Back to school is fast approaching and the threat of massive amounts of school papers raining down on me is very real. I’m not just talking about the math worksheets or finished spelling tests, no, those are fine. The real threat lies in those important pages that get lost in the stream of random school paper chaos. The field trip permission slip, the flyer notifying you of Pajama Day Wednesday, and yes, the reading reward certificate, good for one free kids side dish at the most expensive restaurant in town.
These are the important papers that get swallowed up in that endless sea of 3rd grade crosswords and 5th grade science facts. But my fear is fading, I have hope...
Much like the magical way my boys always have clean underwear in their underwear drawers, school papers can find their way to a designated place, right?.. We shall see. I’m hoping these desktop file drawers will tempt me into a habit of organization. I designed it with three drawers because I have 3 boys- one drawer for each kid. (I try to keep it simple to avoid my own confusion. More drawers = distraction, and wait. What was I saying?…)
Anyway, this small drawer unit is where I will keep the papers I need to pay attention to. (At least, that’s the plan.)
First, I cut the long 1x 12” board in half, and set one half aside. (To be used for the top and sides of the overall box later on. Also, the true measurement of this board is 3/4” x 11”.) Next, I made the cuts for the three drawers. (See image for measurements)
The side edges of the drawers are a half inch shorter on the bottom, than the front and back edge of the drawer. (pictured/assembled upside down.) This will accommodate the thin plywood that will be attached to the bottom of the drawer, and still leave a bottom lip along the front and back of the drawer. (The bottom lip hides the drawer guides that support the drawer underneath when it’s in place.) I used a square to help keep me square when I nailed the drawer frame together. Then, I nailed the plywood onto the bottom of the drawer.
To allow the drawers to fully open, I used a jigsaw (hand saw works too) to cut out a notch from the lip on the back side of the drawer. This enabled the back of the drawer to clear the drawer guides.
After the drawers were put together, I made cuts for the top and sides of the frame. The top and sides are 11” deep, and 15.5” long, with mitered edges at the top. I Also added a cross support at the bottom.
Before I nailed it together, I laid the two side pieces side by side to measure and mark for the drawer guides. I used some small scraps of wood for the guides. Since the lip on the bottom of the drawers ended up being 1/4 of an inch, I took that into consideration when marking where I wanted the guides. (There are 4.5” between each guide.)
Once I assembled the mitered edges with my Airstrike and attached the cross support on the bottom, I tried out the drawers in their places.
Next came the sanding with my Corner Cat sander.
I followed the sanding up with some Dark Walnut stain and attached the 15.5” x 15.5” plywood backing. (I stained the backing after I attached it.)
I let the stain dry overnight, and installed the silver hardware the next morning. Now I’ve got a drawer for each child and a place for their important school documents. I almost feel like one of those moms who are with it most of the time. I aspire to be super organized. I have to try really hard though.
Back to school is fast approaching and the threat of massive amounts of school papers raining down on me is very real. I’m not just talking about the math worksheets or finished spelling tests, no, those are fine. The real threat lies in those important pages that get lost in the stream of random school paper chaos. The field trip permission slip, the flyer notifying you of Pajama Day Wednesday, and yes, the reading reward certificate, good for one free kids side dish at the most expensive restaurant in town. These are the important papers that get swallowed up in that endless sea of 3rd grade crosswords and 5th grade science facts. But my fear is fading, I have hope... Much like the magical way my boys always have clean underwear in their underwear drawers, school papers can find their way to a designated place, right?.. We shall see. I’m hoping these desktop file drawers will tempt me into a habit of organization. I designed it with three drawers because I have 3 boys- one drawer for each kid. (I try to keep it simple to avoid my own confusion. More drawers = distraction, and wait. What was I saying?…) Anyway, this small drawer unit is where I will keep the papers I need to pay attention to. (At least, that’s the plan.)
First, I cut the long 1x 12” board in half, and set one half aside. (To be used for the top and sides of the overall box later on. Also, the true measurement of this board is 3/4” x 11”.) Next, I made the cuts for the three drawers. (See image for measurements)
The side edges of the drawers are a half inch shorter on the bottom, than the front and back edge of the drawer. (pictured/assembled upside down.) This will accommodate the thin plywood that will be attached to the bottom of the drawer, and still leave a bottom lip along the front and back of the drawer. (The bottom lip hides the drawer guides that support the drawer underneath when it’s in place.) I used a square to help keep me square when I nailed the drawer frame together. Then, I nailed the plywood onto the bottom of the drawer.
To allow the drawers to fully open, I used a jigsaw (hand saw works too) to cut out a notch from the lip on the back side of the drawer. This enabled the back of the drawer to clear the drawer guides.
After the drawers were put together, I made cuts for the top and sides of the frame. The top and sides are 11” deep, and 15.5” long, with mitered edges at the top. I Also added a cross support at the bottom.
Before I nailed it together, I laid the two side pieces side by side to measure and mark for the drawer guides. I used some small scraps of wood for the guides. Since the lip on the bottom of the drawers ended up being 1/4 of an inch, I took that into consideration when marking where I wanted the guides. (There are 4.5” between each guide.)
Once I assembled the mitered edges with my Airstrike and attached the cross support on the bottom, I tried out the drawers in their places.
Next came the sanding with my Corner Cat sander.
I followed the sanding up with some Dark Walnut stain and attached the 15.5” x 15.5” plywood backing. (I stained the backing after I attached it.)
I let the stain dry overnight, and installed the silver hardware the next morning. Now I’ve got a drawer for each child and a place for their important school documents. I almost feel like one of those moms who are with it most of the time. I aspire to be super organized. I have to try really hard though.
