How to Decorate and Organize a Desk

Desktop and Exterior

• Wake up a tired, old desk with a fresh coat of paint. Apply white paint for a crisp, clean appearance or a dark shade of brown or black for statelier, serious appeal. Cover your desk with a brilliant hue, such as lime green, hot pink, tangy orange or sunny yellow to add a zing of color. Slide your favorite photographs, pictures or artwork underneath a glass desktop to decorate it with non-permanent items. Place an attractive hutch atop your desk to provide additional storage space for work-related items, keeping your desktop more organized and clutter-free. Situate a small vase of fresh flowers or a pot of natural greenery atop a bare desk corner to add colorful energy to your workspace. Add a pharmacy desk lamp to supply task illumination where needed.

Paper Control

• Keep loose papers under control with office organizing tools. Staggered, vertical desktop file folders are useful for organizing papers that you need quick access to, while keeping them within easy reach. Hang an arrangement of colorful clipboards on a wall near your desk for organizing and viewing work calendars, daily task lists, incoming mail or work-related projects. Decorate bland binders with perky decals or contact paper. Attach a label to each notebook spine and arrange them on a bookshelf for readily locating a specific binder. Stackable trays, wire baskets and wall organizers, such as file pocket racks and tiered letter holders, provide additional organizing solutions for loose papers.

Office Supplies

• Disorganized office supplies quickly clutter your desktop, drawers and cabinet spaces. Organize tall office supplies -- pens, pencils, markers and scissors -- in recycled tin cans covered with decorative scrapbooking paper attached to the cans with adhesive. Store small office supplies, such as paper clips, rubber bands, pushpins and thumbtacks in recycled spice jars on a carousel spice rack. Colorful ice cube trays offer an ideal method for organizing small office supplies inside a desk drawer. Cover old shoeboxes with fabric to stash paper, note pads, sticky notes and other office items. Acquire a decorative tape dispenser to add a personal touch to your desktop.

Cables and Cords

• Organize cables and cords from electronic equipment, such as laptops, computers, printers and monitors with a desk-mounted cable organizer. Conceal the cord organizer behind your laptop, desk lamp or other desktop item. Label cords and cables by attaching recycled bread tags to each one to designate its function. Attach a large hook to the underside of your desktop for looping electronic wires together and out of sight. Wireless routers can help to eliminate cords used to attach to your network. Wrap your earbuds around a recycled coffee sleeve to keep them from being tangled, while reminding you of your favorite coffee shop.