Using a filing cabinet drawer as a desk drawer

November 27, 2023 4:38 PM

I have a filing cabinet with two deep file drawers, and no office-supply-drawer. How can I nicely organize one of these deep drawers for office supplies?

Both drawers are deep ones for hanging files with a standard 10" depth - it looks roughly like this.

I want to use the bottom one for hanging files as intended, but I want to use the top one for office supplies (pens, stapler, post-its, etc). Right now it's a deep well so everything is a horrible mess and obviously the space isn't well organized at all. The drawer organizers I can find on the internet are standard drawer organizers, a couple inches deep. Where can I find drawer organizing supplies for this deep 10" space? Or creatively solve this some other way?

posted by splitpeasoup to Home & Garden (4 answers total)

Best answer: When I had to do this, I used hanging file folders to hold my supplies -- one for the stapler, one for the post-its, one for the pens, etc. Having the kind like this that are "closed" on the sides helps.

Another idea would be to get organizers like this for the drawer. You could add a pen cup to one of the sections.
posted by OrangeDisk at 5:02 PM on November 27, 2023

Best answer: What about something like this? There seem to be other similar options on Wayfair, depending on the size of your drawer and type of hangers it has.
posted by MadamM at 5:10 PM on November 27, 2023 [1 favorite]

This makes me think of some sort of tackle box or cantilever toolbox that lets you lift some trays to access the items within.
posted by staggernation at 5:13 PM on November 27, 2023

Best answer: I had a similar issue for many years, and made use of something like this to keep desk supplies close at hand, usually supplemented by a desktop unifier.
posted by DrGail at 8:33 AM on November 28, 2023