Cheap green office supplies to buy or make

Coffee tin filled with marbles hold pens. (Copyright Jaipi Sixbear 2014)

Are you looking for cheap office supplies for your desk? I've been searching for them recently, after remodeling my office. They can be found but it takes some unconventional thinking. Sometimes you have to make them yourself. Here are some ideas for cheap office supplies you can buy or make.

Stack-able paper file

These were once just a buck or two each. They are now 7.00 and up each! Make your own with 8x11 shallow cardboard boxes sold for a dollar or less. Simply put the boxes together, then cut out one side to slide the paper in. Stack these cheap office supplies up in a pile. Use clear tape to hold them together. Cover with contact paper if desired.

Upright magazine box

Once again, these are cheap no more. You can make an upright magazine file box out of an old cereal box. Simply cut box into triangles. Clever cutting gets you two magazine files from one box. Tape two or more together for stability. Cover with contact paper for a more finished look.

Pen holder

An empty coffee can or drink mix can makes a great pen holder. Fill the bottom with marbles or pebbles for weight and to hold pens in tightly. These cheap office supplies double as paperweights in a pinch. Cover pen holder with contact paper or leave as is for a cute desk accent.The picture above shows one I made for my partner's desk.

Paper clip and small supply holder

Drawer organizers are not cheap office supplies. Make a paper clip holder with recycled small lidded jars. Glue the lids to a wood block. Spray paint the whole thing. Fill the jars, invert block. Screw jars onto the lids. Small containers from the dollar store also work to organize cheap office supplies.

Rubber band holder

I saw these cheap office supplies in a magazine years ago. Simply screw short fat dowels into a block of wood and invert. Rubber bands and single binder rings slip right over the dowels for storage. These cheap office supplies can be varnished, painted or left alone. Consider letting kids paint the rubber band holder and other office supplies for a whimsical look on your desk.

File boxes

Plastic, metal and cardboard file boxes are available in many department stores. Take it one step further by making your own. Check grocery stores for empty boxes of the appropriate size. Cut an indentation from one side to make files easily accessible. Why pay for cardboard file boxes when you can make one for free?

CD holder

Shoe boxes make versatile cheap office supplies. CD holders can be made easily from one or more shoe boxes. Stack them vertically or horizontally. Tape together for stability. I prefer building these so that the CDs are inserted next to each other, rather than stacked. This makes it easier to remove CDs for use without disturbing the entire pile.

Desk /Book shelf

A desk may not be in the budget when looking for cheap office supplies. Consider stacking 4 milk crates, two on each side and laying a wide board across them. For stability use 4 crates on each side. Turn the front crates open side out to use as book shelves. Cheap office supplies can easily include this DIY desk. Another alternative is to use short file cabinets on each side to hold the board desktop. Use a cloth cover on the board and you won't need a mouse pad.

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Minimalist tips for creating space in a truly tiny home or apartment

Murphy bed and built-ins (public domain photo)

Minimalism is inherently green. Living in my tiny garden level apartment sometimes made me feel like a hobbit in a hole. I laugh when reading magazine articles on tiny apartment troubles. Those places look like castles compared to my old basement apartment. Those of you who may have a similar problem might welcome my green tips for creating space in a truly tiny little home or apartment.

Get rid of unnecessary furniture.

There are always those special pieces you want to hold on to. Still, it's best to keep it simple. Table and chairs, basic furniture for the living room, bookshelf, bed, desk, chair and a place to put clothes is all that's really needed.

Assessing the type of furniture used is another way of creating space.

Size down to fit the space. Using a love seat rather than a sofa is a start. Think functional and comfortable, down sized. Some of the new modern futons are quite attractive. There are also small sling chairs and recliners now. Think sleek. Say goodbye to bulky and puffy. Creating space with lightweight, portable items will make it a whole lot easier to move out too.

Clutter and disorganization must be addressed.

Get rid of anything that's gone unused for more than a year. In a tiny home there should be a place for everything and everything in it's place. Items that can't be parted with should be put into storage. Cleaning is essential to creating space in a tiny apartment too. Clutter and mess can make a tiny place look even tinier. Plus, having all that stuff is the opposite of green. It's a waste of resources.

Consider adding high shelves for nick-knacks and such.

This leaves room below for furniture and appliances. They don't have to compete for needed space this way. I used this tip for creating space in my tiny apartment kitchen. We had high shelves above the stove for spices and other dry goods. There's more space than a conventional spice rack. Shelves also create much needed cupboard space for other items.

Hidden storage is a fantastic way of creating space in a tiny apartment.

Rather than bringing a huge dresser, into our bedroom, all our clothes were hung up. We had a long shelf above the clothes rod with little baskets we could pull out. That's where we stored our underclothes and other things. Our coffee table was a chest. We used it to store games. The little stool I sat on while sewing in my tiny apartment had a lift up lid. That's where the scissors and such were kept. I once saw a bookshelf used as a working door and a small office under a staircase. What a great space saving idea!

Keep furniture out of the traffic flow.

