This project got blown out of proportion instantly… haha! What started as a simple plan to recreate a cute desk organizer turned into a whole collection of coordinating pieces.
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| From this |
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| To this |
This organizer actually has a bit of a story. It was part of a swap I received back in 2021, and I loved it so much that I brought it with me all the way here to KSA. It’s been sitting on one of my carts ever since, holding little bits and pieces of my crafty life. So I thought, why not try to recreate it?
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| Handmade loot I received from Dr. Grace Lamina |
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| My fave of all! This organizer had so many stuff inside - from bag charm, tags, crochet embellished paper clips, memorydex cards to ribbons and trims! |
With a bit of measuring, guessing, and figuring things out along the way… I think I did pretty well!
For this project, I used Traci Reed’s Trailblazer collection, which was just perfect for this project. I love the wooden pattern paper that gave the organizer the wooden effect.
Although you can read more about this project (and see the rest of the team’s amazing creations) over on Traci’s blog, I wanted to share a step-by-step tutorial here on how I made the organizer.
Materials Used
- Patterned paper – Trailblazer collection by Traci Reed
- Tim Holtz Guillotine Paper Trimmer
- CutterPillar Crease Score Board
- Bearly Art Precision Craft Glue
- Pompom trims
- Scissors
Organizer Instructions
1. Choose your organizer base. It can be plain cardstock, but for this one, I chose the wood-patterned paper from the Trailblazer collection.- Long side: 0.5, 1, 1.5, 9.5, 10, 10.5
- Short side: 7, 7.5, 8
4. Using the same design cardstock, trim another piece to 6 x 8.
5. Trim another piece to 5.5 x 11 and score:
- Long side: 0.5, 1, 1.5, 9.5, 10, 10.5
- Short side: 4, 4.5, 5
- Long side: 0.5, 8.5
- Short side: 0.5
9. Choose the patterned papers you’ll use to line the inside pockets.
- 6.75 x 7.75
- 5.75 x 7.75
- 3.75 x 7.75
- 1.75 x 7.75
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| Trim the excess on both sides |
14. Attach the smallest base to the front of the previous layer.
What’s Inside My Sidekick Kit
Of course… I didn’t stop at the organizer.
I created a whole Paper Memories Sidekick Kit to go with it:
- A mini album that can double as a scrapbook or journal. I added a small frame on the cover so you can personalize it, while the inside is left open for flexibility - photos, journaling, or memory keeping. It also includes pockets, inserts, and tags.
- A folder organizer filled with cards from the Trailblazer collection, perfect for storing letters, journaling cards, or those little bits you’re saving for future layouts.
- A “List of Me” ring-bound set, which is such a fun and personal piece. You can fill it with lists like things you’re grateful for, favorite books, favorite food, or even random thoughts, and keep adding more over time.
- And a journaling cards holder, a simple folio with a string closure. Once you’ve used all the cards, you can repurpose it as a sticker or ephemera holder.
What started as recreating a well-loved organizer turned into something even more meaningful (and a bit excessive! hehe) - a full set that holds not just supplies, but memories, ideas, and little pieces of me.
If you’d like to see more details about this project and check out the rest of the team’s creations, make sure to visit Traci’s blog as well.
And tbh… this is your reminder that sometimes the best projects are the ones that don’t go according to plan.
