Desk Organizer Ideas

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Whether it’s your home office, your office at work or your college desk, a desk organizer makes all the difference in a workable desk and a chaotic, messy desk. And we all know that an organized desk reduces stress and increases your productivity.

We’ve all had to learned the importance of maintaining an organized desk and office space this past year. Whether you’re newly working from home, working from home with family members at home or working in the office during these chaotic times.

These desk organizer products and tips work well for college students and there’s even a college desk organization ideas section below with products tailored for the college student, dorm and college apartment.

Knowing the priorities in setting up an organized desk and the best products to use will make setting up your desk for maximum productivity a snap.

How should I organize my desk?

• An organized desk starts with a good declutter. Make sure you only have the items you need and use in your desk.
• Establish your priorities in using your desk.
  • How much work space do you need?
  • What items must be stored on your desktop?
  • What items must be stored in or near your desk?
  • Do you need to be able to secure any drawers or items?
• Store extraneous items or extra office supplies in another location rather than your desk.
• Use organizing trays to keep small and loose items neatly contained in drawers.
• Take advantage of vertical space, especially in small spaces:
  • Wall shelves
  • Wall organizer
  • Desk riser
• Use organizers on your desk to hold papers, files, pens and other supplies neat and organized.
• Use adjacent space next to your desk.
  • A tall book shelf or filing cabinet can extend your organizing space.
• Use space under your desk.
• Establish set locations to keep each category of office supplies and products.
• Label your organization system so that you remember to use it he way you designed it.

Desk Organizers

After you’ve decluttered and set the priorities for your workspace, you need to find the best ways to organize your space. Finding the right desk organizing products can make all the difference in making your desk space work for you so that you can do your best work.

Drawer Organizer

A desk drawer quickly becomes a jumbled mess unless you use a drawer organizer or tray to keep the multitude of little items neatly contained where you can quickly find them.

Desk Organizer Shelf

A desk shelf takes advantage of vertical space and provides additional storage space. Look for shelf that leaves enough workspace on your desktop and is flexible enough to handle your changing desk organizing needs.

Paper Trays

A paper tray can take those messy piles of paper scatters all over your desk and contain them in a designated and easy-to-find place. Establishing one organized location for all your paper, clears your desk to give you more work space and the open space can give you a feeling of calm.

Wall Organizers

Sometimes the best desk organizer solution is using wall space either in front of your desk or right next to it. This allows you to move items that would otherwise take up space on your desk or work area and move them onto space that is otherwise unused.

Desk Organizer with Drawers

Drawers can help keep supplies and papers neatly organized and out of sight. Evaluate what items you want to store in drawers and then select products that will specifically address your needs. There are several different types of desk drawers so you can find the type that works best for your desk and your needs.

Desktop Drawers

Under the desk drawers

Under desk drawer unit

College Desk Organization Ideas

The same principles and products apply for college desk. The two tops tips are:

• Keep only what you absolutely need in and on your desk. Banish clutter.
• Use vertical space above and below the desk to increase your storage space.

Additional products that are tailored for the unique needs of college students and small spaces:

• Check out my 100+ Best College Organization Ideas with tips, products and DIYs that make that small space really work.
• The free 3-page College Packing List and 85+ products and tips.
• Desk clips for cords and cables
• Expandable desk shelf is versatile and fits a variety of desks
• Desk storage box for papers or school supplies

• Rolling cart that works as a desk organizer or many other uses in a dorm room or small apartment.
• Expandable office drawer organizer that will fit in a variety of desks.
• Under the desk drawer that you can add to a desk. Use Command Hook adhesive strips to attach the drawer so you can remove it when you move out.

Desk Organizer DIY Ideas

• Clementine Crate Organizer
• Pencil cup from a tuna box

• I collected 10 of my favorite recycled office organizers.
• A shoebox or other shallow box filled with toilet paper rolls, paper cups and smaller boxes to create an office supplies organizer.

• A pencil cup made from repurposed diskettes. You could make several of these and attach them together to make a larger organizer.
• Metal cans used separately or attached together to make a desk organizer. You can set this on the desktop or hang it on the wall.
• PVC pipe cut to the right length and attached to make a desk organizer to sit on your desk or hang on your wall.
• This Big Bang Theory pencil cup is a nostalgic favorite of mine.

More Office Organizing Ideas

• How to Declutter Your Office
• Organize Office Supplies at Home
• Family Command Center Tips
• Home Office Organizing Products
• DIY Office Paper Recycling Bin
• Computer Desktop and File Organization

Be sure to pin these desk organizer ideas now so you can find them again in the future when you need them.

Find all my best organizing tips, hacks, printables and favorite products in the table below. ​You can scroll though the table and look for ideas or search for specific ideas with the magnifying glass in the upper right-hand corner (on desktop). Click on the topic and then click through the specific article.