I have had a lap desk for years, a small, purple bean-bag one
with a marker-scuffed, poly-board top. I probably got it when I was eight. The
back has been falling off, and the beans just get on my nerves. With my laptop
aging, it is now a necessity to use a lap desk to keep my legs from getting
burned. I’ve been looking for one, but have been disappointed by the selection.
Ninety percent are black or dark brown. The other ten percent look like an
angsty teenager’s closet, all black and hot pink with horrible patterns I
wouldn’t even want in a dorm room. I really just wanted a nice big, wooden desk
with space to write and a pretty floral backing. I’d even settle for stripes.
No go.
So I made one myself. I contemplated just getting a board
cut at Lowe’s, but that seemed too rough and unfinished. A quick Google search
set me on the right path. The key is using a cutting board. Genius. I realized
I could even get one of those with a drip groove and let that catch my pen or
pencil. I picked out a nice maple one at Walmart for $16, and then purchased a
light foam board like you use for tri-folds. With some one inch foam left over
from some project of Mom’s I made a backing, layering and trimming so it
gradually angled. I just glued the foam and foam board together with a hot glue
gun. I added a layer of cotton backing for a little extra give. After that, I
dug around in my cloth scraps, finding an old floral shirt that was the perfect
size. Laying the foam backing on the cloth, I cut a piece to cover it, then
adhered it with hot glue, taking care to shape the corners. Finally, I measured
out where the backing would go, quickly covered the area with glue, and stuck
the two pieces together. Voila! A functional and feminine lap desk. The only
thing I have noticed is that it is a little heavier than I might like. I blame
it on the sheer thickness of the cutting board, but I am sure a lighter board
or a different material would work well. Maybe I’ll make a smaller travel one
too.
