DIY Cereal Box Drawer Dividers

Home Office month is in full swing!  And it's not just about the papers.  And paper piles.  And filing.  And paying bills.  It's also about the area you do your work within.

My desk is pretty neat and tidy and I have been really happy with how the organization has held up over the last year plus, however, there was one drawer....

It used to look nice and lovely!  My favorite acrylic drawer organizers and all!

But then one day, I decided I would rather use the acrylic dividers in my vanity for a fun project, and that I would address the desk drawer at a later date.  Almost five months later, it was time.  Here is a true life story of how drawers can suffer once dividers go bye bye:

Eeek!  Dumping ground!  Everything I use at my desk was being tossed right into the drawer.  I couldn't even tell ya what was at the bottom of the messy mess.  At least my pencil pouch was sort of acting like a divider, no?

Thank goodness for this month's challenge, because I am beyond words smitten with the outcome of my little drawer organizing project.  Here is what I used to DIY some super cute drawer organizers:

Pretty papers, {both wrapping and decorative cardstock}, regular tape and double-sided, pencil, scissors, box cutter and a yard stick.

Over the last couple of weeks, I have been collecting leftover food boxes such as those from cereal, waffles and granola bars.  Once I had enough to play with, I popped them into the drawer to see how I could use them as dividers to reorganize my madness.

Once I had my desired location for each of the boxes, I used the drawer as a guide to mark the height around each edge of each box.

Then, using the box cutter, I cut the boxes!

The next step was to slice down the decorative paper {any pretty paper will do}.

There are plenty of ways to wrap a box with paper, and after a few completed dividers I definitely had a system going.

I started by using a thin strip across the bottom, attaching it to the box with double sided tape.

Then I used a pencil eraser to push in the creases around the inside edges {carefully so the paper wouldn't tear}.

Once the first strip was taped down nice and tight, I repeated the same step the opposite direction.

Again, pushed in the inside edges with a pencil eraser and taped it all down.  I did find that it was easiest to do my creases/folds before taping, vs. trying to work around the tape.

All done!

Love polka-dot.  Seriously, obsessed lately.

Anywho.  Here they are all together in their happy new home.

So cute I could barely stand it!  I didn't even want to fill them up they were so darling!  Love love lovity love!

But, after oohing and aahing for a little bit, I refocused and started organizing.  I purged, put things back where they belonged and the rest of the items found themselves in their new brightly colored cereal box drawer organizers.

Everything had a home and was paired with like items.  Oh happy day!  No more messy drawer!

And just because I know you all want to see it in it's real live location, here is what I get to peek at now when I am working away and need to grab some hand cream or a highlighter:

One of my favorite projects yet and all using materials I already had and re-purposing food boxes.  Who knew?

I will always have a love for acrylic drawer dividers, but I now also have a new found love for leftover food packaging too!

What out of the ordinary objects do you use to keep your drawers tidy?  Yogurt cups?  Flea market bowls?  Shoe boxes?