Go to the office supply store in search of items to organize your office and you may wonder if the price of decorator items will make you feel any more orderly. If you try to save some cash and head to the stationery section of a dollar or discount department store you might end up under-whelmed by the bland options. With a package or two or color coding labels and less than an hour, you can add a geometric look to all sorts of inexpensive office supplies, from notebooks and file folders to desk organizers.
Craft Materials
Color coding labels are round dots, usually a ¼” or ¾”. You’ll find them in primary colors and neon colors in packages of 1000 dots. Use a paper punch to create smaller dots that can go on top of or between the larger round dots from the package.
Want a pattern or a particular color? You can always look for sheets of sticker paper (or mailing labels) that you can send through your computer’s printer to create the color or pattern of your choice. Then, punch shapes with a decorative paper punch. Although this option can take more work it also gives you the option of using a variety of geometric shapes, whatever you can find at the craft store.
Geometric shapes are great for creating repeating patterns, although you can use whatever shape you’d like.
Home Office Craft Ideas
Before you add the color labels to the items you want to decorate, consider the pattern that you want to create. Some suggestions include diagonal lines and spirals. You can also position the dots in circle, triangle, or square patterns that interconnect. Use different color dots to add variety to your pattern.
After you select your pattern, you may want to take a pencil and ruler and lightly draw the lines that will help you position the dots. When you place the stickers, remember to allow the dots to go off the edge of the page and then trim the excess so you can keep the pattern that you’ve created.
If you enjoy doing craft projects, decorating your office supplies with bright geometric patterns is a fun way to save money and express your creativity. Plain file folders and notebooks without pictures or patterns printed on the covers can save you several dollars. Discount stores carry plain in/out boxes, pen holders and desk organizers for accessories such paperclips and push pins. Within an hour or two, you can turn bland office supplies into decorator items with inexpensive colored dots.