Clutter Control: How to Keep Random Papers from Piling Up

The following is a guest post from regular contributor, Rachel.

Who doesn’t love a clutter-free desk? But, sometimes that isn’t always possible in my house. There always seems to be a bit of randomness that stakes it’s claim for a few days, or weeks, or uh… you get the idea. Paper pieces like announcements and temporary reminders don’t necessarily need a permanent “home” and I find they pile up on my desk or counter top instead. I was beginning to think some paper clutter was a necessary evil.

*I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.*

With a little ingenuity, even random pieces of paper stay off my desk but remain in plain sight. My clutter control solution is a cut-to-fit display board. It’s not just any ol’ display board. It’s a sticky surface that is reusable time and again. With this, there’s no pushpin fumbling on a bulletin board or scraps sliding out of the ribbon on memo boards. While bulletin boards and memo boards are helpful, they weren’t options I wanted to use.

When the board is empty, it’s just as decorative as a memo board because the sticky surface is a subtle print and comes is several color choices.

It’s really easy to install and even easier to use. You stick the board itself to almost any surface (even fabric!) using the command strips included, no need for nails or picture hooks. Paper pieces literally stick wherever you place them on the board and remain until you purge. However, heavy items will fall off. It’s only designed to hang paper products. As for the board itself, it’s flexible & lightweight, similar to poster board. You can find it HERE on Amazon.

There’s only so much surface area, which promotes frequent purging of the papers. In other words, the nature of this board keeps things from piling up (unlike a bulletin board that you can keep pinning pieces on top of other pieces, causing information to get buried). Since the object is to post papers of temporary nature, a self-limiting system like this is helpful… I’m the type who needs a reminder to keep things rotated out. 😉

The size is customizable. You can literally use scissors and cut the board to fit any space. I personally like it as-is, without cutting. The uncut size reminds me of a standard bulletin board and fits behind my computer monitor.

What do I post on it? Just about anything necessary to keep for a short time. Things like reward codes from diaper packages (I don’t always have time to log on the website and enter codes, so I let them accumulate), seasonal schedules, gift ideas, RSVP info for upcoming events, brochures I’m still contemplating, contact info I need to add to my address catalog, special receipts, and small artist drawings too precious to toss.

If you want to remove or rearrange, gently pull off your paper. It shouldn’t tear if you’re careful to peel away slowly.

I know it’s a silly detail, but I love how the sticky surface keeps papers flat. Below is the same drawing from my daughter posted on our refrigerator versus on the memo board. It looks much more tidy stuck on the board and, to be honest, tidiness makes my heart happy. 🙂

I can think of dozens of creative ways to use a sticky board like this, but those projects will have to wait. We’re getting ready for a baby to join our family in November (yay!!!), so practicality before pretty projects is the theme now-a-days! Happy weekend!

 

In the professional world, I’m a nurse by trade. But, around our house, I’m known as Mommy to our young daughter. My two worlds collided and began shaping into a blog. Useful Beautiful Home represents the hours I’ve dedicated to managing my household as efficiently as possible. I offer you motivation to keep your home healthy, organized, and welcoming. My goal is to share what I’ve implemented in my home to inspire you with fresh ideas and to encourage you to keep up the good work in yours!