DIY: Desk Organizing Ideas for Old Fashion Work at Home Moms

Organizing the desktop as the communication and scheduling hub for both home and work life is a great way for moms to stay ahead. Unfortunately,  keeping so much information in one place can quickly lead to an unnerving mess. Personally, I stay organized through electronical means but some of you may like the old school method.

Below are a few tips for keeping your desktop professional, chic and ready for anything that may take place in the course of a typical day of a work at home mom.

Create a Color-Coordinated Master Calendar

Avoid scribbling dates and memos on sticky notes. Instead, simply utilize a calendar with important dates and other entries organized according to a color-coding system.

Using marker pens, select different colors that will permanently represent family, social, and work events. You may also consider using a different color for each child, or a different color for each type of event.

To save space above or on the desk, consider keeping the calendar in a pullout drawer that can be easily referenced from a sitting position. A dry-erase board can be used in a similar fashion if a print calendar proves bulky or inconvenient. Many come with adhesive wall strips that are safe on paint.

Label an In-and-Out Tray

While many of us are accustomed to using the mail tray as a catchall, consider creating simple labels for incoming, outgoing, and still-in-review paperwork.

A metal file divider will also work well. Be sure to go over everything in your review tray at the beginning and end of each day.

Utilize Magnetic Strips

For moms with younger children, this may not be a suitable organization strategy. For those with older kids and teens, you may wish to keep desktop clutter such as scissors, metal pens, paper clips, and other small tools on hand and in plain view.

Use magnetic strips and attach to the sides of the desk. Of course, be sure that any adhesive used is safe for your paint or wood finish.

Try Tubes

Take advantage of odd bits of leftover space. Use small paint cans or tubes (can be purchased from most arts and crafts stores) for organizing pens, bookmarks, and other essentials.

They're Not Just for Jewelry

Another craft store organizational gem is the jewelry bead caddy. It comes in various shapes and sizes and can be used to neatly store the tools of your trade.

The caddies are stackable and are usually clear in color making quickly locating your materials a snap. Special varieties have interchangeable trays for more customized sizing needs too.

Create a Chic Gadget Dock

E-readers and other mobile devices are great for busy moms looking to organize their business and family lives. Sadly, those devices, their chargers, and their cords can quickly lead to desktop clutter. With a hand-held hole punch, create three or more holes at the top of a cloth or plastic desk organizer or compartmentalized caddy. Feed charger cords through the holes and tie them loosely with a cord bind.

With a little creativity, ordinary desktop organizers can perform multiple roles. Feel free to view your current supplies and organization tools with a new eye for other uses that will make them work for you.

Just don't forget to recycle unnecessary junk!