How to make a colourful DIY desk organiser

18 Aug 2022

Pencils, pens and notebooks scattered across your desk? Clear your working space and add a pop of colour with this gorgeous organiser DIY using colours like Resene Cinnamon, Resene Fire and Resene Hot Toddy.

This finished DIY desk organiser is bright in Resene Cinnamon, Resene Fire, Resene Hot Toddy, Resene Hot August and Resene Lucky Point. Wall in Resene Carrara.

You will need:

• Five lengths of 9cm x 10cm x 90cm long untreated pine boards
• Saw
• Wood glue
• Wood-working clamps
• Sandpaper
• Rag/cloth
• Resene Quick Dry
• Resene testpots in your choice of colour (Fleur used Resene Cinnamon, Resene Fire, Resene Hot Toddy, Resene Hot August and Resene Lucky Point)
• Paintbrush
• Print-out of a stencil
• Craft knife
• Small piece of foam or sponge
• Resene Aquaclear waterborne urethane

How to:

Step 1: Start by measuring the width of your desk and cut the long boards to fit. The total length of Fleur’s desk organiser is 88cm, the width is 11cm and the height is 9cm. She cut the two sides to be 88cm long and the base to be 86cm long (accounting for the wood being 1cm thick). Also cut the two ends – Fleur’s were 9cm square.  

Step 2: Glue the two long sides and the two ends to the base. Use wood-working clamps to hold these in place while they dry. 

Step 3: Cut six partitions – Fleur’s were 9cm wide by 8cm tall. Glue these into place at 9cm intervals so that each cubby hole is a square. Measure the remaining space and cut a partition long enough to go in this space lengthways. This is where long thin items can be stored, such as iPads, books and pads.

Step 4: Once the glue has dried, sand any rough edges smooth. Wipe the dust away with a soft cloth. Paint the inside of every second cubby hole with one coat of Resene Quick Dry. 

Step 5: Once the primer has dried, paint each cubby hole a different colour. Fleur used Resene Cinnamon, Resene Hot Toddy, Resene Fire and Resene Hot August. Do two coats, allowing the first coat to dry before applying the second coat. 

Step 6: For the outside of the organiser, use Resene Hot Toddy and Resene Hot August to paint on your design.  Fleur painted soft, organic shapes in just one coat so the wood grain still showed through a little.

Step 7: Next, with some painters tape, use Resene Cinnamon and Resene Fire to paint on more of your design.  Fleur painted on geometric shapes with these colours. 

Step 8: Finish by printing out a stencil, cutting this out with a sharp craft knife, and then using a small piece of foam or sponge to dab on some Resene Lucky Point over the stencil. 

Step 9: Once the paint is dry, apply two coats of Resene Aquaclear over the whole organiser, including inside the unpainted cubby holes.

project and images Fleur Thorpe

Published: 18 Aug 2022