Desk Drawer Organizer
I know I'm a total nerd but I LOVE back to school time! I've always liked it even when I was out of school and didn't have a child getting ready for it. I love school supplies and new notebooks and plus it is also that feeling of getting a fresh start.
When I was in grade school we all had shoe box drawers to keep our supplies in when they were not in use. I always loved that idea so I decided to ramp it up a bit as a craft to do with my daughter.
Supplies:
- Kids Shoe Box (these tend to be shallower to fit inside the desks)
- Sobe Craft Glue
- Hot Glue
- Fabric
- Matboard (any color)
- Cabinet Handle or knob
- Felt
Begin by measuring the inside dimension of the bottom and front section of your box. Cut both out of mat board, (take a 1/4" off the over all dimensions of the bottom section. Hot glue the smaller piece to the front of the box and sure up the other flaps on the box to make it more sturdy. By doubling up on the front section it will provide the needed strength to support the handle. Drill your holes for the hardware by lining up the handle and marking the connection points, for knobs draw a line from corner to corner to mark the middle.
For the box exterior, cut a strip of fabric 4" larger than the height of the shoe box. Starting at the back of the box, brush watered down Sobo glue on one half of the rear panel. Place the end of the fabric strip at the midpoint and start to flatten across the side. There should be about a 2" overhang at the top and bottom. Work your way around the box, brushing on glue and smoothing until you reach the back again. Cut the fabric 1/2" over the seam so that you will have a piece to fold under for a finished edge.
Flip the box over so that the bottom is facing up. Glue down the fabric starting with the long sides, again smoothing so there are no bubbles. Working with fabric is not much different than paper, fold your corners in just as you would if you were wrapping a present. Now repeat the same process over the lip of the box.
For the Interior of the box, you will need a strip of fabric just about the same width as the wall height of the box you are working with. Fold over and glue one side to create a finished edge. I started in the front corner since it would be the most out of sight place for a seem. Glue the fabric along the sides about 3/4" down from the lip, letting the remainder of your strip fold along the bottom. Again, work your way around until you are back at your starting point. At this point you can find your predrilled holes, with an exacto knife make an "x" incision from the front and the back. Trying to drill through the side while the fabric is already on, just twists the fabric up in the drill bit.
Take the piece of mat board you had cut from earlier and coat with the Sobo, lay it down on a piece of fabric. Cut roughly an inch around the rectangle, just enough so you have some to fold over. Cut a diagonal from the corners of your fabric to the corners of your mat board and glue the flaps down. This will make a tailored looking bottom.
Now for the finishing touches. Cut a pice of felt just slightly smaller than the bottom and glue to the base. This just makes it a bit easier when the box slides in and out of the desk. Place the bottom panel in the box, should be snug enough to not move around but you can hot glue it down if you like. Attach your handle to the front. You can make dividers for the inside out of extra strips of mat board covered in fabric (or leave them plain).
Not up for fabric? You can also cover boxes with patterned papers or drawings or keep it really simple with stickers. Add a handle and you're ready to fill it up. I love seeing peoples projects! If you give this a try please post a link to your creation in the comments below!