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Easy Desk Organization Ideas You Need To Know

Has your office desk become a wasteland for clutter? Is it the dumping ground for all things paper related, and half finished projects? Trust me, you are not alone! Find out how to clear away the clutter, and keep it that way, with these easy desk organization ideas.

desk organization ideas clean desktop

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Let’s be honest. Your office desk is probably a mess.

Whether you work at home, work in an office, or just have a small office desk for your laptop. It can get out of control quickly!

That poor desk typically ends up being ground zero for clutter. It has a mountain of papers and junk mail, and that form that we were supposed to sign last week.

And, let’s not forget about all of the randomness that collects on our sad office desk. If your home is anything like mine then it may have a shoe, a dish towel, and a glow stick laying on it right about now. Please don’t ask.

You didn’t mean to let it get that way.  I mean, you didn’t intentionally throw every single paper in your house on it, and just say oh well. Your office desk is usually in a room that isn’t visited often. So, it is super easy to just close the door and walk away.

However, it still leaves you with a pit in your stomach every time you see it. And all that clutter can feel incredibly overwhelming. You don’t even know where to begin. Am I right?

These easy desk organization ideas will remove all of that overwhelm, and get your desk decluttered and organized once and for all. And the best part is that it will stay that way!

So, let’s eliminate that overwhelm, and tackle this thing. Because you don’t need to be sitting around worrying about the state of your office desk. You have much better things to do with your time than all that!

Desk Organization Ideas

  • Declutter

First things first, you will need to declutter. You will want to have a basket or tote handy. This is a place to throw items that do not belong on your desktop. It does not need to be anything fancy. Just a receptacle for that which doesn’t belong.

Simply place the items in the basket, and walk away. But, wait! Aren’t we supposed to be getting organized? Don’t I need to go through all that stuff? NOPE! Not right now at least.

Here is the thing that can happen when we declutter. We get shiny object syndrome. You find a sock on your desk, go put the sock in the laundry room. And, now you find a toy in the laundry room. So, you take the toy to where it belongs. Wash, rinse, repeat.

It is a vicious cycle of running around all day putting things away, but you never actually accomplish what you set out to do in the first place. Don’t worry! We have ALL been there! Especially me.

That is why I can beyond a shadow of a doubt stress to you the importance and significance of doing one task at a time.

So, task one. Place anything that does not belong on your desk in the basket, and just leave it there for now. You can go through the basket AFTER you have finished organizing your desk.

  • Purge

Now that you have decluttered your desk it is time to get started on purging. PPS Another thing that applies to anything that you want to organize. 😉

Take a look at what is still remaining on your desk. Probably a ton of papers, junk mail, and paperclips.

Start with the papers and junk mail first. Go through each item and separate what you need and what can be tossed into two separate stacks.

This is the task that leads to the most overwhelm. So, take a deep breath and just get started. That is literally all there is to it. Yes, you may have a TON of papers, but it really should not take longer than 30 minutes.

When you have finished going through your papers you will need to decide if the ones that are to be tossed can safely be thrown away. If there is personal information on these items DO NOT just trash them!

Having a paper shredder right next to your desk is a massive time saver. And, you will feel good knowing that no one can just go through your trash or recycling bin and see your account numbers and personal information.

Now, is also a good time to take a look at any office supplies that may be cluttering up your desk too. Do you really need 100 paper clips, or 200 rubber bands? Probably not. When it comes to desktop organization the key is to eliminate anything that you do not need.

Desk Organization Supplies

All of these items can be found in my shop. Be sure to check it out here.

You have now completely decluttered your office desk. Way to go! Seriously that is a big freaking deal, and I am so proud of you!

Let that amazingness sink in for a moment. Feels good doesn’t it?

Okay, so now that your desk is clutter free you will need to start thinking about some desk organization supplies. Because let’s be honest. Without the actual tools to keep everything sorted this whole thing was a waste of time.

desk organization ideas drawer organizerOne of the most important desk organization supplies is a drawer organizer. These things are a powerhouse! Drawer organizers are integral to keeping your desk organized because they give you the ability to get almost everything off of your desktop.

This may seem like no big deal, but in reality it is. If you are able to remove your paperclips, rubber bands, and even pens and pencils from your desktop. Think about how much clutter free space that would leave you. A ton right?

If you happen to have several drawers this 3 pack of drawer organizers would work great. Don’t you love a good deal?

desk organization ideas file holdersThe next thing you will need to get your desk organized is file holders. This is a great place to store any important files for bills or warranties, and other important documents that you need to be able to easily access.

File holders are also great for a teen’s desk in their bedroom or dorm room. They can easily keep all of their assignments separated and organized.

And, I am majorly crushing on the fact that these come in rose gold. 😉

desk organization ideas cord organizer

Another must have desk organization supply is a cord organizer. Listen, I know this isn’t the most glamorous organizational tool on the planet, but oh my gosh is it amazing!

This thing keeps your cellphone, laptop, power cords, USB cords, and headphone cords in one spot. Instead of a tangled mess that takes forever to find the one cord that you need. Like when your laptop power is on 2% so you are feeling a cold sweat coming on while you haphazardly riffle through ALL the electronic cords. Feel me?

Now that your drawers are organized, the important papers have been filed away, and your cords are officially on lockdown. It is time to get to some other organization details.

There is no need to go crazy on spending here, but find something that you like and makes you happy. It can truly be as simple as a coffee mug or cup that you love. The key here is to find a receptacle for all of your pens and pencils. That’s it.

