How to Decorate With Office Supplies

Used office supplies

When decorating a small office, it is a challenge to find the right look or decor for the room. There are ways to implement office supplies into the decor of an office that is both functional and attractive. Choosing office supplies that have designs and patterns on them adds value to a creative space, and decorating with used office items such as short pencils, half erasers and old wooden rulers promotes recycling and contributes to a greener office space.

Things You'll Need

• Wet cloth
• Cork or tack board
• Color tacks
• White board
• Color dry-erase markers
• Themed day calendars
• Old pencils, rulers, erasers
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks
• Colored copy paper
• Chalk paint
• Colored chalk

Instructions

1. Prepare the walls of your office area by removing excess debris and dirt with a wet, clean cloth. Once dry, apply two generous coats of chalk paint and allow it to dry completely. Leave one area of the wall blank. Create a border on the chalk paint with a colored chalk, using different colored chalks to create a decorative effect. Inspirational words, poems and drawings can provide character to the walls.

2. Hang the tack board and white board to the wall area. Make sure they are close by the desk or easily accessible from the work area. Borders can be drawn in different colors on the white board to create separation and designate sections. This is a good place to write down notes, reminders and phone numbers. Use the white board to add contact information, to-do lists and important bill reminders.

3. Decorate the cork board by hot-gluing pencils, erasers and rulers to create a trim. This adds office flair and recycles items that would otherwise be thrown away. Add the pictures from old daily picture calendars for decorative purposes rather them throwing them away. Use colored tacks to differentiate notes and important receipts.

4. Layer stacks of unopened colored copy paper underneath small office equipment such as computer monitors, printers and telephones. This will provide height to the monitor or raise the printer or phone for easier access.

5. Apply pieces of broken or worn-out erasers and small pencils to create a collage on the outside of an old pencil holder. Rulers that are broken or that have the measurement marks worn off can be used to make a tissue holder, by gluing the rulers and pieces to the cardboard on the tissue box.

Tips & Warnings

• Browse thrift stores or ask students to give you any broken or unused items.

Resources

• Recycled Office Supplies