Cubicles are generally regarded badly like they’re these boxes that such the life and joy out of people but that’s obviously an exaggeration. Of course, working in a cubicle is not ideal but there are plenty of ways to make it very enjoyable. You just need a bit of creativity. Even a small space can be decorated in a lovely manner. In fact, small spaces can feel really cozy and you can play with that concept when decorating your cubicle to male it feel more like home.

The key is to give meaning to your cubicle décor. This way you can increase your happiness and productivity at work. There are lots of ways to do that. For example, you could bring a few things from home, things like pictures and drawings of the kids or stuff that makes you happy and comfortable. Maybe you could also craft some things like a nice pencil holder to help keep your desk organized.

Other strategies include using indoor plants to make your work space look and feel fresh and vibrant. Some plants are wonderful air-purifiers so you’d be killing two birds with one stone. If there’s not enough natural light in the office you could opt for a plant that does well in shade or for some small succulents or even faux plants.

It’s important to keep things organized, especially when you have a small work space. Of course, that’s not a reason to ignore looks and style. Something as simple as a set of stylish bookends could really help you make the most of your cubicle work space. You could make some nice half log bookends for a little bit of rustic charm.

Since there’s not a whole lot of floor space in a cubicle, you should find ways to make the most of the walls. For example, use clipboards to to decorate them or to keep things organized. The idea comes from Brit and here you can find out how to use clipboards to make a real life pinterest board. You’ll need acrylic paint, a hammer and some nails and mounting tape.

The little things matter so try to customize and personalize the things on your desk. For example, instead of keeping your paperclips all tangled up in a drawer, you could use a cute ice cream cone holder like the one on theglitterinmytea. It’s magnetic and you could craft it yourself. It would be a pretty simple project once you find all the necessary supplies. If you’re having trouble with this part you can always just improvise.

In case you decide to go ahead and get a small plant for your work space, we have the perfect DIY planter tutorial. This lovely tree trunk planter looks really charming and is perfect for tiny plants. To make it you need a small tree trunk piece, a drill, sandpaper, some painter’s tape, spray paint, varnish and obviously a plant.

Fill the empty walls and space dividers with something that’s both pretty and useful like this geometric clock. A store-bought clock would just lack personality so perhaps you’d like to make one yourself. You could use a cork board trivet for that. you’ll also a clock mechanism, a drill, some tape and primer and paint. Tape off the section you don’t want painted and then have fun creating your design. Make a hole at the center or the trivet and attach the clock mechanism.

Air plants are great for offices because they don’t require soil or a lot of maintenance. You can just spray them with water every once in a while and there are lots of nice ways to display them. For example, check out the cute terrariums we found on Brit. they’re decorated with Lego characters and they look lovely.

A message board or pin board could be a pretty useful addition to a cubicle office. If you decide to craft one yourself, you could definitely find some interesting design ideas. For example, check out this copper message board. You could make one just like it and you’d need copper sheeting, some heavy duty scissors, a permanent marker, screws, a drill and chalkboard pens.

Or how about a dry-erase board on which to write down notes and to do lists or maybe an inspirational message? That would be pretty easy to make as well. You could use a picture frame, some fabric or washi tape and a marker. Take out the glass and cover one side with patterned tape or vinyl or whatever else you want to use. Then put it back in the frame with the taped side in. {found on twotwentyone}

Want something to help you relax at the office? How about a zen garden? It would have to be a pretty small one but it would definitely be a nice addition, even to a cubicle. To make a zen garden you’ll need a glass bowl or a box, some sand, a figurine, plant or any other decoration and a pen. Pour the sand in the bowl, add the decoration and then use the pencil to draw in the sand. {found on elyanaivette}

Maybe you don’t want a plant in your cubicle but would still enjoy something green or colorful. In that case you can decorate the space with a vase or a flower arrangement. You could just use a mug or a jar or you could paint a tin can and turn it into a rustic vase. Then just trim some roses and put them in. It’s a nice idea that we found on surelysimple.

To keep things out of the way and close at hand, you could use an office organizer. It’s great for keeping all the items on your desk in one place. There are various types of organizers you could make and if you like this design, here’s what you’ll need for it: a wooden board, a saw, a drill, sandpaper, a hanger, some paint, a wood dowel, cork coasters and glue.

Perhaps you’d prefer something a bit more cheerful and playful. In that case, you should have a look at the pineapple desk organizer featured on Designimprovised. The project uses a wood pineapple tray so if you find something similar that would be great. Then just paint its interior and make it look however you want.

Pin boards are another great way to stay organized and to keep things off the desk. But we’re not going to talk about the board. We’re actually more interested in the push pins and we found a lovely idea for them on Babiekinsmag. The idea is to glue small DIY pom-poms to the pins to make them look more interesting.

Decorate your cubicle with photos of your loved ones so they’re always with you. You could have the photos displayed on a memo board, taped to the walls or held in these wood alphabet photo holders that we found on Clubcrafted. If you like the idea you can easily make your own desk accessories using wood block letters, some paint, washi tape and a saw.

Make a simple wooden tray for your desk and use it to keep your mail, personal items or desk supplies. It makes it easy to organize everything and to keep your work surface clutter-free. In addition, you could use reclaimed wood for the project in order to get that nice rustic look and worn finish that would add warmth and uniqueness to your cubicle decor. You can find some tips on how to build the tray on Ourhousenowahome.