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    Working From Home: Creative File Storage Idea

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    Work from home idea for creative file storage and desk organization made by repurposing two unrelated items to make a mobile hanging file folder organizer.

    I have been working from home for the last 11 years and have tried and used many pieces of furniture, office supples, file storage and desk accessories to make my work from home life productive while in a decorative style.

    I am lucky to have a room in my home that I made into a work place just for me. I call it my studioffice where I can do both the messy creative and crafty projects using paints as well as a pretty desk where I can take care of running my own business from the comfort of my home.

    When we moved to the lake I noticed that when I wasn’t creating projects in my studioffice and was using my computer, I would head out to the kitchen table where the view of the lake is better.

    When I did this I also took along a few files of posts I was working on as well as other things related to running a blog.
    By dinnertime on many days, the table was filled with all my paperwork that I would pile up when it was time to serve dinner.
    This was not a good thing as the papers became disorganized and not good for my production.
    To keep myself better organized when I worked at the kitchen table, I outfitted a basket file with all that I needed and placed it on a chair. This was better, but still not ideal.
    I had to come up with a better solution to keep me organized when I worked from the kitchen.

    Fast forward to cleaning out my craft room – studioffice last week. It was quite a mess after all the holiday projects I worked on in December. I took a hard look at everything in the room and realized I never sit on this white leather office chair.
    I love the styling of this chair, it is very chic and feminine, but whenever I sit on it, my lower back goes out on me. 🙁 Does this happen to anyone else when sitting in certain chairs?

    I have another office chair that I made over a few years ago using pink and white cowhide fabric that I use that is fine for my back.

    When I was taking the chair to the garage, I noticed that the wheel base was screwed on with large metal screws and easy to take apart.
    You know how much I like adding wheels to furniture. Seeing the wheels gave me an idea that I figured would not be hard to try out. I did just that I started experimenting with ways to make the basket file I use in my kitchen easily moveable around the table and out of the way when I wasn’t using it.
    I realize that many of you will never need something like what I created with an office chair and a hanging file folder organizer basket, but I decided to post about it to inspire you to ask yourself when looking at any item in your home…. ” What if?…”
    What if?… I did this or What if?… I removed that. Keeping your mind open allows you to give everything, especially stuff you are getting rid of a second look and hidden potential for a new use.
    Don’t look at the item as a whole though. Look at each separate part of the item by itself. Envision it combined with something else that may not be related to it at all.

    See if you can use parts of one item and add it to another unrelated item to come up with something new that can make your life easier, more organized or just for something decorative.
    Creative File Storage Idea

    Keeping an open mind to the possibilities and my needs allowed me to create a mobile file organizer that I can roll right up to the kitchen table when needed and then roll away at the end of the day.

    To give my mobile file holder more function, I placed a flatware caddy basket from the thrift store inside so I would have a place for pens, note pads, a stapler, scissors and other misc desk supplies that I use every day.
    For the flatware caddy basket, I used a small box to create a lift in the back of the file folder basket so the flatware caddy sat up flush with the top of the file folder basket.
    How to Repurpose an Office Chair To a Mobile Hanging File Folder Organizer

    Time needed: 2 hours.
    Creative File Folder Organizer to Use When Working From Home
    Remove Seat
    Remove the seat from the office chair. I used an Allen Wrench to remove mine.

    Measure Base
    Figure out the size you will need to make a wood box (or find a pre-made wood crate that will fit) that will go over the wheeled chair base. My base was 13″ x 19″. I made the box slightly larger than this so I could easily place in over the metal base and attach it.

    Make a Box
    I made the wood box from scrap lumber. I needed a top piece and 4 side pieces.I cut each to the size needed and used small finishing nails to make a simple, rustic looking box.

    Attach Box to Base
    Once the wood box was finished, I placed it top side face down and then centered the top of the office chair into it. I used wood screws to attach.

    Flip It Over
    Turn the whole thing over and place a file folder organizer box on top.Options: You can paint the wood or cover it with fabric to coordinate with your decor.Depending on the size of your chair base you may be able to buy a pre-made wood crate or box to use from the craft store.

    My new rolling file folder organizer may not be perfect, but it is exactly what I needed. The best part, I didn’t have to buy anything new to create it.

