How to Make a Homemade Desk Set

Create your own desk accessories from everyday items.

In lieu of purchasing an expensive desk set for your home or work office, personalize one by making it yourself from recycled materials. Gather boxes and cans from your home and ensure that they are clean before transforming them into fashionable desk accessories. A pencil holder, in-box, paper-clip holder and a holder for notes commonly comprise a desk accessory set and can be constructed.

Things You'll Need

• Cereal box
• Scissors
• Tape
• Scrapbook paper
• Rubber cement
• Electrical tape
• Black permanent marker
• Empty pill bottle
• Magnetic tape
• Acrylic paint
• Soup can
• Small pasta box

Instructions

1. Cut the front face from a cereal box and secure each corner with tape to secure the top and bottom flaps, from where the cereal is commonly poured. Measure each remaining side, both inside the box and outside the box and cut matching measurements of scrapbook paper. Secure the paper to each side of the box with rubber cement. Cover each corner edge with a thin piece of matching colored electrical tape. Write "In-Box" on the top flap side of the box with a black permanent marker.

2. Remove the label from an empty pill bottle, discard the lid and paint it completely with acrylic paint in a color that matches the scrapbook paper. Allow it to dry completely before sticking a length of self-adhesive magnetic tape to the inner-mouth of the pill bottle. Insert paper clips into the bottle and when overturned, the paper clips will stick to the magnetic tape for ease of use. A strip of scrapbook paper may be glued around the center of the bottle to unify this piece with the others.

3. Remove the paper label from the outside of a clean aluminum soup can and glue a rectangular piece of scrapbook paper around the can to cover it. Fold a piece of electrical tape over the top and bottom edges of the can for decoration and for safety. Insert your writing utensils into the can for a pen holder.

4. Cut 3/4 of the large face of an empty pasta box as the basis of a note pad holder. Glue the matching scrapbook paper over each visible face of the box as well as the visible interior of the box. Cover each corner edge with electrical tape. Insert a note pad or stack of scrap paper into the box.

References

• Warm Biscuit: Make an Easy Desk Set for Your Child's School Supplies

Resources

• McRea Soft Solutions: Less Stress with Desk Organizer: -- 2 Keys to Turn