Professional Close-Up Mat
by pjitty in Living > Pranks, Tricks, & Humor
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Professional Close-Up Mat
![20180324_212754_HDR.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FWA/5XBU/JF8IYJJX/FWA5XBUJF8IYJJX.jpg&filename=20180324_212754_HDR.jpg)
Magicians use close-up mats as a performing surface for a number of reasons, including displaying work elegantly, dampening noise, and providing a consistent gliding surface for coins, cards and other props.
Most commercially-available close-up mats look cheap and generic. I wanted to make one that was of higher quality than the usual store-bought models.
Collect and Cut the Materials
![20180317_172805_HDR.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FTF/ZFUB/JF8IYGXU/FTFZFUBJF8IYGXU.jpg&filename=20180317_172805_HDR.jpg)
![20180318_145500_HDR.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FSK/7J6S/JF8IYIND/FSK7J6SJF8IYIND.jpg&filename=20180318_145500_HDR.jpg)
In order to build this mat, I used the following materials:
- Dollar-store foam shelf liner
- Velour
- Leather
- A place mat
- Spray adhesive
- A pencil
- Box cutter
- A ruler
First, I cut the fabric and shelf liners to manageable sizes. Each of these should be larger than the place mat, since this will serve as your cutting stencil later on.
Glue the Layers Together
![20180318_145817_HDR.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FLR/U1H1/JF8IYIVK/FLRU1H1JF8IYIVK.jpg&filename=20180318_145817_HDR.jpg)
![20180318_145951_HDR.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FAJ/GZ3V/JF8IYIW0/FAJGZ3VJF8IYIW0.jpg&filename=20180318_145951_HDR.jpg)
![20180318_145958_HDR.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FSV/7AA8/JF8IYIW3/FSV7AA8JF8IYIW3.jpg&filename=20180318_145958_HDR.jpg)
I made a sandwich by gluing the 3 layers together using spray adhesive. The leather goes on the bottom, the velour goes on top, and the shelf liner goes in the middle.
Trim to Size
![20180324_211129_HDR.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FQD/7Y3L/JF8IYIX2/FQD7Y3LJF8IYIX2.jpg&filename=20180324_211129_HDR.jpg)
![20180324_211326_HDR.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/F23/WTEY/JF8IYIYK/F23WTEYJF8IYIYK.jpg&filename=20180324_211326_HDR.jpg)
Once the glue has had a chance to set, place the pad leather-side up, and trace the contour of the place mat using a pencil. Use the box cutter to carefully cut along the lines. You can also use a ruler to help ensure straight cuts.
Enjoy
![20180324_212507_HDR.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FZ9/22GI/JF8IYBVF/FZ922GIJF8IYBVF.jpg&filename=20180324_212507_HDR.jpg)
![20180324_212512_HDR.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FWX/XCH0/JF8IYC9T/FWXXCH0JF8IYC9T.jpg&filename=20180324_212512_HDR.jpg)
![20180324_212518_HDR.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/F7Q/UOVB/JF8IYCH5/F7QUOVBJF8IYCH5.jpg&filename=20180324_212518_HDR.jpg)
That's all there is to it. Now, you have a gorgeous close-up pad that is much nicer than those available from most magic shops.