Install A DIY Desk Shelf To Keep Your Home Office Workspace Clutter-Free

Your desk is the anchor in your home office — the space everything else revolves around. If it gets cluttered, how can you create more room without investing in a whole new unit? If your answer was "I'm not sure," or "you can't," you're about to be pleasantly surprised. By adding a simple DIY shelf to both hold your monitor and create extra storage underneath it, you can turn your desk into an even more functional and organized space that accommodates all your needs during your work day. The best part of this project is that you only need a plank, some furniture legs (or one of the clever alternatives), and a drill or screwdriver. You don't need to be an expert craftsman for this, but you will become a master of your home office after this DIY is finished.

Home office upgrades that cost less but double productivity are definitely worth the effort. What makes this specific hack even better is that you don't have to put in that much effort to accomplish this upgrade, either. You only need a few supplies, and, because you're making it, this will be totally customized to suit your space. Keep paint handy in case you want to elevate the shelves once they are built, and consider buying extra supplies if you want more than one tier. While there are plenty of ways to make your home office space feel more welcoming or to set your home office up for maximum focus, it needs to also provide enough room for you to grow and spread out, giving you the chance to establish a productive home office. 

Your monitor likely takes up a good amount of space on your desk, even if it's a relatively slim computer. If you free up a few inches by lifting your monitor onto a platform, you'll instantly have a cubby and more room to store everything, whether this includes your keyboard, important documents, or knickknacks. To create this easy DIY shelf, first you want to find a flat wood plank of any size that will suit your desk. The exact measurements you need will depend on the size of your desk and monitor, so feel free to play around with potential sizing until you decide on the specifics.

Measure out how long you want the shelf, then find a piece of wood from an online retailer, a hardware store, or your own stock of materials from past projects. You can also trim down your piece of wood, so, if in doubt, go bigger. You also need to find shorter legs like these Yaliuliu 6 Inches Round Solid Wood Furniture Legs. If you're unsure of what size legs to get, pick the height that will allow you to see your monitor and still leave a cubby beneath that can hold your designated items.

Screw or glue the furniture legs to the four corners of your plank on whichever side is the bottom, then prop this little table up on your desk and add your monitor. If you have enough space, you can always add two levels (two shelving planks and eight furniture legs total) for more storage. If this seems a little too high, you can find slightly longer furniture legs to add more room in your cubby beneath your monitor platform, which will allow you to store taller items.

Paint your new addition to match your desk or even a different color to get creative and add a little dimension. Once your shelf is finished, it's up to you what you keep on top and beneath it. You can use it as a place to hide your keyboard, hold important documents, or even store office supplies you need to grab throughout the day. If you built a longer shelf, don't be afraid to add decor around your computer to elevate this platform even more. Your desk should be a reflection of both your personality and your passion for your career, so choose items that make you happy to help enhance your space. Plants, mugs, or funky decor can all reside here, so long as you make sure to add these sparingly to avoid too much clutter.