Desk, Paper, Scissors: 44 Office Organization Hacks
Was your workspace a little neglected this summer? If things at your home office or desk are starting to look a little cluttered, it’s time to whip out some DIY projects and get re-inspired for a productive fall! Whether you’re looking for more ways to store paper and magazines or just need a colorful new cork board, we rounded up 44 really cool DIY projects to give you the best-looking, most organized workspace you’ve ever had.
1. Clip on Organizers: Make some super chic white and neon containers that will help stay organized without sacrificing any of that precious desk real estate. You can store anything in these, from pencils to succulents to snacks. (via Brit + Co)
2. Color Blocked Mood Board: That measly cork board not quite jiving with your style? How about this awesome, free-standing mood board that you can paint a whole variety of colors and patterns. (via A Beautiful Mess)
3. Diamond Cork Board: Don’t be square, be… bling! Make this awesome diamond pin board to satisfy your need for geometric angles. (via Craft Hunter)
4. Leather Dry Erase Board: Mount a piece of plexiglass onto a simple leather board for the most elegant white board we ever did see. The awesome thing about this DIY is that you can make it any size you want instead of having to fit a bulky white board into your space. (via Fabric Paper Glue)
5. Hacked Magazine Holder: We love these magazine holders. Pick your labels and your colors and start painting now. (via View From the Fridge)
6. Broom Head Desk Caddy: This holder is a little bit funky, but if you’re loving the industrial themed workspace, it will definitely add a fun look to your desk. Paint the broom head if you want a more modern look. (via The Merry Thought)
7. Painted Edge Printer Tray: Ah the printer. It’s big and bulky, and if you have a small workspace, it can definitely get underfoot. Put that baby up on a rolling tray so you can pull it out when you need it and hide it when you don’t. (via Jade and Fern)
8. Washi Workspace: One of the easiest, cutest office hacks comes from our favorite little friend, washi tape! (via Brit + Co.)
9. Real Life Pinterest Board: Satisfy your need for image inspiration with some real pinboards! Made out of painted clipboards, they can display a real collection of images that you are loving right now. (via Brit + Co)
10. Gold and Black Organization: Talk about inspiration! Almost everything in this home office was DIY’d! Once you pick your color palette, go crazy with everything from the fabric covered boxes all the way down to the golden pencil cups. (via Homey Oh My)
11. Gold Rail System: When floor space is limited, go vertical with your storage and hang it from the walls. We love the golden rod, but it would also look amazing in a bright neon color. (via Upcycled Treasures)
12. Cork Letter Board: Spell it out with this letter cork board! You could write something out like “work” but we kind of like the look of just one single letter sitting on the desk. (via Bliss Bloom)
13. Shopping Bag Organization: You know those really cute and really strong shopping bags that you can’t quite bring yourself to throw away? Well now you can actually put them to use by mounting them on your wall and using them to store notebooks, magazines or other little office supplies. (via Le Zoe Musings)
14. Honeycomb Pinboard: This awesome geometric board makes us wonder how many cork boards a person reasonably needs. (Maybe just one more?) (via Apartment Therapy)
15. Gold Desk Bowls: Even though we try to keep our desks organized, there are always a few odds and ends floating around. It’s nice to have some pretty little bowls to throw everything into. (via Homey Oh My)
16. Clipboard Wall: Try mounting a grid of clipboards for easy swapping in and out of new inspiration. You could hang them with nails, or if you want to save the wall, try sticking them up there with sticky pads. (via Decor8)
17. Painted Magazine Files: We love the idea of painting the inside of these magazine holders! Pick some bright colors for the inside, then stick with fun, hand-painted black polka dots on the outside. (via Earl Grey Blog)
18. Upcycled Gold Jars: Definitely the most glam storage jars we’ve ever seen, we love how they look layered together. Mix rose gold and gold together for an ultra metallic workspace. (via Homemade by Carmona)
19. Gilded Organizing Boxes: Boxes as pretty as these will inspire you to put things away. If you can’t find any boxes that are the right size, this tutorial shows you how to make a sturdy box out of cardstock. (via Inspired by This)
20. Pop-Up Pencil Holders: Customize some holders using pop-up straw containers for some really retro storage. After you decide on colors, add some stenciled letters or Sharpie drawings for extra fun. (via Brit + Co.)