Avoid the use of dividers and screens in tiny spaces. The idea is to keep the flow as open as possible. Large furniture creates clutter when placed in the middle of a room. Make it hug the walls instead. This goes against traditional decorating, but in a small apartment it can be a space creating lifesaver.

Proper use of color goes a long way toward creating space in a tiny apartment.

Use light or bright colors to give the illusion of a larger space. Avoid the use of heavy draperies and somber decor. Opt for bright cheerful curtains and happy spring or summer colors. Creating real or artificial daylight is important in a tiny basement apartment. Use natural daylight bulbs to keep away depression.

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Crazy green recycled crafts

Recycled crayons? (public domain photo)

Going green doesn't have to be difficult. It also doesn't have to be boring and tedious. In fact, it can be really fun. Crazy ecofriendly crafts made with recycled products and materials are both fun and rewarding. Recycled products can be used to make funny, decorative or kid friendly crafts the whole family will love. Your kids will love to go green with crazy craft projects like these.

Redneck wind chimes

This green crafts project will have everyone laughing. The recycled products used are beer cans. Aluminum beer cans make the loveliest sound when blowing in the wind. Continue to go green after the wind chimes have served their usefulness by recycling the aluminum cans as well.

To make the redneck wind chimes you'll need 6-8 empty washed aluminum beer cans. Drop a few marbles inside each one for weight. If you have no aluminum beer cans, pop cans will do, along with an old wire coat hanger and some nylon string.

These ecofriendly crafts are put together in traditional redneck fashion. First hang the wire hanger up. Now your hands are free to create. Tie strings of random lengths to the hanger. Tie the aluminum cans to the other end of the string through the can tabs. Now hang this silly wind chime on the front porch to amuse passersby.

Paper lunch bag puppets

Before undertaking this recycled crafts project, sit down and talk to your child about the importance of ecofriendly crafts and other green movement trends. Explain to them the need to preserve the earth for future generations. Then tell them to bring home their used paper lunch bags so you can make these crafts together.

In addition to a weeks worth of used paper lunch bags, gather up all the yarn, fabric and paper scraps and old buttons saved from crafts projects and recycled clothing. You'll also need some white craft glue or homemade flour and water paste for these crazy go green crafts projects. A few old crayon stubs can be used up by drawing on the bags. Save the rest of the crayon stubs for the candle making project.

The fold near the top of the recycled paper bag becomes a finger hold. This is the mouth of the ecofriendly puppet. Use the recycled crayon stubs to draw lips and teeth there. Now comes the rest of the project. Glue a yarn hairdo and eyelashes to the puppets head. Make it crazy and colorful. Add bits of recycled cloth and paper to make the cheeks and nose. The recycled buttons become eyes.

Recycled "crayondles"

Save all the crayon stubs and old wax from used candles for this crafts project. You'll also need some inexpensive wicks and wick holders from the craft store. Other recycled products needed include clean empty thick glass jars of all sizes and some tiny seashells.

Start this project by melting all the recycled wax from the old candles in a double boiler. If no double boiler is available use an old pan inside another pan filled with several inches of water. The inside pan can only be re-used to melt more wax for future projects. While the wax is melting, shave the recycled crayon bits.

Final instructions:

• Secure the wick tab with wick to the bottom of a jar with a drop of wax and let cool.
• Tie the wick around a pencil balanced on the jar top to keep the wick straight.
• Fill the recycled jar with ice cubes.
• Add the shavings from the recycled crayons and shells to the melted wax in the pan.
• Stir quickly. (Leave the colorful shavings partially intact.)
• Pour the melted wax into the jar.
• As the wax cools, the ice melts leaving air pockets in the crazy looking, colorful candle.
• Pour the water out.
• See the mosaic left by the air pockets, recycled crayons and shells.
  

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Creating a green home office the simple, sensible way

Print only when necessary (public domain photo)

Today's global issues make being green at home or in the office a necessity. Traditionally, an office is a busy place. We don't always think about ways to make our office environmentally sound. We're too busy getting the work done. Here are some tips for maintaining a green office without slowing down production.

Print only when necessary.

When making copies, one goes to file, one for each pertinent employee. Avoid making extra copies, "just in case". Figure the exact amount needed. Print that exact amount. Save the document on computer. If more copies are needed, it's easy enough to pull up the file and print another. Be ecofriendly at work by cutting down on paper usage in other ways too.

Keep documents brief and to the point.

Long winded documents are boring. No one reads the whys and wherefores. Environmentally sound office documents are brief and to the point. Outline the major points of a meeting, then explain these points verbally. The longer the document, the more paper is wasted. Keep meetings environmentally sound by sticking to one piece of paper. If no employee signature is needed, only the boss needs a copy.

Use both sides of the paper.

Think of the paper thrown away in an office in a year's time. Does this seem ecofriendly? When done with a piece of paper, turn it over. Use the other side for scrap or notes. Cut it into 4 pieces. Make a green note pad by stapling the pieces together. Now there's no need to buy notepads. Paper trash has been reduced as well.

Shredding.

