desk | Finding delight.

If you’ve been peeping around these parts for the last couple months then it is no secret that I’m having a bit of a love affair with Dollar Tree. I love making super simple DIY’s but I hate spending a ton of money. Add to that the fact that I discovered Pocket Letters and suddenly I’m jonesing to go to DT every other week for craft supplies and stationery finds.

In need of a new project, I decided to see if I could create an inexpensive gift to dress up a desk. I came up with a desk organizer made from a picture frame and some fabric. This would make a really cute gift for the teachers in your life. Or shipped off to a dorm dwelling college student. Or to welcome a new co-worker to the office! The best part? It allows you to tuck in a few stationery goodies you think the receiver might enjoy. Something that Dollar Tree is PERFECT for. So, check it out! Here’s how to make a Picture Frame Desk Organizer for six bucks…

What you’ll need:

Besides a couple materials I had on hand, scissors and glue, here’s what I picked up at Dollar Tree…

8″x10″ picture frame
metallic gel pens
post-it notes (how stinking cute are these???)
notebook
2 fabric place-mats (Note: You could just use any ol’ fabric. But if you do, you’ll need to create a sturdy edge for the pockets by folding the top down and sewing a border. I’m lazy and wanted to limit my materials to Dollar Tree items. If you’re like me, go for the place-mats or fabric napkins!)
envelopes

and how it all comes together:

Take the picture frame apart. You won’t need the glass or that lovely (fake) family portrait.

Cut a piece of the place-mat to fit the frame. This is the back piece so you won’t need to worry about borders. Just make sure it fits well.

Note my “Fabric Only” scissors. #classy

Now cut two additional pieces WITH BORDERS on the top edge to serve as pockets. Leave a little bit of room on either side so you can play with how much “give” your pockets will have. To do this, pop everything through the frame without securing it and run your finger through the pockets. Once you’ve loosened them to your liking, trim the edges.

Since you’re using a crappy Dollar Store frame you’re going to need some re-enforcement. I went in with my trusty E6000 glue all around the frame where the fabric will lay. I flipped the lined up fabric, cardboard, and frame backing over into the frame…

…then I removed the frame backing and put some glue on it as well. (Note: You’ll see above that there’s a piece of cardboard half the size of the frame. This frame didn’t come with the cardboard that a lot of frames do so I just cut my own out of an Amazon box. If your frame comes with cardboard I would recommend cutting it down so it only lays above the pockets. This will balance everything out while still letting you get the frame closed.)

Squeeze everything tight while the glue dries! Or, if you want to (again) follow my lazy lead, you can use giant binder clips. (I weirdly get a TON of use out of these clippy dudes.)

Once the glue is dry you can fill up your creation with all sorts of goodies! Feel free to embellish the fabric and pockets with sewing notions or cute pin-back buttons if you like.

I was having way too much fun thinking about other stuff you could tuck in your desk organizer so I put this “look” together too…

…highlighters, crayons…and who wouldn’t love a Starbucks gift card clipped on front? You could also include paper clips, pencils, tablets, paintbrushes, cards, stationery paper, letter opener, book-marks. The possibilities are endless!

What do you think? Who would you gift with this little DIY? What would you tuck inside? Do you have any other cheap and easy crafts you think make great gifts?

The folks at WeWork, a co-working company that builds communities to empower people to do what they love, inspired me to share my current workspace and what I love about it. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect! This past weekend, after a morning trip to Ikea and a good few hours of flat-pack furniture assembly, I got to work setting up my NEW home workspace! I thought I’d give you guys a peek at the finished product. I’m already SO in love with it! I can’t wait to spend my days creating and writing at this gorgeous command center. I knew I wanted a color palette of white, gold, and Tiffany box blue so the Micke desk was a perfect fit for that aesthetic. Add to that my custom desktop computer, a few gold trinkets, and some stationery from the Target dollar spot and – wam BAM – the perfect little corner for productivity. Shall I show you around?

Mounted monitor.

My monitor was painted white to match this mounting arm, a feature which allows me to position based on my viewing needs. And since my work-space is in our bedroom, those needs CAN include watching Netflix in bed.

Bits and bobs to keep me smiling.

I’ve picked up quite a few desk accessories from Target over the past few months, including; post-it notes, page flags, bulletin/chalk board, and owl pushpins. All super affordable. I believe everyone should have a few desk trinkets to personalize their space. The stone was a gift from a co-worker. It says “Trust” and is the perfect size and shape for rolling around in your hand when you’re having a good think. The dino skeleton was a present years ago from my friend, Katie. And the gold wheel was thrifted. I’m sure it used to belong on a contraption that spun around but I just liked the way it looked and it functions quite nicely as a coaster. The bird mouse was a must-have as soon as I saw it.

Custom computer.

Chet built me my very own computer, including painting it to my aforementioned color scheme, and presented it to me for Christmas last year. I’d say not many people are lucky enough to have a computer cute enough to proudly display on top of their desk LET ALONE such a tech savvy individual as their BETROTHED!

Plenty of drawer space.

A big selling point for me for this particular desk were the 2 large drawers that run the whole length. They’re the perfect place to stow my notebooks, stationery, cords, current reading materials, folders, and adult coloring book(!).

Thanks so much to WeWork for encouraging me to share this post. I always find other people’s creative spaces quite inspiring so it’s fun to have an excuse to show off my own!

If you’re a freelancer (like me), run a small business or startup, or work remotely, and you’re interested in joining a coworking community, do check out WeWork. They have lovely office spaces located all across the world and offer tons of benefits.

Details – Desk/Ikea, Office chair/Ikea, Bulletin board/Target, Owl pushpins/Target, Mouse/Amazon, Wedding notebook/Moleskine, Purple polka dot notebook/Moleskine, Grey notebook/Baron Fig, Kindle case/Amazon, Blah blah blah folder/Target, Secret Garden coloring book/Morris Book Shop.

P.S. Check out Chet’s home office setup, too!