WHO (Work at Home Organization) Let the Slobs Out

My mom works from home, but her desk is a mess. She has papers everywhere, her glasses sit wherever they want, and good luck trying to find the charging cable. In order to solve this problem, I designed and built an organization shelf for her. It is complete with shelves for paper, a pencil holder, a scratch-proof container for glasses, a fenced-in area for AirPods and a hole for the charger to stay in place, and even a coaster! When put together, this design will help my mom stay organized and on top of her work. No more procrastination, wondering what tv show is on next, because WHO’s on first.

• ¼ inch plywood - total of just under 800 square inches of material
• Felt/Foam (pictured) - 54 square inches
• Wood glue
• Hot glue
• Wine Corks
• Scroll Saw
• Table Saw
• Sander/Sandpaper
• Drill Press
• Spray glue

Measure, mark, and cut the wood according to the cut list (pictured). All measurements are in inches and all wood is quarter-inch ply. Pay attention to kerf when you cut to ensure that all final pieces are the required size. Use a table saw for the big pieces and a scroll saw for smaller, more detailed cuts. In addition to the wood cuts, you will also need to cut the felt into a 9x3 and a 9x2.75 in rectangle.

If you plan to do the coaster, you will also need a little more wood, around 8x8 more should be plenty

Use a scroll saw to cut out small rectangles in the middle of each 12x9 piece (labeled “paper shelves” on the cut list). These will be slots for the finger, so make them about 1 inch wide and about 1.5 to 2 inches into the wood. You do not need a lot of precision for this—it’s only for convenience. Additionally, use a drill press with the largest bit possible to make a hole in the corner of one of the 8x9 pieces (labeled “side”). This will be used to run a charging cable into the shelf at the end.

Start assembly by gluing the felt to the 9x3 pieces (labeled “glasses” on the cut list). Begin assembly of the shelf frame with the bottom, left, and back. Use wood glue and clamps to ensure that each piece meets at a 90º angle and is stable.

Put in the right side wall, as well as the paper shelves using the same technique as Step 3. With good clamp usage, the shelves will help support the walls and back. Once the shelves are set, use the bottom shelf and left wall to glue the glasses container you made in step 3.

Use the pieces 3x0.5 and 4x0.5 to make a “fence” for the AirPods on the right side edge of the bottom. Hot glue is okay here as the pieces are very small and won’t be supporting any weight. Additionally, use this opportunity to sand all edges. We waited until now because we may have had to make adjustments, and the gluing process may have splintered and scuffed up the wood.

Here are some examples of spots that are crucial to sand well:

• Inside and around the finger slot in the paper shelves
• Inside and around the cable hole on the right wall
• The corners of the paper shelves that will jut out slightly
• Anything else - you cannot sand too much

It’s time for the finishing touches! First, we’ll make the pencil holder. Glue the 5x3 and 5x2.5 pieces to make a rectangular prism. A combination of hot glue and wood glue works well. Once it is stable (and well sanded!), glue it to the top of the shelf.

Use a scroll saw to cut wine corks to 0.5 inch. Use spray glue to glue them down to your 8x8 square. Once it is dry, use a scroll saw to cut the surface into your desired shape, and use an electric sander to smooth the edges of both the wood and the corks.

The finishing pieces aren’t limited to my (or my mom’s) needs. Get creative, and figure out what little details would make your shelf more useful and aesthetic to you, personally.

Your shelf is now finished. Put your papers, glasses, sticky notes, etc. in and your desk will be free of clutter! Enjoy your new organized life!