    For more work from home tips to help you stay organized and productive, head over to my post where I share how I store everything in my craft room/studioffice.
    If you have been working from home over the last year, you’re probably noticing that you’re inadvertently collecting supplies, and might not have a way to contain all of those random odds and ends. Whatever your home office set up is, avoiding a cluttered workspace is just as important as ever to stay productive.
    I bought the hanging file folder basket many years ago at Target. I looked for something similar to share with you. Here are a few I found:
    Chic & Stylish Hanging File Folder Organizers

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      Making a 2 Tiered Kitchen Basket Stand

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      How to take a 3 tiered metal stand and create a 2 tiered kitchen basket tray stand.

      I am going to show you what I semi-handmade over the weekend. My goal was to add a little bit of fall decor in the way of texture and organizing to my kitchen.
      I always enjoy tinkering with items such as the 3 tiered tray stand in the photo below. I like to see if I can come up with something new, using a part of it, then swapping another part out or even completely repurpose it. I would love to design a line of decor items someday that go with all the ideas in my head.

      This is exactly what I did with this white 3 tiered metal stand that I use when entertaining and for the holidays in my kitchen. It was a gift from a friend when we first moved to the lake – Thanks Gail. 🙂

      The stand comes apart easily, so playing around with it didn’t damage it one bit. I can always put it back together in a minute when Fall is over and it goes back into holiday mode.

      Using parts of the stand, I wanted to create a new Fall-inspired wicker basket stand to replace this silver wire stand I use to hold produce. I like this stand and will use it again, but my kitchen is small and I get bored seeing the same things. Changing it up, especially for the seasons, inspires me.

      I took the 3 tiered white metal stand apart to make a shorter 2 tiered kitchen basket stand so it would fit under my kitchen cabinets. I used a thrift store wicker basket as the second tier.
      I love baskets and get excited when I find a new way to use them around the house that not only looks nice but adds warm and cozy texture, while giving me the exact function I need. 🙂
      You may be thinking, “What’s that on the top – a finial?”
      The answer – yes, but not just any finial, but a custom-made one using a tiny detail from nature that I collect.
      How to Make a Tiered Kitchen Tray & Basket Stand
      I realize that you will not have the exact same items I used to make my 2 tiered fruit basket stand, but I wanted to show you what you can do with any tiered stand you may have.
      Do you have a tiered stand of any kind? Maybe one made with ceramic or china plates? These types of stands are easy to take apart and reassemble. They can be found at most thrift and antique stores. Even if you don’t like the design, color or pattern of the plates, the stand part can be repurposed to your needs.

      Time needed: 20 minutes.
      How to Make a 3 Tiered Stand into a Shorter 2 Tiered Kitchen Basket and Tray Standtools and supplies needed:Tiered stand or parts from a plate standMetal washersLarge screw and nutTwineTacky GlueHot Glue and glue gun
      Gather Your Parts and Supplies
      I took the stand apart. I only needed the pedestal, the rod, the rod covers and bottom round tray. I also used a round wicker basket into which I made a rod sized hole in the bottom with an awl.

      Create a Stopper to Secure Center Dowel
      I screwed the rod to the pedestal base and then added the largest round tray from the original stand, the larger rod cover, my wicker basket and the narrower rod cover.Doing this, the screw end of the rod was just short of the top of the second rod cover.To make the stand secure, I had to find a nut that fit the threads at the end of the rod. Then I was able to insert the screw into the top half of the nut.Once the nut was on the rod, the screw that I had on hand to fit into the nut was a little too long, even when tightened. I didn’t want to see the screw threads so I added washers to cover the threaded section of the screw. Once the screw on the top was tightened, the entire assembly was secure, creating a very stable stand.

      Hiding the Washer to Create a Finial
      To hide the washers, I brushed tacky glue to the sides of the washers and wrapped twine around them. I placed the ends of the twine in the channel on the top of the screw.

      Secure Twine
      To secure this, I used a dot of hot glue. (Note: If you want to take the stand apart some day, don’t put glue where screw meets the washers.)

      Attach Top Section of an Acorn
      Using another dot of hot glue, I attached the top section of an acorn.

      All Done

      My Semi-Handmade Countertop Fruit Basket

      I love, love, love my DIY’ed tray and basket stand. It is exactly what I envisioned. Best of all, I did it in my own style and it didn’t cost me anything to make since I used items I already had.

