Its probably been awhile since youve seen those old pull-down window blinds because nearly everyone in the world has updated to the slat-type blinds that are much more attractive. Although the newer blind types feature vertical or horizontal slats the old blinds were each one long plastic or vinyl piece that covered the window as you pulled it down. These old blinds are perfect for creating an inexpensive exercise mat for Mom or a napping pad for junior.
Old window blinds are one continuous piece of material that can be cut into two equal pieces needed for the mat. Five and a half feet to six feet is good for most adult mats. Three feet, or a little less, is a good size for children. You can cut a general measurement or you can measure your child to decide the appropriate size for the mat.
The width of the finished mat is not as important as the length. Making sure the length will be appropriate for the person using it is a priority but the width can truly vary. Its easiest if you use the blind in the size that it is but you can also cut it down if the blind is especially wide. Cut off the excess before moving to the next step of the project. There are several different things you can use to pad the mat. Bubble wrap is especially cheap and appropriate. Bubble wrap with very small, tight bubbles works the best because it is difficult - if not impossible - to pop the bubbles while lying or exercising on the mat. Cut two or three identical sheets of the bubble wrap to make the mat. Stack the sheets and place them on the wrong side of one of the blind pieces. If the bubble wrap you have is not long you can use it in a different manner. Stack short pieces in several stacks of two or three sheets each. Set one stack towards the end of the blind, a stack in the center, and another stack at the end. Or, make two stacks, four stacks - or the amount of stacks needed to cover the blind. Other things you can use include stacks of crafting foam, a folded sheet or thin blanket, or a couple of stacked towels. After you have the padding positioned on the blind cover it with the second blind. The second blind should be placed where the right side of the blind is facing upwards. Stitch around the perimeter of the mat or use adhesives to secure. Spray-on adhesive works well for this project. Use it to glue the edges of the blinds together, all the way around. Trim away any excess. If youve used short stacks of padding its helpful to stitch or glue between the stacks. This will prevent the smaller pieces from sliding down into other areas of the mat. When this happens, you could have four sheets of padding in the center and only two at the head area. Stitch straight across the sections, between the stacks of padding, or use glue. To use glue youll first glue the ends of the blinds together. Now position the first stack of padding. Glue down the sides of the blinds, then across the end of the padding. Position the next stack of padding, glue down the sides, then across the end of the padding. Continue this method until the mat is finished. The blinds used to create the exercise mat or napping pad makes it easy to clean it. Simply wipe clean with a damp cloth. If the mat was made to where it has sewn or glued sections it can be folded and stored. Mats made with one long piece of stuffing can simply be rolled up then placed in a closet. You can secure either mat by cutting a long ribbon, folding or rolling the mat, then tying the ribbon around it. Glue the ribbon to one place on the backside of the mat so it will stay. The next time you go to put the mat away the ribbon will already be hanging on the mat to help you tie it shut. If you dont have any old window blinds you can also use a rectangular plastic tablecloth instead. Cut the cloth in to two equal sections then follow the steps above to make the mat. Use two smaller, different tablecloth pieces to make a two-sided mat that features a different design on each side. The mats are easy to make, cost next to nothing and will last for a long, long time.
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