How to make a desk organizer with a wire basket

Desks are one of those places that are hard to keep clean. From larger items such as rolls of tape and scissors to tiny items such as paperclips and elastic bands, it is easy to misplace things if you don't have a proper place to store them.

With just a few pieces, you can turn your desk from a black hole into a clean and organized space in no time. While the wire basket corrals all items into one area, the custom wood bottom creates sections so everything has its own place. Check out the instructions and video to see how you can make this desk organizer and never have to search for a pen again.

Materials
- Wooden board, 15 inches wide
- Ruler
- Square dowel
- Pencil
- Saw
- Wood glue
- Cardboard or plastic
- Wood stain
- Paintbrush
- Cloth
- Wire basket
- Glass jars

Instructions
1. Put the wooden board on the work surface. Put the ruler beside the board and place a piece of square dowel at the 3-inch, 7-inch and 11-inch mark.

2. Mark the position of the square dowel on the wood board using a pencil.

3. Place the ruler on top of the square dowel and mark where the dowel meets the edge of the wood board. Cut off the excess length with a saw.

4. Return the cut dowel to the spots marked in step 2. Place additional pieces of dowel horizontally on top of the existing ones and mark with a pencil where to make cuts so they fit in between the vertical dowels.

5. Cut the dowel at the markings with a saw.

6. Repeat step 4 and 5 until six pieces of dowel fit horizontally between the vertical pieces of dowel.

7. Place the horizontal dowel pieces along the top, bottom and middle of the three vertical pieces.

8. Secure all the dowel pieces with wood glue. Allow the glue to set.

9. Put the board on top of cardboard or plastic to protect the work surface.

10. Paint wood stain over the entire piece. Wipe off excess stain with a cloth and allow to dry.

11. Place the wood piece into the wire basket.

12. Add tall desk items such as pens or pencils to glass jars and put into the basket. Smaller items can go in glass jars or put directly into the cubbies.