      When making the finial top, I didn’t have twine. So I applied a retail display trick (where we had to be super resourceful when creating displays for the store). Did you know that removing strands from burlap, which I did have – gives you pieces of twine. 🙂
      Do you have a tiered stand in your home that you are not using? Can you redesign it to fit a new need or for the season? Maybe use two baskets if you have them. That is what is so nice about DIY’ing – you get to be a designer.
      On another note…. I know my bananas are spotty, but I let them get that way. I freeze the spotted bananas and use this Frozen Fruit and Banana Whip Maker to make Banana Berry Whips or Chocolate Nice Cream. It makes it easy to make a variety of plant-based alternatives to ice cream. So I always have bananas getting spotty in my countertop fruit basket.
      If you like to see baskets or tiered stands on your kitchen countertop, here are a few I found:
      You May Also Like:

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      How to Repurpose an Urn into a Side Table

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      How to instantly transform a classic garden urn into a side table.
      Post updated: 09/01/2020

      This black urn sits in a corner of my living room. I have had it forever. It is one of those classic items that always is in style. It has made it through many of my decorating furnishing purges over the years.
      Over the summer I placed a fern in it.

      In the fall at my previous house I used it outside. I placed leaves and a pumpkin on the urn. In the spring and summer – I filled it with flowers.

      Now I am going to show you how to repurpose an urn into a useful piece of furniture that can work either inside or outside your home. I could have titled this post – My 2-Timing Urn. 🙂
      I love to find new uses for all kinds of objects.
      Many years ago when I started to experiment with transforming the urn into a small side table, I tried adding a round piece of glass on the urn. It looked nice, but the glass just sat on top and was not secure or safe.

      I then tried placing a round silver tray on the top of the urn. The tray was the type where the center section of the tray is lower that the rim. This made it secure in the urn, but it looked like an ash tray you would see at a bus station. Not the look I was after. 🙂

      I like to shop my house… so I kept looking through all the rooms and found this cake stand in my china closet.

      I placed it inside the urn…

      …Presto-O-Change-O!   It worked.
      It looked good and was secure in the urn.
      The stand part of the cake stand keeps it from moving back and forth in the urn.

      The repurposed urn makes a sweet little side table that is perfect for a glass of wine or a cup of tea.

      Or the perfect small table to hold flowers from your garden.
      And the best part of this little table. It can be as temporary as you want or need it to be. In less than a minute I can remove the cake stand and place the fern back in.
      I have repurposed many items in my house to make tables over the years, take a look at how I made these tables:
      For more fast and easy decorating ideas, check out what my blogger friends have done in less than 20 minutes:

      On Sutton Place | Fall Porch Decorating Ideas

      Shabbyfufu | French Farmhouse Fall Style Fall Bedroom – Easy Ideas

      StoneGable | Brambly Fall Front Door Basket

      Designthusiasm | Shelf Decorating Ideas

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      One Last Decorating Detail to Update

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      When it comes to making your house truly your home – every little decorating detail matters.
      I have pretty much transformed every surface in my house over the 5 years since we moved to the lake. I still had one small detail to update though. It was not a big deal in the grand scheme of updating and decorating a house, but for me getting this last detail updated by adding my own style was a very big deal.
      It is the last part of the house where the previous owner’s tastes still exists and it has taken me 5 years to get it done…. talk about procrastination!!!
      Before gearing up to decorate the house for fall, I thought I would finally get this detail updated.

      I am 5’5″ tall and only see the bottom shelf when I open my kitchen cabinets above the stove where the previous owner had blue and white shell motif Contact Brand adhesive shelf liner. Shell motifs were a thing in the house – both bathrooms also had shells as a decorating theme. 🙂

      When I made over the kitchen, I tried ripping up the adhesive Contact shelf lining paper, but only got a small section removed as it was not going to budge. At the time, I figured I would cover it eventually. 5 years is a very long eventually. 🙂
      There is never a time like the present to get something done, especially now that I am spending more time at home.
      To get the cabinet’s bottom shelf covered in something more to my liking, I went to my gift wrap stash and found the black and white plaid that I used to line the drawers earlier this year. That gift wrap also seemed like the right solution to line the cabinets.

      It took all of 10 minutes. 🙂
      This gift wrap is not like ordinary paper gift wrap. It has a vinyl component to it which makes it wipeable.
      You can find wipeable gift wrap at HomeGoods, TJMaxx, and Marshalls in many different patterns and colors. In my previous house, I used it to make a runner for my kitchen table.

