Desk Organzing Part 1

I went to Good Will today and got some really good deals. I got a set of three decorative boxes in various sizes , I got two pretty plastic large mouth cups, three wicker baskets and two plastic baskets. I got all this and spent less then $4.00!
Organzing my desk took some time, but this was a really fun project for me. I spent 75% of my time at my desk. I am either using the computer, paying bills, working on crafts, or writing. Being that I spend so much time at my desk, it really is important that it is as organized as possiable.
To start off make sure you have plenty of boxse,baskets,bowls, and trays to organize your desk items. Then get two boxes and a trash bag. The trash bag will be for garbage and papers, the three boxes need to be labled donate and keep and paper/binders.
1. Start by removing any dishes from the desk and bring them to the kitchen. Throw any visuable trash, paper towels, paper plates, wrappers,

2. Gather together all stray papers that are on the desk and in any drawers. Sort through, and for right now just throw away what you know you don't need, put the rest of the papers in the paper/binder box.

3. If you have any binders, notebooks, folders, find all those now and put them in the paper/binder box.

4. If you have any knick knacks, picture frames, vases, or books, take those all down, wipe the dust off them and decide if you need to donate or keep each item. Ask yourself the following questions about each item: Why do I have this item? Do I really like it? Will it look better somewhere else? Could someone else bennifit from it more then me?
If the answers to your question make you relize you could do without it then donate it, if you find you still really love or need this item, keep it.

5. Get all of your supplies and what your supplies are being held in. Pens, thumb tacks, paper clips, stapler, caluclator, pencil cup. Decide now if you have more then you need or not enough. I personally feel you can not have office supplies, but always have a system of organizing them. I have a cardboard file drawer with 4 drawers. This holds my scrapbooking in one drawer, my paint and glitter in anothre, my zen garden in another, and my office supplies in the top drawer.
Once you have decided what you want to keep put it in the keep box.

6. Take off all electronics of the desk, phone,computer, answering machine, radio, clocks ect. Time is the time to organize your cords as well.

7. Your desk should be empty now. Now is the time to figure out if your desk is providing you with the purpose you need. If you craft, you need some surface space to layout your materials. If you use a computer you need to have room for a monitor, keyboard and mouse. You may like drawers more then shelf space or table space. Right now think about if you have money to get a new desk that is more sufficiant, or think of some of ways you can add space to your current desk, I added a plexi glass top to the cardboard file drawer and its also a side table.

8. Let's go back to our paper/binder box. Papers and small supplies are the usual culprits of drowing your desk. The best way to fix this is to give everything a certin place to go. First of all there are two ways you can organize papers in file folders and binder folders. Both of them great in their own ways, I tend to use both methods. Have on hand several 1'inch binders, 3 ring folders, and file manila folders. You can even get solid colors to organize by color and make it easier and faster to find what you need. Every paper item can have a home.

9. Once all you have all your papers in order, you will already notice that the rest seems like a peice of cake and you actually have a sence of wanting to continue! First thing, put all of your electronics back on your desk. Using zip ties to keep your cords tidy.

10. Find a system to organize your binders and files. Binders can be neatly put away on shelves and in large baskets. Files can be organized in cardboard boxes, baskets, file cabnits.

11. Whatever your supplies, use your baskets, jars, bowls, and containers to organize them. When buying organizers for your desk try to be creative. I found a great little plastic basket in the nickle bin at good will, it was a child's toy but it was perfect for those small items that just don't go anywhere else. I have a small glass "fish" bowl for my pocket change. A small "picnic" basket for my simple sewing and fabric craft needs. A metal basket, currently empty but useful. A jar for my pens and a box with coin tubes to organize my desk tools, screw drivers, scissors, small ruler, tape measure, small pliers, bookmark, tweezers, nail file, extra razor blades ect.

I have a box holding my envolope and stationary. You can use silverware dividers for drawers, ice cube trays are great too.

12. Once your electronics, papers and boos, and supplies are back on your desk, start putting back your personal items, picture frames, vases, knick knacks. Keep these limited to a corner and try to have them match in some way to keep uniformity on your desk.