Organise your desk with reused jars: a place for everything

You sit down to write a quick note, but loose pens, a charging cable and an eraser have taken over the desk. As autumn arrives, the same surface often becomes a place for letters, craft ideas and small projects. You may not need another organiser. Two or three empty food jars can be enough, as long as each one has a clear job.

This project makes a compact organiser for an adult's desk: one jar for a few everyday pens, a shallow one for erasers and another for paperclips. You will choose suitable jars, try out their positions and arrange them around a clear working area. There is no glass cutting, drilling or gluing involved.

Sort the contents before choosing the jars

Gather the loose small items on a sheet of paper. Check your pens and separate everyday essentials from spare supplies and things that belong elsewhere. A dried-out pen is no more useful in an attractive jar. Letters, charging cables and larger tools need their own places.

Start with no more than three categories. Ours are pens, erasers and paperclips. If you do not use paperclips, leave out the third jar. The aim is to find things and put them back easily, rather than complete a matching row. Spare supplies do not all need to stay on the desk.

Germany's Federal Environment Agency describes reuse as an important part of preventing waste. Here, that means starting with what you already own. Your jars do not have to match, and the organiser does not need new decorations to work.

What you need

• Two or three clean, undamaged food jars with broad bases and easily accessible openings
• Water, washing-up liquid and a soft cloth for cleaning
• Small removable paper labels, or spare strips of paper with suitable removable tape
• A pen for labelling and a sheet of paper for the initial sorting
• The small selection of stationery you actually want to keep on your desk

A medium-height jam jar may suit pens, while a smaller, shallower jar can hold erasers or paperclips. Try the shape with the things you intend to put inside. A narrow bottle neck is awkward for this purpose, and very tall containers make small items hard to reach.

1. Check, clean and dry the jars

Inspect each rim, side and base in good light. Do not use jars with cracks or chips, and do not run a finger over a suspicious edge. Set damaged jars aside from this project; sanding or covering a damaged area does not make them a suitable choice here.

Wash the suitable jars, rinse them and let them dry completely. Remove unwanted label residue if you wish. An embossed pattern or an intact clean label can stay. Keep matching lids separately in case you want to use the jars differently later. Do not put the open jars on their lids as makeshift coasters.

Place each empty jar on the intended level surface. It should not wobble. Keep the choice practical: an ordinary jar of a suitable shape is more useful than a slender container that moves every time you take something out.

2. Fill loosely and keep categories separate

Put just a few frequently used pens in the larger jar to begin with. They should extend far enough above the rim for you to grasp one easily. Follow any particular storage instructions supplied by the pen manufacturer; not every pen should be stored upright. Keep those with different requirements in a suitable case.

Give erasers and paperclips a shallow jar each. Add a manageable quantity instead of emptying all your spare supplies into them. If the contents are difficult to reach, choose a shallower container or a small box you already own. Not every category needs a glass solution.

Tip: Leave space between the pens. If taking out one pulls the whole bundle with it, the jar is too full or too narrow. Try fewer pens before adding another jar.

3. Keep the working area clear and try the layout

Set up the space you work in first: your open notebook, or your keyboard and mouse. Then look for a place to one side for the jars. OSHA's workstation guidance notes that a crowded desktop can interfere with keyboard and mouse placement. Your organiser should fit around the working area without pushing equipment out of position.

Place the smaller jars in front of the pen jar if that makes everything easy to reach. Leave room for your hand between them. Keep the group well back from the desk edge, directly on the level surface rather than on a stack of books. On a very small desk, one pen jar may be enough; the other categories can go in an accessible drawer.

Sit down and slowly try your usual movements: writing, turning a page, taking out a pen and putting it back. Is your forearm clear? Do you have to reach over other things? Move the jars until they do not get in the way. The UK Health and Safety Executive's workstation checklist also recommends placing frequently used items within easy reach and allowing enough room for equipment and papers.

Watch for a jar shifting or tipping during ordinary use. Keep your other hand ready to steady it during the first careful trial. If it seems unstable, reduce the contents, choose a broader jar or use a non-breakable organiser. A fixed set of measurements cannot replace checking your own jars and contents.

4. Add labels you can change

Write the actual categories on small removable labels: “Pens”, “Erasers” and “Paperclips”. A single word is enough. Position each label outside the jar where you can read it while sitting down, leaving the contents visible. Try your chosen tape on a small area first; how easily it comes off later depends on the product.

On a shared desk, different label colours can identify each person's things. When a jar changes jobs, replace the paper. There is no need for loose bows or long hanging tags: they can get in the way without making sorting easier.

When clutter starts building up again

Put used items back at the end of a work session. Give anything without a home a deliberate place rather than dropping it into a general “Miscellaneous” jar. After the first week, check which categories you actually use. Perhaps two jars can go; perhaps the paperclips make more sense beside your letter-writing supplies.

Empty a jar completely before cleaning it. Wipe the surface underneath, and refill it only when both the jar and the surface are dry. Lift jars individually instead of pushing the whole group around. This keeps the arrangement manageable and easy to change.

A suitable home for your three jars

Glass can break, and small office supplies are not toys. This open arrangement is intended for a fixed adult workspace, out of young children's reach and where pets cannot knock it down. Scissors, craft knives, needles and other sharp tools are outside the scope of this project.

Start with one jar you already own and one clear category. Add only what proves useful. If you can find your pen next time and still leave your notebook open, your little jar organiser is doing its job.