DIY Fridge Mats Shelf Liners – How to Easily Make Refrigerator Shelf Liners

Have you guys seen the fridge mats or shelf liners that lay on top of each shelf in your refrigerator and are supposed to make cleaning up messes easier? Not to mention that they make the inside of your fridge look fabulous!

Well, I just recently came across this concept in a wonderful place called the world wide web! I read about them on a blog and was redirected to an online store that sells them. I thought they were pretty cool and was ready to place my order, which was going to run me around $30 for the set, when I thought, you know, these look an awful lot like plastic place mats!

If you do a lot of DIY projects, then you understand my urge to want to make everything, right?

I googled DIY Fridge Mats and found that I wasn't the only one that came up with this "making fridge coasters out of plastic place mats" idea. Darn it!

So, the next time I found myself at Target I picked up these 6 plastic mats in a super cool design:

Before I show you what I did, take a look at a before picture of the inside of my fridge:

Yeah, I know, not very interesting. Just a fridge with a light out that was in desperate need of some groceries.

Before you do anything, you obviously want to clean your fridge. There's no point in laying a clean matte over a dirty shelf!

Also, make sure to wash or wipe down your new place mats to remove any dirt it may have accumulated at the store - that and you don't know who handled them before you!

One of the main reasons why I was motivated to try this easy diy project is because I don't really enjoy cleaning out my fridge. It takes forever for me and it involves a lot of reaching and stretching, not to mention that it is often very gross too.

So, the main reason why people use refrigerator shelf liners is to prevent the sticky fridge messes which take forever to clean. They are used as a barrier between foods and the fridge shelves. So, when a spill occur, you only need to remove and replace the liner, rather than removing all the foods and doing a deep clean on the fridge.

If you want, you can always go the easy way of purchasing ready-made fridge shelf liners but be prepared to spend from $10-$25 per set, which can add up very quickly if you have a lot of shelves.

That's why I decided to give it a try and make these liners by myself at home, with just a few simple supplies.

So, let's jump on to the super easy tutorial!

Making DIY Fridge Mats Shelve Liners

If you are expecting a long step-by-step tutorial, explaining what you need to do, then you are wrong. Making diy fridge mats at home is simple and straight-forward, without needing to do anything complicated.

As for materials needed, you can grab plastic mats at Target or your preferred store for around $1.99 a piece, making it a bargain especially if you need to lay liners on a lot of shelves. You can go for the design which fits your preference better. I decided to go for a green and yellow abstract design, since it will go well with foods and vegetables on the fridge.

To begin, I started laying my mat on top of my shelf and using a dry erase marker, I marked where I had to cut in order to get the perfect shape. I also made sure to make all corners round to match the shape of the place mat:

I did the same thing for the drawers. Since my place mats were translucent, tracing was a cinch. 

Then I just placed my new diy fridge mats (or coasters, whatever you want to call them) on top of my shelves and inside my drawers and then put the food back, of course.

Here are more after pictures:

I even made some for the side door compartments using scraps!

Now, when something spills and needs cleaning up, I don't have to get into the nooks and crannies, be on my knees scrubbing, trying to get my arm to reach an awkward spot, or trying to remove the drawers. I just remove the mat, clean it and put it back! 

I also love that when I slide something out, say the milk jug, the mat stays completely in place because the backside of the mats I purchased have a less slippery, more gritty feel to them.

All in all, I am glad I didn't purchased the online ones. I saved myself more than 1/2 the price and have fridge mats that do exactly what they're supposed to!

I am so happy with this simple project. After these diy fridge mats, my fridge looks so clean and fresh, giving it a cheery and bright look. Plus, now it is easier to clean it if anything spills inside. 

What do you think? Is this something you would give a try? Let me know in the comment section down below. Also, don't forget to share this article with your friends using the Social Media buttons below.