I Didn’t Buy It: Wrist Rest (Part 2) – Latte for Your Thoughts
I Didn’t Buy It: Wrist Rest (Part 2)
Posted on July 7, 2014 by grsalas
Some of you may recall when I “Didn’t Buy” a wrist rest make in China and purchased a Fair Trade wrist rest instead. I needed a keyboard wrist rest as well, but Ten Thousand Villages only had a mouse wrist rest for sale – nothing for keyboards. And the only alternatives at Office Depot were made in china.
Office Depot Wrist Rest – $15.99 (Made in China)
I got home last night and hauled out some of the old clothes I have tucked under my kitchen sink. I have a policy to never donate stained or pilled clothing to Goodwill (why should I make them throw out my junk?) but I also feel guilty throwing it out. According to a recent USA Today Article, Americans throw out 11.1 million tons of textiles per year! That’s 70 lbs per person on average!!! Since I don’t have a real use for the stuff, these old clothes sit in an overflowing paper bag under my sink, mocking me.
I pulled out a long sleeve t-shirt and something stirred in my brain. The sleeve looked oddly familiar….
It looked EXACTLY like the “Made in China” keyboard wrist rest I’d seen at Office Depot last week. It was just missing beans!
In case you, like myself, suffer from early onset Carpel Tunnel Syndrome, concern about buying stuff Made in China, AND an unfortunate overabundance of unwearable long sleeve t-shirts, this little craft project is for you!
Home-Made Keyboard Wrist Rest.
Home Made Keyboard Wrist Rest – FREE
1 Long sleeve t-shirt or turtle neck. Soft cotton or acrylic is best. The longer and more narrow the sleeve the better.
3 Cups of small dried beans (You can purchase them from the Latin food aisle of your local grocery store)
1. Hack the sleeve off of the long-sleeve t-shirt – cut as close to the shoulder seam as you can.
2. Sew one side of the sleeve closed using a sewing machine or a back-stitch. If you are unfamiliar with the back-stitch, WikiHow has a great tutorial here.
Back-Stitch Instructions
3. Fill the sleeve with the beans.
4. Fold over the open-end of the sleeve twice, then fold in each side of the sleeve (so that the whole thing is folded in thirds). Attach with a safety pin.
5. Test out the wrist rest for a couple days. It may need more or fewer beans. Adjust the beans so that the whole thing is comfortable. Your wrist should sit at a flat angle when the wrist rest is in use.
Perfect Angle for Keyboard Use
6. When you are comfortable with shape and feel of the wrist rest, sew the other end closed (the end with the safety pin).
7. Use it!!
Home Made Keyboard Wrist Rest in Use
Posted in DIY, Don't Buy It
I Didn’t Buy It: Wrist Rest (Part 1)
Iced Coffee Hack #1: Espresso, poured over ice
3 thoughts on “I Didn’t Buy It: Wrist Rest (Part 2)”
Did you know that Grow NYC offers textile recycling on Mondays at the USQ Green Market? I used to just toss my damaged clothes in the trash because I wasn’t sure what to do with them. Now I go every few weeks and take my damaged textiles and shoes with me to donate! http://www.grownyc.org/clothing
gflaitz says:
Thanks Erika! That’s an awesome tip!!
Pingback: What I Didn’t Buy: Swiffer Wet Cloths | Latte for Your Thoughts
I Didn’t Buy It: Wrist Rest (Part 2) – Latte for Your Thoughts
I Didn’t Buy It: Wrist Rest (Part 2)
Posted on July 7, 2014 by grsalas
Some of you may recall when I “Didn’t Buy” a wrist rest make in China and purchased a Fair Trade wrist rest instead. I needed a keyboard wrist rest as well, but Ten Thousand Villages only had a mouse wrist rest for sale – nothing for keyboards. And the only alternatives at Office Depot were made in china.
Office Depot Wrist Rest – $15.99 (Made in China)
I got home last night and hauled out some of the old clothes I have tucked under my kitchen sink. I have a policy to never donate stained or pilled clothing to Goodwill (why should I make them throw out my junk?) but I also feel guilty throwing it out. According to a recent USA Today Article, Americans throw out 11.1 million tons of textiles per year! That’s 70 lbs per person on average!!! Since I don’t have a real use for the stuff, these old clothes sit in an overflowing paper bag under my sink, mocking me.
I pulled out a long sleeve t-shirt and something stirred in my brain. The sleeve looked oddly familiar….
It looked EXACTLY like the “Made in China” keyboard wrist rest I’d seen at Office Depot last week. It was just missing beans!
In case you, like myself, suffer from early onset Carpel Tunnel Syndrome, concern about buying stuff Made in China, AND an unfortunate overabundance of unwearable long sleeve t-shirts, this little craft project is for you!
Home-Made Keyboard Wrist Rest.
Home Made Keyboard Wrist Rest – FREE
1 Long sleeve t-shirt or turtle neck. Soft cotton or acrylic is best. The longer and
 more narrow the sleeve the better.
3 Cups of small dried beans (You can purchase them from the Latin food aisle of your local grocery store)
1. Hack the sleeve off of the long-sleeve t-shirt – cut as close to the shoulder seam as you can.
2. Sew one side of the sleeve closed using a sewing machine or a back-stitch. If you are unfamiliar with the back-stitch, WikiHow has a great tutorial here.
Back-Stitch Instructions
3. Fill the sleeve with the beans.
4. Fold over the open-end of the sleeve twice, then fold in each side of the sleeve (so that the whole thing is folded in thirds). Attach with a safety pin.
5. Test out the wrist rest for a couple days. It may need more or fewer beans. Adjust the beans so that the whole thing is comfortable. Your wrist should sit at a flat angle when the wrist rest is in use.
Perfect Angle for Keyboard Use
6. When you are comfortable with shape and feel of the wrist rest, sew the other end closed (the end with the safety pin).
7. Use it!!
Home Made Keyboard Wrist Rest in Use
Posted in DIY, Don't Buy It
I Didn’t Buy It: Wrist Rest (Part 1)
Iced Coffee Hack #1: Espresso, poured over ice
3 thoughts on “I Didn’t Buy It: Wrist Rest (Part 2)”
Did you know that Grow NYC offers textile recycling on Mondays at the USQ Green Market? I used to just toss my damaged clothes in the trash because I wasn’t sure what to do with them. Now I go every few weeks and take my damaged textiles and shoes with me to donate! http://www.grownyc.org/clothing
gflaitz says:
Thanks Erika! That’s an awesome tip!!
Pingback: What I Didn’t Buy: Swiffer Wet Cloths | Latte for Your Thoughts