How to Make a Desk Pad – Tips & DIY Tutorial

A desk pad (or desk mat) is one of the best and easiest ways to protect your desk surface. They can also add a little color and character to your work area. Unfortunately, professional desk pads can become pricey, and if you’re like me and don’t want to spend much, you can learn how to make a desk pad on your own.

Desk pads are both very particle and a great decorative piece for a desk. Desk pads protect your desktop surface from daily wear and tear, such as scratches, stains, and other types of damage. 

It also eliminates the need for a mouse pad. Your desk will look cleaner and more organized with just a desk pad.

Using desk mat materials in your favorite colors or patterns adds a little more fun and character to your space, making it more likely you’ll enjoy sitting at your desk.

There are many different types of custom desk pads you can make. Here are some of our favorite options to learn how to make a desk pad.

Leather desk pads can be pricey, but you can make them at home for cheaper.

You need a large piece of leather or faux leather, a straight edge, an Exacto knife, measuring tape, a leather edge beveler, a leather burnisher, and a leather conditioner.

How to make your leather desk pad:

1. Measure your desk and cut the leather against a straight edge slowly
2. Use the leather edge beveler along the edges to reduce the sharpness
3. Get the cut edges wet and, following the instruction on your leather burnisher, seal the edges
4. Weight down the desk pad until it stops curling and lies flat
5. Use a leather conditioner to finish your desk pad

Fabric desk pads are a great option because they have a wide range of colors and patterns you can use. And no, don’t worry. You don’t need to break out your sewing kit for this DIY desk pad. 

The first material you need is a large piece of fabric. Next, you will need a sturdy material for the backing/base, like poster board, foam core, or illustration board. You can even recycle some old cardboard if it is big and flat enough. 

Illustration board works the best because it is thick and sturdy enough that you won’t be worried about bending it accidentally. Lastly, you need a spray adhesive to hold it all together. 

Step by Step:

1. Cut your base material to the desired size
2. Cut your fabric to the desired size, leaving an inch allowance on all sides
3. Iron your fabric
4. Center board on fabric and trim off fabric corners
5. Spray your adhesive on one side of the board and pull the fabric onto it
6. Repeat step 5 on all sides, and now you have your fabric desk pad

Felt desk pads are one of the easiest to make, typically with thick wool. And because these desk pads are made of natural material, they look good with any desk. 

You will need 3mm thick wool, a straight edge, and a rotary cutter. Like the leather desk pad, you need to measure your space and cut the wool to fit using the straight edge and rotary cutter.

Creating a transparent desk pad to help protect your desk is just as easy as the previous options.

All it takes is purchasing a PVC tablecloth cover or a transparent vinyl sheet and then cutting it down to a size that fits your workspace. 

Having anything on your desk for long periods will inevitably get dirty. Depending on what type of desk pad you make, dirt and stains may be more noticeable than others. 

Leather and transparent desk pads are the easiest to clean and can just be wiped down with a damp cloth. However, fabric and felt desk pads are easy to stain, and it is best to use coasters or keep liquids away to avoid stains altogether. 

If you find a stain, you can gently wash your felt desk pad by hand, but you cannot wash your fabric desk pad due to the backing. You can remove any lint or other debris using a lint roller.

Making your desk pad is very easy and can last a long time. There are so many for you to make at home, so it becomes easy to frequently switch them out for a new one when you feel you need a change. 

Pairing your new desk pad with a desk organizer can make your space look cleaner and more professional. After creating my desk pad at home, I don’t plan on buying a premade one again!