Once all the office paper has been used to it's fullest extent, shred it. Be sure to remove all staples first. Keep shredded paper for use as packaging material or gift bag shred. Being environmentally sound in the office means using everything to it's full usefulness and then recycling it. If the shredded paper can't all be used in the office, let employees take it home for environmentally sound use as garden mulch or when moving, as a packing for breakables.

Buy only what you need.

Some office supplies are basic necessities. Others are just window dressing. Keep your office green by purchasing only the supplies you need, when they are needed. Sure those cute little matching desk sets are nice but are they a necessity? Purchase only useful office supplies that save time and money. A pen cup is unnecessary if there's room for pens in the desk drawer. Remember where all those items end up when they have outlived their usefulness. Cluttering up landfills is far from environmentally sound.

Reuse or don't use trash can liners.

Plastic is a major environmental hazard. It is likely that your office trash can is plastic. So is the liner. How about forgetting the liner unless there's always a lot of messy wet trash? The most green idea is to go without out a liner. Carry the trash can directly to the dumpster to dispose of the trash. Rinsing the office trash baskets out occasionally is a more environmentally friendly practice.

Reuse shipping boxes and packaging.

The average office ships and receives a multitude of packages in the business day. How about saving the empty packages from goods received? Reuse them when shipping packages out. New labels can be pasted or taped over the old. Another related green office trick is to reuse bubble wrap and other packing materials. If you run out, don't forget about those paper shreds. They make excellent ecofriendly packing cushion.

Avoid the use of disposable dishes, silverware and cups.

Chances are, the break room has a sink, fridge and microwave. Disposable dishes are far from environmentally sound. Stock the cupboards with inexpensive plates, silverware, bowls, and mugs that can be washed and reused. Each person is responsible for self clean up. The average office goes through an enormous amount of throw away dishes every year. If every office was environmentally sound in this area, imagine the amount of waste saved.

Chip in on lunch supplies.

Stock the work fridge with sandwich and salad supplies. Stock cupboards with soups and snacks. Have a variety of drinks on hand as well. Designate one person to purchase these weekly items. Everyone splits the cost. Why is this environmentally sound? Think about all the fast food bags, boxes and containers thrown away every year in the office. Think about all the money wasted on going out to lunch as well.

Do recycle those aluminum cans.

This might sound like an obvious environmentally sound office procedure. Why isn't everyone doing it? It's best to designate someone to take the cans once a week. They can keep the cash in exchange for their trouble or donate it to the break room food supply fund. To encourage this environmentally sound office practice have a special container for cans only. Cut a hole the size of a pop can in the top of a large plastic garbage can lid. Now lock the lid on with the handles. Wrap a chain and padlock through the handles so the lid can't be removed, except by the designated office employee.

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Green your spring cleaning with easy homemade recipes

Re-purpose mesh bags as scrubbers. (copyright Jaipi Sixbear 2012)

Traditionally, spring cleaning involves using lots of harsh chemicals to wipe away the germs. Now we know better. There are plenty of nontoxic cleaning supplies that kill germs just as well. Plus, most are things you already have on hand. Why complicate things? Give your outgrown clothes and other discards to charity. Then, start cleaning the ecofriendly way with these easy homemade nontoxic cleaning supplies.

Green window cleaner

You can buy “green” cleaning supplies in the store. Unfortunately, some of those supposedly green cleaning supplies contain harmful chemicals. For instance, most window cleaner contains ammonia, which (although natural) is highly toxic. Here's an easy green spring cleaning solution. Simply mix ¼ cup apple cider vinegar with a quart of water. Use as you would any window or glass cleaner. It's completely nontoxic. In fact, if your pet or child drinks it, it's actually good for them. It's great for stainless appliances too.

Green wall cleaner

Cleaning walls and other painted surfaces with conventional cleaners leaves chemical fumes for your family to inhale. These same chemicals can also peel paint from the walls. Why not make your own ecofriendly spring cleaning solutions for walls and other painted surfaces? Simply mix together 2 tablespoons of glycerin, ¼ cup vinegar and two cups water. Making nontoxic cleaning supplies like this is a snap.

Green drapery cleaning

You might think it's a good plan to have your drapes freshly dry cleaned each spring. While it sounds good, the chemicals used to dry clean drapes can linger, causing health issues for your family. Do yourself a favor by purchasing washable drapes and curtains. One of the most effective and easy ecofriendly cleaning methods I've used is simply washing window coverings in vinegar and baking soda. These nontoxic cleaning supplies will freshen up dusty drapes and curtains without harmful chemicals. Just toss a cup each of baking soda and vinegar into the wash cycle.

Power scrubber

Green your spring cleaning by eliminating gritty chlorine based cleansers from your cleaning supplies. What works just as well? Sprinkle baking soda on surfaces like baths, showers, sinks, toilets and counter tops. Spritz on full strength vinegar (from a spray bottle). Watch the bubbles scrub away grime and soap scum. Add the cleaning action of your own muscles to further the effectiveness. Think of it as a bonus workout to save the environment.

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