Gone are the days that PVC pipe was only used for plumbing jobs! It’s an easy to use, versatile material that can be used for endless projects for home and work. Organizing your office with PVC is simple and fun with this durable tool. To get you started, we have some DIY projects using PVC that will help you get your office organized and clutter-free.
Below you will find instructions to make an office supply holder, pegboard storage, tape storage, pen holder, succulent planter, and an under the desk footrest.
Office Supply Holder
With this cute desktop organizer, you won’t need to buy one that’s premade ever again! Using some PVC and paint, you can make this useful project for under $10. Plus, it’s completely customizable. You can make it as big or small as your needs dictate, and you can decorate it any way you want.
To make this office supply organizer, you’ll need some different sizes of PVC pipe (1 ¼”, 1 ½”, and 2” diameter pipe works great, but you can choose whatever sizes you want), liquid nails or other glue, a miter saw or handsaw, some cardboard, and spray paint.
The steps to assemble the organizer are fairly simple. You’ll want to cut your PVC pipe in various lengths – straight across on one end and diagonal on the other. These will be your little cups into which you can put pens, scissors, markers, paper clips, and whatever else you want. If you’re going to paint your organizer, paint each piece individually before you glue them together. Once the paint is dry, you can glue the pipes together in whatever configuration works for your desk. Then cut the cardboard piece to fit the bottom, glue the pipes to it with the flat sides against the cardboard, and you’re done!
Pegboard Storage
This may be one of the easiest projects you’ve ever made with PVC pipe. If you already have a pegboard set up to hold office items, you’re even more ahead of the game. If not, all you need is a piece of pegboard in whatever size works best for your wall space, some pegboard hooks, and some PVC pipe (1 ½” and 2” diameter pipes cut into short lengths work well).
You can store slender office supplies like paintbrushes, pens, rulers and pencils by simply sliding the short lengths of PVC pipe over the pegboard hooks to create little cubbyholes where the supplies will go.
Tape Storage
With all the fun, decorative tapes out there these days, a tape dispenser is a must for your office or craft room. This dispenser is fun and easy to make, so you can get your kids involved in the assembly if you want to.
For this project, you’ll need a total of 64” of PVC pipe that is ¾” in diameter (cut into eight 4” lengths and four 8” lengths), 8 3-way PVC elbows, and a handsaw or PVC pipe cutter. Once your pipe is cut into the right lengths, assembly is easy, it’s in the shape of a rectangular box, with the 8” pieces for the length and the 4″ pieces for the depth and height.
To add your tape to the holder, just undo one side of the longer PVC pipe (8”) from a corner fitting, slide your rolls of tape on, and replace the pipe in the corner piece. Super easy, and a great way to store and dispense your favorite tapes!
Pen Holder
This is a perfect storage idea for pens, pencils, markers, colored pencils, and even paintbrushes. You can make the holder as big or as small as you want to, and you’ll only need some 2” PVC pipe cut into 4” lengths, glue that works for PVC, some decorative paper, and chipboard or cardboard for the backing.
To assemble the pen holder, cover the 4” lengths of PVC by gluing the decorative paper around the outside of the pipe, then glue as many of the decorated pipes as you want together in a grid pattern. The last step is to attach the pipes to the chipboard or cardboard and attach it to the wall or cabinet.
Succulent Planter
This project allows you to add some decoration to your office with adorable planters for little succulent plants. These plants are perfect for the office because they’re small, attractive, and hard to kill. PVC is an ideal material for making planters because it’s durable and great for preventing water leaks.
For each little “pot,” you’ll need a short piece of PVC, and a PVC cap that is the same size. You can choose whatever size pipe you want, just make sure that the cap is the same size. Here’s how easy these planters are to assemble: place the cap in one end of the pipe. That’s it! The planter is assembled. Now you can decorate it with paint and whatever other decorations you have laying around. Once the paint is dry, place some gravel in the bottom of the “pot” and then place the succulent along with some potting soil on top of the gravel. These little plants will brighten up your office in a big way.
Under the Desk Footrest
This under the desk footrest will help keep your posture straight and your back from hurting. For this project you’ll need 1” PVC pipe that is cut into eight 6” pieces and four 12” pieces. You’ll also need some PVC fittings: 4 tees, and 2 caps, 2 elbows, and 2 3-way elbows. Watch the video above for visual steps or follow our instructions below to create your office desk foot rest.
To assemble the pieces, begin by creating the front of the footrest – connecting three of the 6” pieces with two of the tee fittings then slipping the two elbows on either end of the long piece you just made. Make sure the openings of the tees and elbows all point inwards, and then add the four 12” pieces into the openings of the elbows and tees.
Next, make the back of the footrest by joining three of the 6” PVC pieces together with two of the tee fittings. Make sure the openings of your tee fittings are pointed inwards so they can slip over the middle PVC pieces in your footrest. Put the two 3-way elbows on the ends of this piece you just made, making sure one of the openings of each of the elbows is pointed inwards to join the outside pieces of the footrest while the other opening is pointed downwards so you can add the legs of the footrest. Now, connect this long piece to the back of your footrest.
Finally, make the legs of the footrest by connecting the last two 6” PVC pipes to the 3-way elbow fittings and place caps on the ends of these pipes to keep your footrest from move around or scratching your floor. Now, slip it under the desk and put your feet up.
Keep Your Office Tidy with PVC
Using PVC for projects that will help keep your office organized is fun and effective. It’s a lightweight, durable, and versatile material that won’t break the bank. Whether you’re looking for a place to store your pens or a way to add a little flare with a decorative planter, you’ll find that PVC is easy to work with. You can customize your projects by painting the PVC to match your office décor, creating unique organizing tools that will last.