there is a really cool method for this - its easy, very accurate if done with a little care, and can be improvised easily without tools.
>Tape or blutak a sheet of paper onto the floor near the funny shaped object, toilet, window reveal etc.
> get a small batten (say 1inch wide, 1/4inch thick and a suitable length) and cut one diagonally to make a point (about 30deg.ish)
You'll also need a pen/pencil.
>lay the batten across the paper, so the pointed end touches the object, draw a line on the paper against the edge of the batten.
>make a tick mark across the line on the paper and the batten, and give both a number 1
>move the batten to touch another part of the object ( the more complicated the shape, the closer together) draw another line, another tick mark across, and a number 2 on both.
>keep repeating until you have been right round the object.
>you should now have a sheet of paper with a lot of random numbered lines on, and a batten with a lot of numbered ticks on.
>transfer the paper to the sheet material, (lino, laminate etc.) and tape down.
>place the batten back on line number 1, so the number one ticks line up.
>make a mark on the sheet material where the end of the pointer comes to. Move the batten to line number 2, repeat, and so forth.
> when you have completed all the numbers, you will have plotted the funny shaped object onto the sheet material. Join the dots and cut!
NOTES:
> Best way to understand this is probably to try it! It is easier and much less complicated than it sounds. If anyone wants, I'll try and draw some diagrams to post.
> the batten does not have to be straight.
> If the shape is complicated, you might not be able to reach it all from a single sheet of paper. Simply tape more sheets together, a bit like a chain of dominos.
>You have to take care when positioning on the sheet material that the 'plot' is in the right place to fit on the sheet material. It may be worth measuring the position of the paper relative to the corners of the room when you tape it down initially, so you can make the corner of the room be the corner of the sheet material when you transfer it.