Scrap Busters: Re-Cover an Old Mouse Pad

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If you sew, you know that it doesn’t take long for fabric scraps to really pile up. Scraps are inevitable, but they don’t have to be a waste. There are countless small projects that you can create that are fun, functional and use up your fabric scrap collection. In our Scrap Buster Series, we’re going to give you quick how-tos for small, quick projects that will put your scraps to good use.

Materials List:

Old Mouse Pad
Fabric scrap at least as big as your mouse pad

Tools List:

3M Super 77 Spray Adhesive #636100
Rotary Cutter #965511
Cutting Mat #123113

For our first Scrap Buster, we re-covered an old mouse pad with some decorative fabric to give it a bright new look. Most mouse pads are more functional than decorative and can look rather uninspiring. This simple DIY uses spray adhesive and scrap fabric to give you a cheery new mouse pad to use while you work away at your computer.

Scrap Busters Recover an Old Mouse Pad 3

How to Re-Cover a Mouse Pad:

1. Gather your materials and select a small piece of fabric. Try to choose a fabric from your scrap bin that doesn’t have too much texture, so the mouse will still glide easily over the pad. If your fabric piece is larger, lay it out and determine which part of the pattern you would like on your mouse pad.

2. Spray the top of your mouse pad with a spray adhesive.

Scrap Busters Recover an Old Mouse Pad 4

3. Glue the mouse pad to the fabric in the desired location on the underside of the fabric.

Scrap Busters Recover an Old Mouse Pad 5

4. Carefully turn the glued mouse pad and fabric over and smooth out the fabric from the top, making sure to remove any air bubbles.

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5. Flip the fabric and mouse pad back again so the bottom of the mouse pad is facing up.

Scrap Busters Recover an Old Mouse Pad 7

6. Lay the assembly on a cutting mat and using a rotary cutter, cut the fabric out from around the mouse pad. If you used a synthetic fabric, you can use a hotknife to cut the fabric, which will also prevent any unraveling. Our fabric was 100% cotton, so we just tucked in any fraying edges so they stuck in the glue.