Mini-Hutch for Desk Organization – Ikea Hack

Isn’t nice when you find a completely different and useful function for something that is no longer needed?

This little hutch, perfect for desk organisation, is made out of two old (and probably discontinued) Ikea CD holders. Aunt Ilana gave them to me years ago when she no longer needed them (yay for friends who pass on cool stuff!). Since I no longer buy CDs, and keep the ones we have in boxes to keep them from getting dusty, I needed to find a new use for these.

This is the state they were in after almost two years in storage. The tape I had used to keep them together had left permanent marks.

The two little bars inside were originally on top (you can see the marks from when I pried them off), they were used for stacking the boxes. I relocated them.

I sanded the boxes, joined them with glue and nails and painted it white.

Four little Dollar Store baskets and the new little hutch now has four drawers for keeping some of my most frequently-used small items.

Like my many camera memory cards (I have two more in the cameras).

A side note: Aunt Ilana’s husband, Pedro, is a very experienced photographer. You know, the kind that went to school and all, and decades ago worked as a war correspondent (shooting back with a camera when bullets fly around you must confer your opinions extra weight, I reckon). He suggests that it’s better to travel with many smaller cards than one big one. Should one card fail (and unfortunately, they do), you’ll still have some photos left.

I am starting to collect my ink cartridges for refilling. I will still use OEM cartridges for printing photos, but for regular printing, refilled it’s OK.

Have you ever used refilled cartridges? Any advice?

Aunt Clara