Having a desk in your bedroom is a great way to stay organized and neat – or, uh, at least it seems that way. Your desk might start out as your designated homework spot, with lofty ideas of evenings spent typing away projects and never having to search for that one important paper your teacher told you to hang onto. But somehow, it quickly goes south, and your desk turns into that spot in your room where you pile literally everything you don’t use on a daily basis, ignoring the clutter until the day you’re inspired to do a deep cleaning of your room. I get it – my desk, once purchased for schoolwork, became first the spot where I could hoard notes from my boyfriend and then my makeup vanity table. But at the end of the day, what it really was came down to one word: messy.
Desks will only keep you organized if you can manage to keep them organized first. If you haphazardly place things all over the surface, how are you supposed to actually get stuff done over there? If you shove things into drawers and force them shut, how are you going to find that one assignment you need? If all of this rings too true for you, you need a desk organizer.
Desk organizers come in many forms. Some are elaborate, with lots of spots to hold everything from notebooks to tiny erasers. Others are more simple and exist for the sole purpose of holding your smaller items. And while you can buy one anywhere, there’s something satisfying about making your own. A DIY desk organizer isn’t that hard to create, and it serves as an organization method as well as a little bit of desk decor. Below are a few examples of some options you’ll love. Pick what works for your aesthetic and your lifestyle, and start crafting!
1. Create a cool space to hold your small supplies.
Sometimes simply creating a space to hold your smaller office supplies can make a huge difference. Having your pens, clips, and scissors in order makes things easier for you. You can recycle old tin cans and use some paint to make something that looks like a designer organizer.
2. Use old hangers to make a DIY paper holder.
Instead of stuffing all of your papers in a crowded drawer, make this paper holder. It’s perfect for your most important things that you need to keep close by, and can hold other supplies as well.
3. Recycle old containers to make a multi-purpose organizer.
Old food containers make for the perfect organizer shape. Add some colorful or patterned duct tape, and you’ve got a stylish organizer that holds all of the essentials.
4. Put all of your tin can organizers in one tray so that you can move them around if needed.
A tray holds these together while also making it possible to pick them up and take them somewhere else if needed. Have fun with the colors and patterns to make these more you.
5. Transform mason jars into the perfect organizers.
Mason jars and some decorative paper, stickers, or paint make the easiest organizers ever.
6. Place a simple organizer against a corkboard for more organization.
Make a simple wooden block organizer to hold smaller items, then stick a corkboard behind it as a place to keep more notes and memos.
7. Create a tiered organizer to hold your important papers.
This tiered organizer looks professional and cool and easily holds your important papers and notebooks.
8. Use wood to make a simple and stylish organizer.
This craft might not be super easy, but the end result is worth it: a minimalist, simple organizer to hold smaller supplies and to act as a phone station. You can even drill a small hole underneath to string a charger through if you want to get fancy.
9. Use cardboard to make a triangle organizer that holds lots of stuff.
Some desk organizers either only hold small things or large things. This triangle one is great because it offers lots of space for all different sized objects.
10. Make your organizer into a photo frame as well so it becomes more like decor.
Have your desk organizer work double duty as cool decor by adding a spot for photos. It will take a little extra work, but it’s so cute – and it makes a great gift option.
11. Turn a block of wood into a cool organizer.
With a little creativity, a small lock of wood can become a space to keep your tiniest supplies neat – which are often the things that create the most clutter.
12. Another tin can option: paint them, then attach them to a block of wood.
A little paint and a simple pattern make tin cans into the perfect pen/pencil holders – as well as any other tiny objects that need a home.
13. Get more creative and do a cool design like this, which looks like mountains:
Plywood, paint, and some cutting create an adorable mountain range organizer that can hold a lot of different items.
14. Recycle cereal boxes into a letter sorter.
Cover cereal boxes in patterned paper or wallpaper (or something similar), and then use them to hold papers, notebooks, and mail.
15. If you’re just looking for a way to keep track of tiny objects, make little desk dishes like these.
If you’re more concerned with your chic ~aesthetic~ than anything else, these gold desk dishes are a perfect DIY project.
16. Foam board and paint can work together to make an organizer that looks super professional and fun.
Because it’s made of foam board, this organizer won’t be super sturdy, but it will definitely look good. Use it to hold smaller items, as anything heavy and large could break it.
17. Make your own lazy Susan to hold lots of stuff.
A Lazy Susan is a great way to store lots of items without taking up a ton of space. This craft isn’t super easy, but it leaves you with something very useful.
18. Use wood to make stylish and rugged organizers.
Painted wood looks so cool as a desk organizer. Make as many as you need to stay neat.
19. If your only concern is papers, then make this easy paper sorter.
This will keep notebooks and papers in one safe space. The labels are a great idea!
20. Create a standing organizer to save space.
Low on desk space? The one negative thing about desk organizers is that they take up a lot of it. Create one that stands up and leans against the wall. It holds you stuff without using a ton of desk space.
Which one of these DIY desk organizers are you going to try? What did we forget to include? Let me know in the comments.
You can follow the author, Jessica Booth, on Twitter or Instagram.
15 DIY Calendars To Make For The New School Year
Follow Gurl, Pretty Please!
Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, and Instagram
The post 20 DIY Desk Organizers To Keep Your Homework Neat appeared first on Gurl.com.