Added Storage to my Laptop Stand

I love to turn something into something it wasn’t intended for and use what ever I have stored around the house to make it work. Today for Day 25 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge I’ve added storage to my laptop stand I built from a keyboard stand. This is the original blog I wrote so you can see how it started: http://themarthareview.com/keyboard-stand-converted-to-laptop-stand/

After I completed my conversion from a keyboard stand to my laptop stand, I realized I needed a shelf to store my file folder that I use constantly when writing my product reviews. So I come up with a nifty shelf attached to the bottom of the base on my laptop stand. This blog shows how I added the shelf: http://themarthareview.com/step-by-step-guide-to-shelf/

It was working great, I had a new laptop stand complete with roller ball feet and a shelf for my file folder. I even added a pool noodle wrist support to the edge of the plywood base. But it seems we aren’t satisfied unless we have more storage room. My next idea was to add a deeper shelf for other things that I need when using my laptop. So I went on a hunt to collect what was needed for my project.

I started out thinking of making a plywood box type storage as hubby suggested but I didn’t have any of that on hand and when I decide to make one of my crafty creations, I feel the need to do it right away. So after rummaging through the garage, I came up with the perfect storage unit… make one from a cardboard box!

Of course out of all the boxes I had, none were as wide as the wood strips that I used for my single shelf. So that’s when Facebook came in handy. I posted the size box i needed to see if any of my local FB people had one. Within a day, my neighbor messaged me and she had the exact size I needed! I originally planned to find a box about 3″ to 4″ deep but the one my friend had was about 6″. No problem, this just makes it handy to store more things!

Now I’m ready to built my storage shelf/box. It worked out better than I had planned in my head! I resealed the top of the box and cut an opening on the side. As I was getting ready to cut the side off, I came up with the brainstorm of leaving it attached at the bottom to make a door! I spray painted the box black to match the laptop stand and added a piece of velcro to keep the door closed.

Next I added a strip of velcro to the bottom of the wooden supports I used for my first shelf with another strip on the top of the box. I had a feeling the sticky velcro wouldn’t hold on the cardboard box once I started adding things to it so now I had to brainstorm again as to what I could do to keep the box supported to the wood supports.

Once again the wheels in my head started spinning and I came up with a solution to keep the box in place. I took two long pieces of velcro, stapled one to the front, the other to the back of one of the wood supports. I ran it down the side, across the bottom and up the other side of the cardboard box, stapling to the other wood strip.

My redneck storage box is now painted, attached to the bottom of my laptop shelf and ready for storage! It reminds me of a desk I had when I was in school! Hubby says we need to make it with plywood but for now I’m fine with my cardboard box turned into laptop storage box. I like to recycle and reinvent ways to save the landfill while coming up with some wild and crazy ideas that become useful. I use cardboard boxes for so many projects, I could be called the Box Lady!