How To Declutter Pens And Other Stationery Supplies

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When you've accumulated a bunch of stationery supplies, it's super easy for your workspace or drawers to dissolve into a cluttered mess. Over time, pens, pencils, and envelopes might get damaged or simply go unused. Instead of these items being thrown away, they get tossed into a drawer or a bag and replaced with new items. If you want to declutter your pens and stationery supplies, you'll need to throw out old and unwanted items, invest in some solid jars or organizers, and develop a new system to keep your essentials where they should be.

Not only is organizing your stationery supplies important for getting rid of clutter, but it also keeps important items within reach at all times. If you've fallen into a clutter catastrophe, it's not difficult to get your home office or workstation back on track. Here are a few simple ways to make reorganizing your stationery supplies quick and efficient.

The first step in decluttering is determining which items should stay and which should go. Are some of your pencils chewed up, your ink pens dry, or your envelopes damaged? Maybe you have an unseemly number of paper clips or notepads that you don't need.

You don't necessarily have to throw away items that you don't use, especially if they still work. There are plenty of places that will take your gently used items, like Goodwill, schools, or even your local library. Start by placing your items in three piles: "keep," "discard," and "donate."

Next, pull out the label maker! There are a variety of ways to use your label maker to organize your home office supplies. First, decide where you want to keep your supplies and which items will be paired together. Pens and pencils could sit together in a jar or in separate containers, depending on the number of items you have and the desk or drawer space available for organizing. Focus on labeling commonly used supplies, and maybe even use labeling terms that broadly describe the items you want to pair together, like "writing tools" for pens, pencils, and markers. For binder clips, paper clips, and thumbtacks, you could use "clips and pins."

You should also consider the most convenient locations for the stationery items you use often. If you write out your grocery list in the kitchen, keep a small jar for pencils and a notepad somewhere on the counter. If you have a home office, most of your supplies should be organized on or in your desk. This BlayaAdd multipurpose white desktop organizer can keep books, envelopes, papers, and stationery supplies in order and within reach. Binders and folders can also keep papers and envelopes stored neatly, and they can fit within the desktop organizer.

For drawer organization, this Marbrasse expandable desk drawer organizer can help keep your desktop clean, and the collapsible, customizable design makes it easy to configure the organizer to your needs. If you're looking for slightly more economical organizers, stores like Dollar Tree have amazing finds to keep your office organized and stylish.

If you have a desk with multiple drawers, designate a specific function for each one. So in addition to having a drawer for your standard office supplies — pens, markers, paper clips, and so on — use another drawer for storing printing and mailing supplies, like paper, ink cartridges, envelopes, and stamps. Finally, if you lack desk or drawer space, a pegboard is another excellent home office essential to keep your desk clutter-free.