Today I want to talk to you about spring cleaning. It totally sucks, right?! Uh, what I mean is – who doesn’t welcome the opportunity to get organized?! I have a busy house, and that sometimes translates into common areas looking like the photo you’ll see below in a moment. This is a section of the kitchen we’re not quite sure what to do with, so it becomes a dumping ground for school papers, mail, and assorted charging devices. This particular day I had enough of the junk and decided to get this area in shape. The solution? This DIY Mail Organizer!
It’s the perfect DIY build for your kitchen or home office or your family’s command center. Having an area to corral your papers and devices will set the tone for an organized house.
This only took about an hour to make … and all afternoon for me to decide on a paint color. I’m happy with the one I chose, but white or a dark stain would look great too! I ended up using a spare board I had on hand that was 1 x 8 1/2″ @ 5 feet, so feel free to rip down a 1×10 and use my dimensions, or change to suit a larger board.
DIY Mail Organizer Cut List
Sides:
2 @ 8” x 9″
Back:
1 @ 8” x 11 ½”
Bottom and shelf:
2 @ 8 1/8” x 11 ½” (*See Note)
*Note: The board I used is 3/4” thick. If you are using different dimensions, wait until you assemble the back and sides before determining the depth of your bottom and shelves.
DIY Mail Organizer Cut List – Awesome Instructions
First, chamfer the two sides. Measure down about 1-1 ½” from the top front corners and cut at a 45-degree angle.
Assemble the back and sides. I attached the back in between the two sides, so you wouldn’t see the butt joints from the side. I used glue and a nail gun, but feel free to use pocket holes to join.
Next, attach the bottom. Since the bottom and shelf are sitting inside the back and sides, you may need to measure the depth first and then rip down the length of the board to get a perfect fit.
Next up is the shelf. Measure down 2 ½” from the top and attach the shelf with glue and nails.
That’s it! You’re already done building! Now just fill in the nail holes, sand, paint and get organized!
Extra credit: Build an easy drawer to hide the shelf contents. For me, “out of sight is out of mind” so a drawer would mean unpaid bills and (even more) unordered school pics. No bueno.
Have fun with this one! It would also look great in a kids’ room, playroom, craft room or wherever you need an easy DIY build to get organized. Where will you put your DIY organizer?
