Yvonne: an Innovative and Cheap Desk Tidy for Under $1

Meet Yvonne, a modernistic, multifunctional and very affordable desk tidy. This project is perfect for you or as a gift to friends, spouses and other family members.

What does it do?

Yvonne will hold pencils, pens, makeup, office supplies, candles and pretty much anything within reason. It can sit on your desk, kitchen table, bathroom counter, vanity, etc. It is very adaptable and can be made to suit any room. Not to mention anyone can make it in 10 minutes or less!

So let's begin...

Step 1: Supplies

You will need:

Scissors, pretty much every household has a pair of scissors.
A plastic box, the plastic box I used came from a piece of jewellery I bought. It can be any size, just make sure your rubber bands can stretch all the way around it without snapping. You can use a cardboard box if you don't have anything else more visually attractive. Mine was about 20cm x 20cm x 10cm
Rubber bands, about 35.
Glue, a glue stick is more than sufficient and again most households have glue sticks sitting around.
Decorative paper (wrapping paper works great), adds a great decorative 'flare'
A match

So as you can see the costs of making this project is virtually nothing. Most of the supplies you will probably already have around.

Step 2: Cutting Your Box

Cut out the base (and top if applicable) of your box. Mine was made out of a thin plastic so scissors were all I needed. Once completed you should have just four sides forming a square or rectangle.

Step 3: Shaping and Adding Rubber Bands

With this design I incorporated a curved edge look. I used a match for a few seconds to heat up the plastic and then I gently bended the sides inward.

Then, just build up a good layer of bands starting from inwards and gradually working your way out. I had about 5cm height of rubber band coverage.

Step 4: Adding the Decorative Paper

Trace and cut out a sheet of your paper of choice that is the size of the top of the tidy. Using your glue stick attach it to the top and allow it to dry temporarily.