Cute and Clever Desk Accessories to Make Working at Home Less Awful

By now, many of us have resigned ourselves to working or learning at home full-time for the foreseeable future. Time to embrace that and make wherever you've carved out a workspace a little more inviting, a little more functional, and a little more fun with some new desk accessories and home office decor. We're not talking about major makeovers — a single item such as a new desk lamp, a cup full of colorful pens and pencils, or a cute tape dispenser is all you need. Here are some of our favorite home office supplies, accessories, and decor to get this young year off to a good start.

Prices and availability are subject to change.

Related: How to Create a Home Office From Ikea Under $200

$48 from Anthropologie
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You can stash pencils, pens, rulers, scissors, paper clips, and more in this chic desktop organizer. Available in polished brass or bronze, it measures 15 inches long and 4 inches deep.

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$26 from Uncommon Goods
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One of these days, we'll be going to meetings, lunches, and conventions in person again, and we'll be exchanging business cards left and right. Until that day, you may as well give those cards of yours a stylish place to live on your desk. This walnut case is the perfect desk accessory for any music buff who remembers the days of making mix tapes.

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$11 from Amazon
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It's the purr-fect desk accessory for any cat dad or cat mom who's always reaching for a sticky note. This plastic feline accommodates 3-inch-square, accordion-style stickies, always keeping a sheet at the ready.

Related: 25 Expert Tips for a Healthy Work-Life Balance While Working from Home

$198 from Anthropologie
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Give your desk, a side table, or corner of a book shelf a little accent light with this rad raccoon lamp. This cast-resin critter is available in gold or white.

$24 from Boston General Store
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You could go for a boring plastic stapler, but the idea is to add a little pizazz to your desk, right? This whimsical metal stapler, designed and made in Italy, is available in 11 colors and comes with 1,000 staples.

$15 from Amazon
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Upgrade from those disposable tape dispensers and give your desk a touch of whimsical elegance with this little hedgehog. This weighted tape dispenser has a non-skid base for easy one-handed use.

$60 and up from Amazon
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Digital photo frames require little fussing and can provide a steady stream of new photos and short video clips of friends and family who are far away. This Nix Frame is available in sizes ranging from 8 to 15.6 inches and can be loaded with pictures and videos from a USB drive or memory card.

$28 from Etsy
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A clutter of cables is the bane of any home office. Tackle that tangle with one of these wooden cable stoppers, fashioned from reclaimed skateboards. Pop open the two halves, slide your phone charger or printer cable through, and then snap the cable stop shut (the two halves are held together by magnets).

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$8 from Pencils.com
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A handful of these chunky, bright orange pencils collected in a cute pencil holder will brighten up even the dullest of desks. These No. 2 graphite pencils, made in the U.S.A. of California-grown cedar, come 12 to a box.

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$126 from Amazon
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Talk about old-school: Swiss manufacturer Caran D'ache first produced these solid-metal sharpeners in 1933. They're sharp enough for pencils but gentle enough for pastels and can accept a range of sizes. A clamp is included to mount it to your desk.

$40 and up from Etsy
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Now that you've got a handful of sharpened pencils, you're going to need a place to put 'em on your desk. These angular concrete creations can be used as a pencil holder, vase, or as bookends for your home office, and are available in a dozen eye-catching color schemes, including gold, rose gold, silver, black, white, and natural. Each measures 5 inches tall with a 3-inch square base.

$10 from Ikea
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The lowly wastepaper basket doesn't have to be quite so lowly if you take some time to look past all the lookalike plain plastic bins. A metal basket like this one from Ikea will give any home office a dash of industrial flair while corralling your waste paper or recyclables.

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$130 from Ikea
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A rolling drawer unit like this one can help keep work and school supplies organized and out of sight when the kitchen table or living room isn't doing double duty as an office or study hall. Keep hanging folders in the bottom drawer and office supplies like a tape dispenser and highlighters in the top drawer. The recessed top makes a great place to stash a laptop or bin of craft supplies. Available in three colors.

$6 and up from Amazon
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Keep your workday or school week under control with one of these blank, 52-week planners. The slim booklets are available in three sizes.

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$69 from Pottery Barn
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Give your desk a touch of industrial modern design with this galvanized metal organizer. There are cubbies for files and documents, bins for desk supplies, and two pull-outs to stash things like cables or sweets for the occasional work break. Measures 14.5 inches wide by 9 inches deep by 11.5 inches high.

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$6 from MochiThings
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Whether you're highlighting a paragraph for a book report or indicating where to sign a document, these slim stickies are ideal for making the point. Whether you choose dogs or cats, each pack comes with 80 stickies.

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$9 from Amazon
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These striped paper clips are an easy way to add a dash of color to your desktop organizer, and their vinyl-coated finish won't mar documents. Each container includes 300 1-inch paper clips and 150 2-inch clips in a variety of colors.

$13 from Amazon
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Put a smile on someone's face with one or more of these colorful binder clips. Each package contains 48 clips.

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$17 and up from Etsy
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Another simple way to add a dash of color to your desk? A new mouse pad. Skip the usual rectangles of neoprene or plastic and opt for something more colorful and tactile like this felt hexagonal mouse pad. They're available in a rainbow of color options and in two thicknesses, plus they're made in the U.S.A.