad to your desk. You can also use tape, poster putter, or command hook adhesive.