DIY Stationery Box

I'm working on a post where I show you all how I keep my supplies/stationery/stamps/s-word things organzied and this popped up during my research into other systems. Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge has a sweet and fairly easy tutorial for making a keepsake chest for your stationery and other desk odds-and-ends. I'd make it even simpler and just find an old box at a thrift store or yardsale and then gussy it up with her suggestions. How great is that pen holder in the lid, right? Who's got a great stationery box/chest to tell us about? Let us know in the comments.

Comments

[Lauren]

Very simple and could easily be gifted or tucked away in an office when you need to write a quick note. I like this idea!

My best friend from college made me something similar as a birthday gift one year. She bought one of those generic trunks from Michael's, painted it bright blue, and added a stenciled sun to the top. It was filled with stationery when she gifted it to me, and to this day, it fits nicely on a bookshelf and I use it to store (some of!) my paper.

[Jennifer]

I like the idea but I have SO much more than would fit in a box! I recently had to move all my stationery and sundry postal supplies and I was a little embarrassed by how much space it took up. Two suitcases and three bankers boxes. When the office/scriptorium is put together it takes up an entire wall of shelf space!! I'm happy to report that the paper diet I put myself on after realizing that my supply was a bit out of hand, is going well, I sent 51 pieces of mail in February and didn't buy one piece of new paper!

[Themysteriouspiper]

I bought an old slanted lap writing desk at an antique store a wile back. Its great for storing stationary and writing letters! I also have a small stand up stationary cubby that sits on top of one of my bookshelves. This is where I keep most of my postcards and small notepads. Between the two I have excellent stationary storage.

[adrienne]

My "solution" needs work. I use a plastic three-drawer shelving unit. The top shelf is divided between long flat sets of paper/envelopes (5x8s) and postcards, envelopes, and assorted cards organized by type. The middle shelf just contains tons of card sets. The bottom shelf is more of the same. Card sets, card sets, card sets. My stamps are in binders in sheet protectors, as is half of my sticker collection. The rest of my sticker collection is in a shoebox I've had for over a decade. The whole thing is covered in assorted other paper-related items: a tin of address books from years past, more recent address books, new purchases, etc. In short, it needs work.