Desk Organization

How To Organize Your Desk: get your office and craft room organized with unlikely and beautiful containers from the thrift store.

How To Organize Your Desk

It's January, so it just seems right that we should all be organizing all the things -including doing a little desk organization.  Today I'm partnering with Stouffville Care and Share, my local MCC Thrift Store.  Organization doesn't have to be boring.  I found some really beautiful and unexpected containers at the thrift store and I'm sharing how to organize your desk with some unlikely containers that will add a little bit of beauty and well as organization to your space.  It reminded me once again, that the most wonderful pairing is when something is both functional and beautiful.  

Vintage Silver Office Supply Containers

I started out in the silver section of the thrift store and found some beautiful old silver treasures. 

We gave an old teapot new life filling it with succulents, and an egg cup a new purpose holding paper clips. 

I looked for all silver containers that were small enough to organize all my small office supplies. 

When you're thinking about how to organize your desk, it's a great idea to group containers together.  I've grouped them on the corner of my desk and they look so beautiful.

Your pencils never looked so good. 😉

Tart Tin Organizer

This old baking pan is a bit of an unexpected organizer.  A stroll down the baking aisle at the thrift store led to me to this old tart tin. 

I had memories of my mom and Grandma making homemade butter tarts, but I also thought it could be the perfect way to organize some sewing supplies.

I found over the years, as a trained teacher, and as a stay-at-home mom to littles years ago, that organized craft, and art materials are like an invitation to get creative.  Sometimes it's a good thing to have everything tucked away in plastic bins, neatly piled in a craft cupboard.  But I tend to forget what's in those bins, and forget about the joy of creating. 

There is just something about surrounding yourself with materials that you can see, and access easily that makes you want to make something.  My mom used to have a little sign that said "creative minds are seldom tidy" .   This system is truly, in my opinion the best of both worlds.  It's equally true for me that a chaotic mess doesn't put me in a creative mood either.  Having things beautifully organized, but at your finger tips is the perfect in-between for me.

Colour A Rainbow

All you need to make a rainbow of colouring supplies is some mason jars from the thrift store.  I organized all the markers, pencil crayons, twistable crayons, and gel pens together by colour.  

It's a cordial invitation to colour.  

I have them all corralled together in a vintage wooden tray -perfect for moving them from room to room for whatever project, or school assignment they're needed for.

Organizing with Thrifted Storage Boxes

Another favourite thrift store find of mine is interesting little boxes.  When you're thinking about how to organize your desk small miss matched boxes are great for corralling supplies.

An old vintage tin, a beautiful fabric covered black and white box, and an old wooden carved small chest make an unlikely, but beautiful set all stacked together and holding stationary.  

There's nothing like a candle, a cup of tea, and all my organized supplies to help me get to some desk work done that's overdue.

I hope that these thrift store finds turned desk organizers have inspired you to visit the Stouffville Care and Share and do a little outside of the box thinking for your usual January organizing.  It's a reminder for me that organizing can be both beautiful and functional.  And having everything all organized heading into the new year makes me want to get creative with all these great supplies at my fingertips.

With an organized desk, life really is a party!

Want more organization ideas?

Also check out my Gentle Purging post on organizing old clothes.

You might also enjoy our Craft Cupboard and Work Station post here.