Detachable Cardboard Side Desk Organizer

This cardboard organizer is simple, detachable and easy to transport. It’s perfect for using on a school desk or at home. I made this cardboard organizer to fit my iPad, writing utensils, water bottle and other small school supplies like erasers, chargers and more There’s even a spot for a mask! This cardboard organizer uses double layered cardboard so it’s extra sturdy. This organizer will keep your desk clear, and your workspace cleaner overall.

• Large corrugated cardboard box with a DOUBLE layer of flutes.
• An X-acto knife or other cutting tool
• A measuring tool
• Paints and other decorations
• A pencil
• A pen or marker (use a bright colour)
• A cutting surface
• Straight edge of wood
• Glue gun or other adhesive

For this desk organizer, a lot of separate boxes are needed so its important to have a planned out “net” to show you exactly where to fold or cut. Using your measuring tool, follow these measurements for each net. You’ll notice there are 1 cm sections marked out. These sections are where you should glue your nets together. Be very aware of the direction of your flutes. They are marked out on the net plan drawings.

1. iPad Holder- H- 10 cm, L- 20 cm, W- 6 cm
2. Water Bottle Holder- H- 10 cm, L- 8 cm, W- 11 cm
3. Writing Utensils Holder- H- 10 cm, L- 8 cm, W- 11 cm
4. Other Utensils Holder- H- 5 cm, L- 6 cm, W- 26 cm
5. Base- L- 50 cm, W- 40 cm

If you need a visual aid, these images show how to plan out your nets.

Cut the pieces using your straight edge to guide your knife. Don't cut thick lines off, you'll need them later.

Cutting seams in your cardboard will help you create shapes out of your nets. Gently use the X-acto knife to slice through your cardboard until there’s only one layer of liner board left intact. It should fold easily but not fully fold backwards. The direction of the flutes is very important for this step because its easier to cut along the flutes and they make the folding process easier. Make sure that you make slits on the back instead of the front of the cardboard for your Other Utensils Holder so the folds will go towards the front instead of the back.

Glue your nets together to turn them into boxes. Glue on the thick 1 cm lines. For box #4, (the Other Utensils Holder) the assembling process is a bit complicated so use this video to help you.

To hold your boxes in place, we’ll be using a locking mechanism that acts like a barrier to stop your boxes from falling right out as soon as they hold weight. To make these you’ll need to break one layer of the corrugated cardboards liner board, roll it into a tight spiral and glue one side. Make sure the flutes are going horizontally and your cardboard is at least 30 cm in length and 8 cm in width. Once you've finished, take cut your barriers into 4 cm pieces, one for each side of your boxes. If you feel you need extra stability, make 4 spirals at least 28 cm in length. These will be harder to attach and detach but will provide extra strength to your boxes.

It’s best to decorate all the pieces separately before assembling so that they’re completely coated in paint and dry evenly. When painting on cardboard, try not to use to much or it will soak through. It helps to paint both sides of the cardboard too. Make sure you don't get too much paint into the cracks of your pieces or they won’t fold properly.

To assemble, you’ll need to slot your cardboard. To do this you could us one of 2 strategies. Mark out slots by outlining your cardboard and making a rough outline of your boxes. Remember, they don’t have to be perfect since you’ll be using a barrier at the back but try to be as accurate as possible. The second strategy is to measure out each boxes area. You can do this by measuring each side of the box, then measuring the thickness and taking those measurements (using a ruler) to draw outlines.

Make sure you include these measurements…

Bottom: 2 cm from the bottom, 2 cm from the left side, 3 cm between boxes, 3 cm from the right side.

Top: 3 cm from the top, 1 cm from the left side, 2 cm between boxes, 1 cm from the right side.

Here are some visual aides to help you.

To assemble, push your boxes through their slots. Each box should be 3 cm deep into the base. To create your box holder slots cut out a small square within the 3 cm area at the back of the base, making the hole large enough to fit your spiral holders. Cut squares on both sides and push your spiral holder through to secure the box. Attach you final project to a desk.

Congratulations! You made a detachable side desk organizer!