Up-cycle, Recycle, Re-purpose: My ZERO-Cost New Work Space Part 1: My Free & Adorable Desktop Storage Solution

I love this (REVERSIBLE!) desk-top storage system because it was free and simple to make. 

All I had to do was wrap and line fig bar boxes.

​If you can cut out pictures and wrap a gift box, you can do this!

I wrapped the boxes with pages of an Anne Geddes coffee table book that my mom bought for me at a thrift store for $2.00.

I was able to make the storage system reversible by using one type of photos on one side and wrapping another type of photos on the reverse side.

Even the lids are reversible.

Putting the wrapped boxes altogether was pretty easy. I simply used strong double-stick tape to affix the sides of the small boxes together. I also used (crazy cheetah print) duct tape to secure the bottoms of the small boxes together. (Some of you may prefer to use hot glue.)

To attach the smaller boxes to the larger one, I used double stick tape on the sides. I also stapled the sides of the smaller boxes to the larger one.  Just like with the smaller boxes, I used duct tape to tape the bottom of the boxes together.​

The thickness of the coffee table book paper helps to make this cardboard box storage system extra strong.  

What I would have done differently...
I would have lined the boxes BEFORE wrapping the outsides. (Lining the boxes was simple with coordinating left-over wrapping paper.) Lining the the boxes first would have made it possible to cover the lip of the boxes giving the project a more finished look. (I could only take the lining to the edge of the boxes because I covered the outside of the boxes first.)

My entire new work space was put together with "junk" around my house. The rest of the area is also decorated from the pages of a book. 
Stay tuned for Part 2....