      So nice now to see color and pattern that fits my personal decorating style.
      How to Line Cabinet Shelves with Gift Wrap
      supplies needed:
      Wipeable gift wrap or any decorative paper – sold at HomeGoods, Marshalls, and TJMaxx
      Iron-On vinyl or Clear Contact paper if using regular gift wrap or paper
      Scissors
      Tape measure
      Optional: glue stick

      Use a tape measure to figure out the depth and length of the cabinet interior.
      Cut the gift wrap to size with scissors.
      Place gift wrap into cabinet.
      If you want the gift wrap to stick, after placing it in the cabinet, lift the corners and add a few swipes of a glue stick on the underside of the paper.

      When I painted the kitchen cabinets, I didn’t paint the insides or the inner lip where the cabinet doors sit when they are closed. Keeping the lip paint free allows the doors to close all the way, with ease.
      Don’t Have Wipeable Gift Wrap?
      If you can’t find wipeable gift wrap or a color or pattern you like to line your cabinets, then the next best thing to use is any gift wrap you like which can be covered with clear Contact paper or iron-on vinyl as I did when I lined my kitchen drawers.
      Or line your cabinets using the real thing – shelf-lining paper. Here are a few stylish options:
      Stylish Shelf Liner Options

      Black and White Plaid Gift Wrap (similar to mine)
      Gripping Shelf Liner Non-Adhesive
      Contact Brand Cork Self-Adhesive Liner
      Wood Grain Shelf Liner
      Clear Contact Brand Shelf Liner
      Lining cabinet shelves is a small detail that may not seem worth the time, but adding your own style to even the smallest detail in your home does contribute to making a cohesive look throughout a room and entire home, even when behind closed doors.

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      DIY Recipe Box Using a Wine Crate

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      What can you put into a wooden wine crate after the wine is gone? You can repurpose it and make one chic DIY recipe box for your kitchen to hold and organize all your favorite recipes.

      I promised last week that I would show you one last item that I wanted to make for my kitchen cart island.
      A few posts ago I shared that I added a second shelf to the island. One of the reasons I added the second shelf to my rolling island kitchen cart was that I wanted a handy place for my recipe box.
      I have a small kitchen with no room to keep it handy. 5 years ago, I totally reorganized my recipe box. How I organized it has worked extremely well over the years so I didn’t change that aspect of the box. I did however want to give the box a new look so it would feel more “foodie chic” on my cart.

      I was inspired about a DIY wine crate idea when we were in France last year.
      I have always wanted a wine crate basket for my bike after seeing one like this when I was in NYC a few years ago for a blogging event. A very stylish woman was on her way to work on a black vintage bike with a wine crate on the back holding her tote. So chic…
      When I saw a few again in France, even though I knew I didn’t have a place to ride my bike, I was inspired to find a way to use a wine crate in my home somewhere.

      As you can see, I found a way.

      I custom made it to fit my needs and on the shelf on my kitchen cart island using wine crate fronts so there would be a winery logo on each side of the recipe box.
      I am thrilled with it as it adds a little more of the ” foodie chic” feel to my kitchen. I know it is just a recipe box, but I love it for the fact that I made something I envisioned and custom designed it for my needs.
      How to Make a DIY Recipe Card Box By Repurposing a Wooden Wine Crate

      I made my DIY recipe card box to fit large 5′ x 8″ index cards. I also only used wine crate front panels instead of just one wine crate. This way I could have a winery logo on each side of my box.
      Try to find front panels with the same thickness, but know it still can be made if they are not. One of my panels was thicker and one had grooves.

      supplies needed:
      I cut the panels down to size. If you have one wine crate, you will have enough wood to make the box, but will have only one winery logo, unless your crate has more than one logo on it – some do.
      Further down in the post is a list of where you can find wine crates.
      5 Wine crate front panels
      2 for Front and Back: Cut to size: 9-3/16″ (w) x 4-3/8″ (h)
      2 for Sides: Cut to size: 13″ (w) x 4-3/8″ (h)
      Optional: Wood Divider: Cut to size: 8-1/4″ (w) x 5″ (h)

      1/4″ plywood for bottom – Cut to size: 8-1/4″ (w) x 13″ (l) *If using one wine crate, no need for plywood – you can use bottom of wine crate.
      Clear acetate – saved from packaging or you can buy a few sheets at your local copy shop.
      Pencil
      Straight-edge
      Saw
      Wood glue
      5/8″ long carpet tacks
      100 grit sandpaper
      Hammer
      Drill and thin drill bit
      For recipe cards and dividers:

      Time needed: 2 hours.
      How to Make a DIY Recipe Box Using a Wine Crate
      Take Wine Crate Apart
      If you are using an intact wine crate, you will need to take it apart. Use a small pry bar to carefully take it apart. If you are using wine crate front panels to make a box – proceed to next step.

