Moving into a super-tiny studio apartment last month got me super jacked about creative small space solutions. This exciting event was paralleled in my work life, where we at Brit + Co. are getting settled into our new space (which is, thankfully, much larger than my cozy little studio.)
White and neon seemed like a good color direction to go in for desk pimping purposes. We saw cold, hard proof that it works in last week’s neon home decor post. Of course, feel free to riff on this project as you like. That’s what’s so great about this one. There is a lot of room for making it your own with different kinds of containers, colors and of course what you put in them!
Materials (makes 3 clip-on organizers):
– 4 grip clips ($5 on Amazon)
– 4 washers, nuts and bolts
– 1 loaf pan
– 1 coffee can
– 1 soup can
– 1 piece of self-stick heavy duty felt blanket pad ($5 on Amazon)
– white and fluorescent spray paints
Tools:
– power drill
– screw driver
– rubber gloves (for spray painting)
You might try using a teeny tiny flower box instead of a loaf pan, but we found a great textured pan that did just the trick!
First line up the clips on your containers and mark the drill hole with a sharpie.
Next, get a firm grip on your container with one hand and put some pressure against the drill with the other to keep it steady—then go to town. We noticed that we had to pulse the drill a couple of times to get a nice divot in the metal that would allow us to apply the pressure needed to get all the way through the container.
After all of your holes are drilled it’s time to spray paint.
We started by painting the interiors of our containers with the neon colors to avoid any masking. If you screw up it doesn’t matter because you are just going to flip them over and cover any mistakes with the white paint! Spray hack! Also, make sure you always spray paint outside or in a well-ventilated area.
Once you have the interiors of your containers painted and dried flip them over and paint the exteriors of your containers with white spray paint.
We also recommend spray painting your clips white. Let everything dry.
Now it’s time to attach those clips to your new organizers.
Once all of the clips are attached you can measure and cut out the felt pads. Stick the felt pads on the underside of the top clip (sticky side up) to prevent your table from getting scratched.
Voila!
Attach those little guys to your desk and feel free to kick up your shoes and admire your stellar handiwork. Fill them with pens, plants, flowers, cords, business cards, sticky notes or any other small objects that need to be stowed, but always within reach.
What does your desk look like? Have you made any clever caddies to keep yourself organized? Talk to us in the comments below.
It can be intimidating to step out on your own and build a business from the ground up. As part of our collaboration with Office Depot, we're talking with Selfmade alum and solopreneur Colette Lawrence, the faith-based motivator and relationship builder behind The M.E.E. Movement, about ways in which women in business can find success.
B + C: How did you know M.E.E. Movement was your business to start?
The M.E.E Movement represents motivation, empowerment, and encouragement for women. It is what represents me. I did not know at first that it was my business to start, but then the thought of monetizing what I loved came to me. It scared me, however. I registered the business in July 2020 and have been slowly building my wings since.
B + C: What's one strategy that's helped you start your business?
Thinking through and researching what the requirements are to start my business, and then asking questions of people who are in the business. Not all advice worked; however, it helped me to figure out what I needed to do and not to do.
B + C: Did you always know life coaching would be your entrepreneurial path?
(Smiles) No, I did not. I 'stumbled" on it. I knew that people were always coming to me for advice and I found that I loved having conversations with them, especially with women, young and old.
B + C: What was your most valuable takeaway from Selfmade?
My most valuable takeaway was the first day of training: Get out of your own way. There were a lot of great moments and important takeaways from every presenter. However, getting out of my own way, pushing past doubts, was for me my most valuable takeaway. Doing something that I had never done before took courage. If I do not focus on what is happening with me mentally then I cannot deliver to my clients successfully.
B + C: What's one piece of advice you would give to female entrepreneurs on the brink of starting?
Get out of your head. You have something to offer. You have what you need to succeed so go ahead and do it.
B + C: How do you stay motivated?
I stay motivated by listening to music and listening to motivational speakers, and sometimes someone will just reach out and talk about the impact that I made in their life. That adds the extra juice or sauce I need to pummel through the day.
B + C: What's your best organizational tip?
Keep a diary and journal. It's the best way for me to keep organized and it also provides a source motivation as I record not only my "losses" but my wins as well.
B + C: Who inspires you in the entrepreneurial space?
Shirley Toliver – She motivates and empowers and makes me always want to show up.
B + C: What has receiving the Office Depot scholarship to Selfmade done to help you start or grow your business?
The scholarship was a blessing in that all the areas that were covered offered valuable information that I needed, from social media to HR. As a new business owner, I needed to know this to increase my own personal awareness in what it takes to run a successful business. The candidness of the presenters made it easy to see myself in their shoes and helped me to realize that I can also get there.
Thanks Colette! You can follow The M.E.E. Movement on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Want to feel motivated to take the next step for your business? Let Office Depot OfficeMax give you the confidence you need with a suite of business services & solutions to help you put your best foot forward. Make a good first impression with business cards & build the business pitch of your dreams with custom presentations. With Office Depot OfficeMax you'll find the tools to reach new customers with confidence.
Head to Office Depot's Selfmade page to check out even more amazing business resources (and discounts!) to help you accomplish more on your entrepreneurial journey. These offers are available for a limited time only, so be sure to take advantage of all this goodness while supplies last. Want to join the next Selfmade cohort this summer? Check out all of the scholarship details right here.