Crafts are an all-time favorite at our home. I enjoy the special time with my daughter when we let our creative juices flow to create fun and interesting things. But getting ready for crafts is another task altogether!
Where’s my blue marker? I can’t find the scissors! And the list goes on for quite some time. By the time all craft items are found and ready to use, I honestly have little energy left for the craft itself. I am sure many moms out there will relate to this as there’s so much to do as moms, and we often miss out on a few things. And that’s completely understandable!
So I thought, why not do something that encourages my kiddo to keep her stuff organized without me having to tell her to do so? And that’s how I came up with the thought of a DIY desk organizer. It took a little time and effort but now I see my daughter happily organizing her supplies in her very own cute and colorful organizer.
If you too wish to give it a try, follow the instructions given below to make a personalized desk organizer for your little one, that will inspire them to keep things organized from a very early age.
Cute and colorful DIY desk organizer
Things You’ll Need:
- Cardboard
- Acrylic paints
- Paint brushes
- Glitter paper
- Pencil
- Ruler
- Glue
- Scissors
- Craft knife (Disclaimer: Adult supervision required as scissors and craft knives are sharp tools. Please be vigilant if you have kids helping you in this activity or playing around you while you’re busy making the desk organizer.)
Steps to Follow:
We usually have a few cardboard boxes lying somewhere in our house (thanks to Amazon!). Pick a box that’s big enough for you to cut out the pieces required to make the desk organizer. And also, gather a couple of finished tissue rolls from the bathroom.
Use a pencil and a ruler to draw pieces of the given measurements on a large cardboard piece. I have numbered the pieces, in order to make it easier for you to understand.
1 – 15.5 x 11.5 cm (1 piece)
2 – 15.5 x 10.5 cm (2 pieces)
3 – 10.5 x 5 cm (2 pieces)
4 – 7.5 cm long
5 – 5.5 cm long
With the help of a craft knife, cut out cardboard pieces and tissue rolls in the above measurements. You will now have a total of seven pieces to work with.
Now grab a few acrylic colors and paint the organizer pieces. For our project, we used red paint for coloring pieces 1, 2, and 3 and yellow and green paint for coloring tissue paper rolls.
Invite your kid to help you in this step. Kids love coloring activities and this task will be their contribution to this craft activity.
Here’s how all the pieces will look once they are all colored and dried. You can ask your kid for color suggestions and paint the pieces as per their choice.
Now it’s time to assemble the organizer. First, we will work with pieces numbered 2 and 3.
Pick a large cardboard piece and apply glue along one edge of its width.
Now pick one smaller cardboard piece and stick it on the glued edge of the larger piece. Refer to the above images to get a better idea.
Similarly, glue the remaining two cardboard pieces (1 large piece and 1 small piece) to make a box-like structure.
Once the box-like structure is ready, apply glue to the edges on one side and fix it on the largest cardboard piece (piece 1) as shown in the image below.
So, this is how it will look like when you glue the box-like structure on piece one. While we have used regular glue for this craft, you can also use a hot glue gun for a quick and strong bond between the cardboard pieces.
Next, apply glue to one of the edges of the longer tissue paper roll and stick it on the left-hand side of the front portion of piece 1.
Similarly, apply glue to the small tissue paper roll and stick it on the right side of the frame. The basic structure of the organizer is now ready.
Time to add some fun elements to make the organizer appealing. Hand over a few glitter papers to your child and request them to cut out a few shapes of their choice. My daughter cut these cute hearts out of glitter paper.
Your child can now stick these pieces on the tissue rolls to impart extra bling to the organizer.
For a more personalized look, cut out letters that make your child’s name and let your kid glue these too on the organizer. It’s such a nice way to add a personal touch!
And there you have it! Your kid’s very own DIY desk organizer! Place it on your child’s study table and let them arrange their supplies in it.
I loved how this desk organizer turned out! With a few simple supplies, we could easily create a useful item for my daughter’s study area where she is happily organizing her stuff after using them.
Wrapping Up,
DIY activities are great for spending quality time with kids. These activities not only encourage you and your child to think more creatively, but it also imbibes new skills in children while reducing their stress levels and elevating their mood.
I hope you liked this simple DIY desk organizer activity. Do give it a try and let us know if your kids loved it! If you wish to try out more DIY activities, you check out our other pages talking about DIY Tangrams, DIY Geoboard, and many more.
I am Priyanka Sonkushre, a writer and blogger. I am the person behind “One Loving Mama,” a mom blog. Equipped with a Bachelor’s degree along with an MBA, my healthcare background helps me deeply understand learning difficulties. I know how challenging it can be for parents to find the right resources to help their children excel in life. So, here I am to blend my healthcare expertise with my parenting experience to create valuable and helpful resources for parents and teachers supporting children with learning differences. If you wish, you can follow me on Facebook and LinkedIn.