Half Hour DIY Mouse Pad

Today I thought I would share a super simple project that doesn't take more than an hour, and it'll only take that long if you're being a crazy perfectionist. Often times, when working on a "crafty DIY" project, your end product feels like a kid made it at camp. The easy way to avoid that is to keep it simple. This project was made with some leather, puff paint and a toothpick. The leather could easily be substituted with fabric if you're going for a different look. I cut the square of leather with softly rounded endues and then made a simple repeat design around the edges. By using the toothpick as the applicator for the puff paint, the design stayed delicate and neat. It's taken me a long time to learn to keep things simple, it is something I still struggle with as a designer, but when I stick to my guns, I'm almost always happier with the results. Also, quick and simple projects are great because they give you a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment with very little sweat!