      Cut Each Panel To Size
      I used 4 wine crate panel fronts and cut them down to fit the width of 5″ x 8″ index cards. When the box is assembled it is 4-4/8″ high.I cut a piece of clear acetate to make a template. This makes it easy to see the logo as you center the template over it when marking each for the size. The sizes are listed in supplies list above.

      Find Center of Each Wine Crate Panel
      Lay clear template over logo, find center and lightly trace around it using a pencil. Repeat for each panel. Using a table saw or jigsaw, cut each out.Note: Front and back panels will be shorter. The side panels will be longer so choose longer winery logos for the sides so you won’t have to cut as much of them off.

      Cut Plywood For Bottom
      Since I used wine crate front panels to make my box, I needed a piece of plywood for the bottom of my box. If you are using a full wine crate, use the bottom of the crate for the bottom, no plywood needed.Use a straight edge to mark the plywood to 8-1/4″ (w) x 13″ (l). Cut on lines.Sand edges smooth.

      Glue Pieces Together
      Lay wine panels and bottom of box on worktable. Apply wood glue to attach the front, back and sides to the bottom. Let dry.Note: You want to make sure to glue the front, back and sides of the box to the side of the bottom. This is important as the inside bottom of the box needs to stay a little wider than 8″ to hold the index cards.

      Drill Holes for Tacks
      Use a small drill bit to make a tiny hole to hammer nails in. Drilling a hole will help keep the nails from splitting the wood.

      Hammer in Tacks
      Hammer in a nail/tack into each drilled hole.

      Add Nails
      Once the glue is dry, reinforce the assembly of the box using rug tacks or very flat head nails that resemble wine box nails. I placed two nails on each side of the box

      Optional: Make a Movable Wood Divider
      I made my recipe card box longer than I needed, not only for when my recipe card collection grows, but also to divide it into two sections. This give me a place to put magazine recipe clippings and recipes I printed out from blogs into the back that I want to try out. If we like them, then they will get a recipe card. If not, the clipping or printable goes into recycling.I used a 5th wine crate front to make this wood divider. I cut it to be very snug inside the box. This way I can move it when needed, but it is snug enough to keep the cards in the front of the box from falling down inside the box.

      Close Up of Divider

      Fill the Box With Recipe Cards
      I made my recipe cards using 5 x 8 index cards and followed the same recipe box organizing I shared in this post: Recipe Box ReDuxI used super thick plain white index cards and stick on insertable tabs to make the category dividers.I printed out the category names using MS Word and the font Century Schoolbook.

      How to Make a Stay-Clean Recipe Card Cover

      I am sure you are familiar with the acrylic cookbook stands that you place an open cookbook in so that you can see your cookbooks through it so it won’t get splattered as you prep and cook.
      I made something similar on a much smaller scale for my recipe cards.

      It is stored right in the recipe box where I can easily grab it when I remove a card to make a recipe.

      To make it I used a thick piece of acetate. I save acetate from packaging to use to cover drawer labels, make clear templates as I did to make sure I cut the winery logos so they were centered.

      I cut the acetate to 8″ wide x 6-1/2″ tall. I then scored a line 1-1/2″ down from the top using the tip of a pair if scissors. Scoring is not cutting, but making a groove in the acetate that you can then fold.
      When the cover sits on the counter, it is raised up a bit and the recipe card slides right in.
      Where to Find Wine Crates for Creative DIY Decor

      Wood wine crates, wine boxes or crate front panels to repurpose can be found:
      At thrift stores and yard sales. Many times they may be holding smaller items for sale so don’t overlook them.
      On Ebay and Etsy. Check the shipping price though, many of the listings are from the UK and shipping is way too much.
      Ask at your local liquor store. They may give them to you or charge a nominal fee.
      More Wooden DIY Wine Crate Ideas

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      Wicker Basket Side Table for My Living Room

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      How I instantly made a unique side table to go next to one of the chairs in my living room. This DIY side table idea could not have been easier to make. In fact, it was assembled in an instant with no power tools needed. Side Table BEFORE This is a photo of the corner […] More