Once you have found a pen holder you like, simply put your pens in it. Easy peasy!

Depending on the size of the space dedicated for your office you may want to get a storage cart. These are multi tiered rolling carts that can house just about anything you could need.

If you have a small office space a storage cart is great for housing printer paper, and you can even put a drawer organizer in them. They are also great for craft supplies, and make great homework stations too.

Whether you have a small space dedicated for your office desk, or an actual office. Going vertical is always a great option for getting organized.

By hanging some floating shelves above or beside your desk you will free up a ton of space. They are a great place to store any books or notebooks. They are also great for displaying something you love. I mean it can’t all be about function. You need something pretty to look at too!

While you are on a roll why not check out these other posts that are full of a ton of EASY tips that will get YOU organized and stay that way!

desk organization ideas clean desktop

DIY Desk Organization Ideas

Since you are a modern and creative mama you may want some DIY desk organization ideas. Because who doesn’t love that wonderful feeling of being able to say “I made it myself!”

These DIY projects are super easy too. Because we both know that easy is always good. You simply don’t have hours upon hours to invest in getting organized, let alone creating crafts to get organized. Your time is needed other places.

Let’s take a look at some incredibly easy DIYs that you can easily recreate in a few minutes!

Let it forever be known that mason jars are one of the greatest organization supplies EVER! And, if you are like me, then you are pretty much obsessed with their cuteness too!

If you are a fellow mason jar lover, then you will flip out over this adorable DIY desk organization solution by Its Overflowing. You can easily recreate this in a few minutes by simply hot gluing mason jars together. I mean, it doesn’t get much easier than that. And, it is just so gosh darn precious!

You can also make your own office desk drawer organizer with mini loaf pans or small baskets. This is a great way to get your desk organized with your own special touch. You can place your post it notes, stapler, a hole punch, and even pens and pencils in the pans or baskets.

You may have seen all of the amazing things that you can do with a peg board floating around on Pinterest. That is because they are another great way to go vertical when getting organized. And they are an organizational work horse too!

If you have a tight space for your office desk a peg board can be a great way to utilize every square inch of space. You can hang baskets and office supplies on your peg board. They are also perfection for a craft room and other hobby spaces too.

Another great desk organization idea is to use an ice tray to hold all of your paper clips, binder clips, and push pins. Such a simple yet effective idea! And, you may already have an ice tray on hand that you could use for this too.

desk organization ideas person typing on laptop on desk

How To Organize Desk

Now that you have decluttered and have all of your desk organization supplies. You may be thinking “now what?” You have everything you need, but don’t know what to do with all of it. It is like another level of organizational overwhelm, and trust me you are not alone!

First things first, take a step back and really think about how you use your office desk. Is it a desktop that is used occasionally or frequently? What is your office desk used for?

I have listed some suggestions on a layout for your desk, but this is YOUR desk. Be sure to do what works best for you.

If you do not use your desk frequently, and it is used basically to pay bills.

I would suggest setting up a space for your laptop or computer in the center of the desk. Place a printer to the right of your laptop, or on a storage cart to the left or right of your desk.

You may not have drawers for your desk so a pen holder should be plenty. Or, place a drawer organizer on your storage cart too. Since this is where you are paying bills it would be a good idea to keep a file holder there to house important papers as well.

You can keep the pen holder and file holder to the left or right of your laptop or computer. Do what works best for you.

If you use your office desk often to pay bills and send emails for community events. Or use as a crafting space.

Since you use your office desk frequently or semi frequently then you will need to step up your office organization skills.

Place your laptop or computer in the center of your desk, and a printer to the right of the laptop. You can place a cord organizer to the left of your laptop. Your desk probably has drawers so a drawer organizer is another great idea.

And, since you are sending a lot of emails on a regular basis. You probably have some papers that you will need to keep track of. Place a file holder to the right or left of your laptop.

I would highly encourage you to use a peg board if you use this as a crafting space, or a space for other projects. It is such a great storage solution for all of your supplies.

If you use your office desk for work, and it is used almost daily.

When you work from home or at an office then keeping your desk organized is extremely important. Not only does it help you keep track of everything, but an organized space also leads to increased productivity. If you have a deadline, or simply need to be inspired then you know that maximizing productivity is the best thing ever!

Again, you will place your laptop or computer in the center of your desk. Place your printer to the right of your laptop. Next, add a cord organizer to the left of your laptop to manage all of your electronics.

You may need more than one drawer organizer so I would grab this pack of 3. And you know you will probably need some file holders too. Those things are a life saver when keeping all of my different projects organized!

The other thing that I consider a must have is the floating shelves above or near your office desk. This is where you can keep your planners, and binders that you need to quickly reference. These work great for extra storage.

Also, be sure to put out a few things that you love to look at. It could be pictures, or a print. I am a firm believer that if I am going to be in a space frequently I would like to enjoy it! Know what I’m saying?

Wrapping Up

Now you have a ton of desk organization ideas, and know exactly how to layout your desk. Whether you work from home, in an office, or use your desk occasionally. You are prepared to tackle this thing, and know exactly how to do it!

Now go get started. Because we both know that once that mountain of papers is gone, and that desk is clutter free. You will feel SO much better! I will be right beside you. Cheering you on at every step!

SAVE IT FOR LATER

desk organization ideas simple hacks to organize your desk

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