Idle Hands Awake

You know those kids who were always excited to go back to school?

I was one of those. I couldn’t WAIT for summer to be over and classes to start up again. In fact, I still want classes to start up again.

Here’s the truly embarrassing part: it was because of the organization. It was the promise of all those shiny new school supplies. Notebooks waiting to be written in. Worksheets to be hole-punched and filed chronologically in tabbed binders. Color-coded notes carefully recorded. Pencil cases.

I was an organizational junkie.

Sadly, it didn’t last. Today my desk looks like this:

Clearly my organizational drive has severely suffered from being out of school. But I have at least one easy fix—getting that printer out of the way so I have more room to work and can attempt organization.

Which finally brings me to the point of this post—my DIY Painted-Edge Printer Tray. Ain’t it a beauty?

Now I can roll that printer under the desk when not in use and have way more space, making it easier to keep my desk pristine:

If you think I just moved all the crap onto my bed to take this photo…you are totally right. Whatever, it’s still printer-free.

A rolling tray is just the thing for bulky items that don’t get used a lot.

What you need:

• 3/4″ plywood, cut to be a little larger than the printer
• sandpaper or power sander (not pictured)
• painter’s tape
• foam brush
• paint
• 4 swivel casters and corresponding screws
• power drill

What you do:

Sand your plywood until it is completely smooth on the top and the sides. You should be able to run your hands along it and not feel any splinters. Start with a coarse sandpaper and end with a finer one for the smoothest finish. I foolishly didn’t take pictures of the sanding and don’t even have an excuse. You’ll just have to envision it.

Tape off the wood, keeping the edge exposed. Press down firmly along the tape so it creates a good seal.

Paint that edge. You’ll probably need more than one coat, especially if you use craft paint like I did. This is Martha Stewart Multi-Surface in Wild Salmon, by the way. It’s a great shade of coral, which is a nicer word than salmon. It’s my new favorite color.

After you’re done painting, flip that baby over, mark where the holes for the casters should go, drill pilot holes, and secure the casters with screws. It’s helpful to mark your drill bit with tape, as in the 2nd image, so you don’t drill too deep.

And you’re done! Put your printer on it and go organize something else. Or, you know, do whatever.

The printer tray has made a huge difference to my desk cleanliness. Yes, I still have some work to do to become the organizational junkie of my younger days, but it’s a baby step. A pretty, coral-edged baby step.

What do you think, DIYers? What kind of printer-storage solutions have you implemented in your workspaces? Would you use a rolling tray for this purpose? Doesn’t coral look awesome with plywood grain?