How to Make a Modern Desk Organizer

| |

Learn how to make a modern desk organizer with clay in this fun and easy tutorial! It’s a simple technique that you can use again and again to make all kinds of fun home decor pieces.

How to make a modern desk organizer
How to make a modern desk organizer
How to make a modern desk organizer

It is just me, or is it really hard to get anything done if your desk is a mess? I can truly say that I get more accomplished when my workspace is clean, organized, and (I admit it) pretty.

My old pencil cup was tired and dirty so I figured out how to make a modern desk organizer for pens, pencils, scissors, and little odds + ends.

And my workspace is totally refreshed! I know it might sound crazy, but I feel the most inspired and creative when I’m in an organized space that’s functional in a beautiful way. (Helloooo, Type A creative!) This easy DIY is made of just one material… can you guess?

Clay! It’s oven-bake clay, y’all. I’ve been using this stuff for years to make smaller things like ornaments, jewelry, and more. Sculpey has always been my go-to clay brand because I love the color selection, and I find that it’s really easy to work with. (You can also save the extra and it doesn’t dry out. Like, for years.)

More Beautiful Home and Office Decor Ideas

If you like this project, I have a feeling you’re going to love these others that I’ve hand-picked for you! Each of them is a fun technique or DIY project that will leave you with something beautiful for your home or office.

How to Make a Modern Desk Organizer

Materials

Make Time: 30 Minutes, Plus Baking Time

How to make a modern desk organizer

Step 1: Slice off about two thirds of the one pound bar of clay. Slice this large piece in half. Between the two halves, place two or three 2 ounce bars of the beige clay. You can also choose a different color here! The beige makes a nice neutral marbled shade, but you could also go much bolder. You can check out the full color selection on Sculpey’s website.

How to make a modern desk organizer

Step 2: Using your hands, start working the white clay around the colored clay until the colored clay is fully sandwiched in the middle. The piece will become longer and thinner as the clay warms up in your hands.

How to make a modern desk organizer

Step 3: Fold the piece of lay in half lengthwise. This is how you’ll start to incorporate the marbled pattern. You want to create folds in the clay, but not work the clay so much that the two colors actually become mixed.

How to make a modern desk organizer

Step 4: Repeat Steps 2 and 3 about three more times; work the folded clay into a flat, long section, and fold in half again. This will create marbled layers. Once you’ve repeated a few times, start shaping the clay into a large block. You can do this by gently rolling one side, then rotating the clay 90 degrees onto its side and rolling again until a rectangle is formed.

How to make a modern desk organizer

Step 5: Start creating holes in your rectangle where pencils and pens will eventually rest. Using the end of a pencil, pen, or small paintbrush, insert the end into the clay and work it in a circle until a hole is made. Be sure that the holes you create are large enough to hold the things you want to rest there (scissors, writing implements, and so on).

How to make a modern desk organizer

Step 6: Create a larger compartment on the surface of your desk organizer by carving out some of the clay with a scraper or clay tool. This larger hole could be used to store thumbtacks, paperclips, and more.

How to make a modern desk organizer

Step 7: Once you’ve created all of the compartments you like, slice away the sides and top of your desk organizer to reveal the marbling and refine the shape. Use a long slicer to cut away the excess layers until you can see clear marbling. Also, during this step, clarify the shape of your rectangle and make sure you cut nice sharp angles and corners.

How to make a modern desk organizer

Step 8: It’s ready to bake! Bake according to the instructions on the Sculpey III packaging; we baked ours for about 2 hours until it was nice and firm.

How to make a modern desk organizer
How to make a modern desk organizer

Once the desk organizer cools, fill it up with your office supplies! I love love love this project because it has such a beautiful finished product that’s so functional! And it really has helped me keep my desk intentionally stocked with my favorite pens and minimal supplies. (You know I’m into that essentialist life these days!)

So what’s on top of your workspace? Is this a project that you could see yourself trying? I’d love to know what colors you would choose for your marbling. Leave a comment and let me know! xoxo

This post is sponsored by Sculpey. All ideas and opinions are my very own. Thank you for being supportive of the partners who help keep Lovely Indeed rocking!

How to make a modern desk organizer
How to make a modern desk organizer
How to make a modern desk organizer
How to make a modern desk organizer
Loading comments...