Make a DIY Mouse Pad

A beautiful DIY mouse pad that makes working a little more fun! Learn how to make this beautiful leather and gold mouse pad for your office or your work from home space.

I’ll say it until my last breath — DIY projects that you can actually use are my absolutely favorites.

I totally understand making for making’s sake, but if you can make something that’s beautiful and functional, I think that’s the ultimate. And this DIY mouse pad is definitely in that camp.

Form meets function here, especially if you love working while you’re surrounded with lovely supplies. Let’s get into it!

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FUnctional Home Office DIY Ideas

We’ve got a library full of them! And if after you try our DIY mouse pad you want to keep going, I rounded up some of the very best projects we’ve shared.

Be sure to pin your favorites so that you can find them again easily.

• How to Make a Modern Desk Organizer
• DIY Suede and Gold Leaf Polka Dot Mousepad
• WFH Essentials for Your Home Office Setup
• Make a Paper Organizer for All Your Scrapbook and Wrapping Paper
• DIY Gold Marbled Pencil Cup

Supplies You’ll need

Plain Mouse Pad. I like you use a plain mouse pad as a base for this project. In the photo below, you can see I’m using an old mouse pad that I pulled the top layer off of. You can find these at the dollar store if you want to get a really affordable one! However, if your leather or material is thick enough, you could technically get away without using the pad at all.

Leather or Faux Leather. Either will work, so choose your preference! We’ve also used suede before on a DIY mouse pad project and it worked well. Whatever material you use, just make sure your mouse will glide over it easily.

Fine Paint Brush. A paintbrush with a thin, fine tip will help you paint on the hash mark pattern so that it looks clean and clear.

Mod Podge (or Gold Leaf Sizing). Mod Podge is great if that’s what you have on hand! However, if you prefer to use gold leaf sizing (adhesive), it works equally well.

Gold Leaf. I purchased a box of gold leaf like this one years ago and just used it all recently! It lasts forever and a little goes a very long way.

Soft Paint Brush. It’s important to have a clean, dry, soft paintbrush for buffing away the excess gold leaf. This will ensure a clean project with minimal rips or tears in the leaf.

E6000. One of my favorite crafting adhesives to have on hand. You’ll use it for everything!

Scissors. Nice sharp scissors will yield the best result! I like to use sewing scissors to cut leather or faux leather.

Pen. Any ballpoint pen will do.

How to Make a dIY Mouse Pad with a Gold Leaf Pattern

1. Start by tracing the blank mouse pad onto the back side of your material with a ball point pen. Cut out the circle that you’ve traced (or whatever shape your mouse pad will be).
2. Spread a thin layer of E600 (or your adhesive of choice) onto the top of your blank mouse pad. If you’re having trouble spreading the glue, use a small piece of cardboard or a scraper to spread the glue into a thin layer. You want to avoid leaving lumpy lines of glue so that your mouse glides smoothly over the surface.
3. Place your leather or faux leather wrong side down onto the glue to adhere it to the mouse pad. Be sure to line up the edges all the way around, then smooth the two pieces together.
4. Next, load your fine paint brush with Mod Podge or gold leaf adhesive. Start painting your pattern. We used a hash mark pattern, alternating with vertical and horizontal lines across the mouse pad. Try to paint in thin layers so that the adhesive does not pool
5. Paint about halfway across your mouse pad and then gently test your adhesive. You want to set the gold leaf down on the adhesive when it’s tacky to the touch but not still wet. If your adhesive is tacky, start to rip small sections of gold leaf from one of the sheets and place the sections over the adhesive areas.
6. Continue in the same manner until you’ve completed your pattern.
7. Allow the gold leaf to stay on the adhesive until it’s fully dried. I recommend 20-30 minutes.
8. Once dry, use your larger, soft, and completely dry brush to gently buff away the excess gold leaf. Continue to buff until all of the unattached gold leaf comes free, revealing your pattern.

Using your DIY Mouse Pad

I recommend allowing the mouse pad to dry and cure overnight before using, to ensure that your mouse doesn’t scrape away any gold leaf that’s not fully cured.

Then, go for it! I used my first gold leaf mouse pad for a good two years before it needed retirement, so I hope that this DIY has a nice long life for you.

If you try and love this project, be sure to rate it below! xoxo