Paper knives, which gave way to the modern letter opener, were helpful for cutting paper down to an appropriate size.īooks - those bound volumes of paper, you may recall - used to be common occurrences on desks of yore and where there were books there needed to be bookends. Louis and Clichy.Īs paper was exceedingly expensive in the early to mid-19th-century, every effort was made to utilize a full sheet of it. Decorative glass paperweight designs were all the rage, and during the mid-19th-century some of the most popular makers included the French companies of Baccarat, St. The Industrial Revolution offered the novel concept of leisure-time to Europeans, giving them more time to take part in the then crucial activity of letter writing. Thank the Victorians for the initial popularity of the paperweight. However, the contents that lay upon the desk? Well, the evolution has been drastic to say the least. Their basic premise has remained the same for quite literally centuries: a flat surface, oftentimes a drawer, and potentially a shelf or two. With the wrong side of the desk pad facing up, spray your adhesive and press the strips in place:Ĩ.Whether you’ve carved out a space for a nifty home office or you prefer the morning commute, why not dress up your desk with antique and vintage desk accessories? To best tiptoe the line between desk efficiency and desk enjoyment, we suggest adding a touch of the past to your modern-day space.ĭesks are a funny thing. Wrap your strips around your board at even distances. I used my new best friend, the Bias Tape Maker (see the video of the machine making these strips here) to do that work for me:Ĩ. For a no-sew version, iron each edge of the strip into the center. I wanted to make this a no-sew fabric desk pad, but if you wanted to, you could fold your strips so the long edges are right sides then sew up the edge and loop turn them right side out, then iron flat with the seam to the back. So go ahead and cut strips double the final width you want your bands and about five inches longer then the width of your board:ħ. What do you think? Did I choose wisely?Ħ. This fabric totally contrasts and seems like a weird choice, but it’s another fabric I just love looking at so I went for it. I ended up deciding to use Alexander Henry Caitlin Stripe in Pink/Aqua to make two bands, because I want symmetry at my desk. I also played with the option of using interfacing to make firm corner pockets, but I realized I don’t like corner pockets becuase they don’t hold enough. I also really wanted to use two long pieces of elastic sewed into a tube to wrap around, but I only had neon pink and blue, which I wasn’t feeling. Making a thicker band in a matchy fabric: Making a full pocket on either side in matching fabric (with interfacing ironed on to make the pocket firm): Making bands in matching fabric on either side: Now you can just call it a day, but it’s useful to add some embellishments to allow you to store notes and the like. Repeat on the opposite side, pulling your fabric taught but not tight:ĥ. Firmly press it down and smooth out any bubbles: You have a few seconds to lift and move if you want. Center your board and make sure your fabric is straight so it will look all nicely aligned.Ĥ. Use a spray adhesive and spray one short side of the board, then fold your fabric over it and stick in place. It doesn’t matter which side, illustration board is the same on both sides. Lay it right side down on a table and lay your illustration board on top. Iron your fabric really well, you don’t want any wrinkles or creases. I used two 20″X30″ boards for this project, but you can make it whatever size you prefer.Ģ. You can buy illustration boards at most office supply stores or art stores, or here on amazon for $3.89. You could also use posterboard (a little flimsy) or foam core (kinda smushy to write on), but I found that illustration board has the right amount of firmness to give your desk pad heft. You could recylce a piece of cardboard as long as it is nice and flat. Get the full Fabric Desk Pad Tutorial (and lots of different customization options) after the jump…ġ. This desk pad is so simple to make, no sewing is required, and you could also do it with a pretty paper. I find this Majestic Oak fabric in Grass by Joel Dewberry is so soothing to look at, that I thought gazing at it peeking out under my laptop would add a little zen to my workday. I want to add some warm touches that make the desk seem like a peaceful place. I’ve been working on sprucing up my hot-mess-converted-garage into a cozy and organized office/sewing room.
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