
Admit it — you have a junk drawer. We do too! Who doesn’t? I mean really, what are you supposed to do with that weird shiny star garland you only used once but might, just might, hang up again for your best friend’s sister’s birthday? We say keep the garland and the junk drawer but get those binder clips and self-adhesive mustaches organized. We’ve teamed up with Velcro Industries to spiff up three typically disorganized drawers: a classic junk drawer, a desk drawer and a craft supplies drawer. Thanks to VELCRO® Brand ONE-WRAP® Straps, we’ve taken these drawers from pandemonium to perfect order.
This contest is now closed.
And guess what? We want to do more than just show you how to organize your drawers, we want to give you the goods to make it happen. By submitting your email address above, you’ll be entered to win a $250 AMEX gift card and $100 of VELCRO® Brand Products, all in the name of organization! Entering to win also means you’ll be signing up for the Brit + Co newsletter, a bi-weekly email that’s packed with beautiful things to look at, make and shop. The contest runs through July 9, 2014. Full terms and conditions here.
Materials:
– VELCRO® Brand ONE-WRAP® Straps
Tools:
– scissors
All you need to do for this easy organization project is cut a few pieces of VELCRO® Brand ONE-WRAP® Straps and wrap them around your junk… er, very important items. Here are a few ways we used VELCRO® Brand ONE-WRAP® Straps to tidy up our drawers.
We spruced up a classic junk drawer filled with odds and ends by adding strips of VELCRO® Brand ONE-WRAP® Straps to the cord of a glue gun, rubber bands and hair ties, toothpicks, garland and clothespins.
What a mess! There are nails and toothpicks and wine corks in there that are in desperate need of our help.
Junk Drawer
We tied our glue gun cord with a VELCRO® Brand ONE-WRAP® Strap and then pinned our clothes pins to a piece of VELCRO® Brand ONE-WRAP® Straps to keep them together.
This looks SO much better. No more tangled mess in this junk drawer.
Desk drawers are always filled with tiny bits and pieces like paper clips and staples. No need to let them run wild when you can give them each a little home. And those cords! Wrap them up!
So many loose pins! Don’t poke yourself.
Desk Drawer
Let’s get wrapping.
We held our Sharpies together with a VELCRO® Brand ONE-WRAP® Strap.
And we wrapped our cords!
Mess be gone!
Now you can actually get a paper clip if you need one.
Our final drawer is for all your crafting supplies. These materials can get a little unruly, so we’re going to whip them into shape.
Sequins really don’t belong in the bottom of a drawer. We used an ice cube tray to organize all of the teeny tiny goodies.
Craft Supplies Drawer
We have a lot of rope and thread that can easily get tangled, so we wound them up and used a piece of VELCRO® Brand ONE-WRAP® Strap to prevent them from unraveling. It worked like a charm.
Then we placed our safety pins on a loop of VELCRO® Brand ONE-WRAP® Strap.
Looking. Good.
That’s it! Our drawers are officially clean. Now go forth and organize your junk drawers.
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.