DIY Office Desk Organizer ~ Easy Father’s Day Gift

This Office Desk Organizer makes an easy Father’s Day gift. You can customize it, add your favorite encouraging words, or even stuff it with his favorite office supplies! With StyleTech Craft Vinyl, and a nice metal organizer, this project comes together quickly and easily!

Who doesn’t love getting a thoughtful, useful Father’s Day gift? In the past, we have gifted my husband grill covers, fertilizer spreaders, grill accessories, gardening tools…and the list really goes on and on!  I know there are some dads out there who appreciate the thoughtful, handmade handprint gifts, and those are SO cute.  But, there is something to be said for practical gifts with a personal touch.  I created this DIY Office Desk Organizer for my husband, and wanted to share it with you today!

It always amazes me what you can do with a blank slate {in this case, literally slate}, and some vinyl.  I just love to browse Hobby Lobby, JoAnn’s, etc for blank surfaces that I can use in practical, everyday life and make them extra special and beautiful for our home.  In this case, I was looking for something for a Father’s Day gift for my hubby….for his “man cave.” Well, to be fair, his church office. 

He spends A LOT of time there, and I want him to have encouraging words and beautiful things surrounding him as he works to serve the Lord and others! The StyleTech Craft Polished Metal Vinyl just SCREAMS out “masculinity”, particularly in the silver and gray shades.  I absolutely love this, it is so easy to work with, and excellent for a DIY Office Desk Organizer.  I think it can add a really nice touch to your projects, especially if you want a little bit of an industrial look to a project.

After wandering Hobby Lobby, I came upon this adorable 3-compartment metal container, and a slate tray.  I saw these, and immediately knew these would be perfect for Father’s Day. Plus, the surfaces of these are amazing when you add the Polished Metal Vinyl.  Check out how I made this project, and how it came together to create a personal DIY Office Desk Organizer for him.

Supplies for a DIY Office Desk Organizer:

• Silhouette Cameo or Cricut Vinyl Cutting Machine
• StyleTech Craft Polished Metal Adhesive Vinyl
• Trays, Metal Containers, etc.
• Transfer Tape
• Burnishing Tool

How to Make a DIY Office Organizer:

First, choose a phrase you want to add to your slate tray.  We personally love Casting Crowns, and their song “Courageous”.  I often pray that my husband would be courageous, and my boys, too, as they grow into young men. The phrase “BE COURAGEOUS” is simple, but so powerful.  I think it is a simple reminder as he looks on his desk everyday, to be strong and courageous because God has put courage inside of him.  So that is what we went with!  You can REALLY make this part personal!

Next, choose three simple terms to put on the three compartments of your container. I chose “faith, hope, love” for the container.  These speak so strongly to his job, and each of these things can take a lot of courage in his occupation.  I pray that he would start each day with a courageous heart and full of faith, hope, and love.  I like the American Typewriter font for these, as I think it looks masculine and somewhat industrial.  Perfect for the look I was going for!

Then, set these up in one cut file, and just move the words that are not being cut off the page. I cut BE COURAGEOUS out of the silver polished metal, and “faith, hope, love” out of the black.  This vinyl weeds like a dream….as does all the StyleTech vinyl, in my experience. If you are a beginner, you’ll appreciate how easy these materials are to work with. If you are an experienced vinyl crafter, I think you’ll love them for the ease and color options!  

Then, after it was cut, I trimmed it down and weeded it.  “Weeding” means that you pull off the excess vinyl, and that you remove the small inside circles of letters like “a” and “o”.  Next, apply the transfer tape, sticky side down, to the vinyl.  The white backing should still be on your vinyl that you cut.

Next, gently peel off the white backing, which exposes the sticky side of the vinyl.  Align it with where you want to apply it, and lay it down so the sticky side of the vinyl is on the surface and the transfer tape is facing you.  Burnish, or in other words, smooth over the transfer tape, with the burnishing tool.  This helps your vinyl to stick to the surface. 

Finally, gently peel back the transfer tape at an angle and remove it completely.  Now, your design should be adhered to your surface.  Yay!

What do you think?  How are you going to make Father’s Day extra special this year? I hope you try a DIY project like this one!