Organizing a Home Office

Organize Return Address Labels And Postage

I was constantly receiving free return address labels in the mail. I hated throwing them out and the supply kept increasing.The sheets would slip and slide in my desk drawer. I found a good way to keep them organized and easy to see when I need them.

I purchased a see through hard plastic envelope with the zip slide closure at the office supply store. It measures 10.5 inches x 6.5 inches. I place the seasonal pictured labels paper-clipped together in the front and all the others in the back. I then place sheets of postage stamps right in the very front so the supply can be quickly viewed and I can tell when I am running low on postage. This handy packet stores in a shallow desk drawer and stays neat and orderly.

By Connie from Houston, TX

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Home Office Tips

My desk is against one wall. I have a computer and printer on it. I have velcro strips holding all the cords together with the name of each cord written on it with black felt marker.

I had a shadow box shelf hung at eye level when sitting at the desk. On this I put the stick tape dispenser, a small letter stand for stamps and business cards, and the small needy paper information that all desks get cluttered with. If this little shelf has the space, I put a pen holder also.

To keep the papers in place, I put dividers in a magazine holder. I put the plain, lined and grafting in there spot so I have them all in one place.

I like magnets for a few things we always lose; like scissors and paper clips. The strips of magnet sold today can be mounted in so many different fashions. It is fun. I have a picture frame made from magnet strips.

The area at the bottom of the desk that is empty, because it is so low. I store extra paper there, that is too much for the magazine holder.

I hope some of these ideas help someone :)

By Carolyn from Chilliwack, BC

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Recycled Rubberband Keeper

Use a mini hanger for socks as a rubberband keeper. The rubber bands will all be kept on the area where the socks hung. Take a rubber band, slip knot around the end that kept the socks from sliding off (this will be the hinge area) and then hook the other end on the end that hung on the display (this end you remove to get to rubber bands). It also works with hair bands. Just toss in the drawer or hang. Recycling and organizing in one!

By Trish from Memphis TN

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Use a Recycled Box to Store Notepaper

A Muellers' Spaghetti box works great for holding the supply of note paper I have cut from paper received in the mail. It is attached to the side of the refrigerator by flat magnets glued to the back of the box making the paper so accessible for making my grocery list, etc.. Eventually I may cover this container with contact paper but right now I like the box as is.

To remember items I need when I go to town, I keep a running list clipped to the front of the refrigerator.

By Betty from NC

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Organizing a Home Office

Whether you have an entire room in your house devoted to your home office, or even just a desk in the corner of your kitchen or bedroom, organizing it is essential to finding the things that you need when you need them.

1. Keeping everything in one place is the first step in organizing a home office. If you don't have a large space then this might be more difficult but having a filing cabinet in one room, a desk in another, and a bookshelf at the end of the hall can be in conducive to putting your hands on important information when you need to get to it. So the first thing that you need to try to do is to get everything in the same space.
2. Next, you'll want to separate personal from business. This applies to documents, correspondence, and anything else that you keep in your office space. If you have a filing cabinet, even a small one, designate one drawer for business (including taxes) and one business for personal (like doctor's reports and letters). If you have something that can apply to both situations then consider scanning it and filing it in both locations. You can either scan it and print it or scan it and keep it in a digital file on your computer.
3. If you don't have room for a filing cabinet then accordion type folders are good aalternatives. These have multiples dividers in them and you can use one for each year. These can be very useful in tax time, as you can separate your mileage from your bills and other iteimized deductions. They don't take up much room yet they still keep everything together.
4. Consider using containers, too, if you lack drawer space. A small basket can hold pens and pencils while a lager basket can hold a stapler, scissors, tape, and thumb tacks. The great thing about a basket is that it is portable so if you need any of those things in another room you can transport the entire basket, thus keeping everything together.
5. If you're looking for cheap cabinets and don't have the money for filing cabinets then consider a resale store, like the Habitat for Humanity Restore. You can usually pick up kitchen cabinets there for around $10 and they work just as well!

By Rebecca Patrick-Howard

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How to Organize Your Home Office

Certified Professional Organizer, Kim Oser, does an excellent job laying out the steps to keep your home office organized. Be sure to watch the related videos for all the steps and tips for home office organization.

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