21. Magnetic Color Block Accessories: Never lose pins around your workspace again — now all your magnetic accessories are kept safely corralled on these super pretty magnetic blocks. (via House of Earnest)
22. Fabric Covered Organizers: If you’d prefer to steer clear of painterly projects, try out these colorful boxes that are actually cereal boxes covered in pretty floral fabric. (via Craft-A-Doodle-Doo)
23. Triangular Wall Storage System: Make more room on your desk by taking your organization vertical. We love this geometric pattern that doubles as super cool wall art. (via Brit + Co.)
24. Chalkboard Paperweights: Such a clever idea to have a paperweight you can write on! We love the color blocking and ombre options for this fun little DIY. (via Assemble)
25. Cork-Covered Cans: If you don’t like the idea of re-using tin cans because they look too much like tin cans, then try wrapping them in something cool, like cork board! Obviously we would want to add some colorful accents like a stripe or polka dots. (via Petit Elefant)
26. Office Chair Hack: If you work in an office, chances are you were assigned a chair and expected not to ruin it. Luckily, we came up with three brilliant ways to add some color to your office chair that doesn’t involve any paint! (via Brit + Co)
27. Cork Pencil Holder: Take a stack of cork coasters, glue them together and drill through the whole thing to create a pencil holder. (via Design for Mankind)
28. Patterned Magnetic Board: Pick a color palette and pattern and go crazy with these customizable magnet boards! We love posting things on magnet boards because it doesn’t put holes in our favorite pictures like a corkboard. (via Sugar and Cloth)
29. Framing Without Frames: If you’re setting up your workspace in a dorm room or an apartment where you don’t want to put holes in the walls, try making these awesome tape frames. They add color and style to your gallery wall. (via Brit + Co)
30. Embroidered Desk Accessories: Seeing this adorable pencil cup makes us want to make a trip to the Dollar Store immediately! This colorful DIY is proof that you don’t need to spend a lot of money to have a charming workspace. (via The Red Thread)
31. Cross Stitch Letter Holder: These accessories combine two of our favorite things: gold spray paint and embroidery thread. Having this cute holder sitting on our desk full of stationery will definitely inspire us to start writing some letters! (via Camille Styles)
32. Cookie Sheet Memo: If you have some old cookie trays in the back of your cupboard, it’s time to pull them out and give them new life in your workspace. Paint them your favorite color or keep it simple with white and black stripes. (via Brit + Co)
33. DIY Instagram Wall Calendar: This seems like a brilliant idea that combines a practical calendar and all your favorite photos from Instagram! All you have to do to get the dates on these photos is write on them with a white photo pen — no fancy computer software required. (via Earl Grey Blog)
34. Painted Clipboard: Neon hearts make everything better, including this plain old clipboard. (via A Bubbly Life)
35. Marble Filing Cabinet: If you still have that ugly old metal cabinet sitting around, it’s time to do something about it! Add some flair with colored paper, like this cool marble paper. (via Persia Lou)
36. Acrylic Desk Accessories: A little bit acrylic, a little bit neon, these accessories are rocking our world. And they are so easy to make! Just line the edge with some bright Sharpies, and bam! Instant glam. (via Brit + Co)
37. Rod Organization: Instead of piling up all that important mail, line them up behind a pretty golden bar. This clever storage idea keeps everything in sight so nothing falls between the cracks. (via Martha Stewart)
38. Glitter Mousepad: Have glitter, will DIY. The mousepad is something that we kind of don’t think much about. If yours needs some major updating, then grab some colorful glitter and make a glam mouse house. (via Brit + Co)
39. Gold Lucite Accessories: We’ve shown you how to do some neon lucite, but this gold leaf is pretty cool too. (via A Bubbly Life)
40. Geometric Ombre Pegboard: Geometric andombre? We can hardly contain our excitement. A pegboard is a fun alternative to the corkboard because it allows you to hang desk supplies like scissors and other tools. (via A Bubbly Life)
41. Herringbone Bulletin Board: Who made the rule that bulletin boards had to be square? Get crazy and make this very fun and very pretty herringbone board. (via Spark and Chemistry)
42. Hanging Notepad: Prefer the feel of writing notes on real paper? Keep a rolling track of all the to-do lists you’ve demolished with this clever DIY. (via Design Sponge)
43. Vertical Magnetic Calendar: Paint some magnetic bars bright colors, then make little number dots for this minimalist calendar. It’s nice to have a calendar where you can put things beside just dates. (via Curbly)
44. Office Chair Makeover: Don’t throw out that ugly old rolling chair yet! Check out this tutorial, and try this extreme chair makeover with a fabric you love. Hey, you might not even mind sitting in this for hours. (via Love Grows Wild)
What office organization project is number one on your to-do list? Talk to us in the comments below!