There’s something about home office spaces that just invites total chaos and disorganization – maybe it’s because they’re rooms that guests don’t usually see, or maybe it’s because it’s easier to just create a pile of bills and junk mail than it is to actually sift through them…either way, having a functional space is important – but having a functional space that looks pretty is even better!
Below are our favorite tips and hacks for creating a space that not only works for you but is a place of beauty and calm, so it’s somewhere you actually want to sit down. Who knows, maybe you’ll even get all those piles sorted out!
Use Three-Ring Binders, and Make Them Pretty
Three-ring binders may make you feel like you’re back in middle school, but they’re an easy, organized way to keep track of documents. You can have as many or as few as you like – one for bills, one for insurance information, one for warranties, etc. It’s up to you how you organize them, just make sure it’s in a way that you’ll actually keep track of. Once you’ve got them organized, follow this easy tutorial from Thrift Diving to make them look so pretty, you’ll want to leave them out on your desk (increasing the chances that you’ll actually use them!).
Sift Through and Organize the Piles
Speaking of organizing paper, Frugal Living has an easy way of keeping track of all those random paper piles sitting in your house; you know, the ones that don’t deserve their own binder, but you still need to hang on to. She also uses her system to hold onto sentimental items: cards from her kids, drawings of theirs that you’ll want to look back on, or birthday cards from friends and family. Not only is the system easy to keep up on, but it should also only take an afternoon to get everything set up!
Organize Your Desk Space
Getting your work space organized and easy to use will encourage you to sit down and work on the things you need to get done, but it doesn’t need to cost a lot to make sure it all looks good, too. Kootut Murut has an easy, super cheap DIY for pastel glass jars that are great for holding pens, highlighters, or any other desk items you may need (you probably already have everything you need for this project around the house). Stick with the same color scheme you used for the binders to make everything look hyper-organized and coordinated, or add a splash of color by switching up the color palette.
Keep Track of Tiny Items
Small items like paper clips, pins, or tacks can easily get lost in desk drawers – so keeping them on top of your work space (on a cute magnetic set) is a great way to keep them in one spot! This tutorial from Earnest Home Co. shows you how to make these super cute, really easy sets – and if you’re worried about them getting knocked off the desk and sending items sprawling, just velcro them to the top or use a command strip to hold them down!
Keep Gift Wrapping and Craft Items In One Spot
Not only is this gift wrap organizer from In My Own Style super cute (you could honestly use it as a statement wall in your office!), but it will make your life so much easier when the holidays or birthdays roll around and you have easy access to all of your wrapping supplies. If you have a lot of craft supplies like ribbon or spools of yarn, simply add some extra rods and use them alongside your wrapping paper. You can also use S hooks and buckets to hold other miscellaneous craft materials – things like crayons, acrylic paints, paper, or scrapbooking materials.
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Do you have any home office organizational secrets? Let us know in the comments!