Stack up, not out

For a small desk, the best organizer is one that builds upward or hangs on the wall, not a flat tray that eats up your workspace.

You don’t need a giant caddy with a spot for everything you own. You need three things: a container for pens that takes up a few square inches, a small tray for the current homework, and maybe a holder for sticky notes and scissors. Everything else goes in a drawer or a shelf.

Look for stackable trays or wall-mounted cups.