Hey fellow Mom, feeling crafty today while trying to get more organized? Organized like having an organized desktop that makes it easy to find things without all the clutter? So, let’s make a desktop wallpaper organizer, also called desktop background, using PicMonkey
UPDATE: PicMonkey is not free any longer. To download your design you will have to sign-up and get a paid membership. If you want to use a free alternative, go to canva.com. Choose custom dimensions for your design (see below). The steps are basically as outlined in this post.
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You can easily make your own desktop wallpaper that helps you get organized digitally. Just follow this easy tutorial and you will be there in a few minutes of your time and tame the desktop clutter once and for all. For my design, prefer to go with something simple and clearly arranged.
Look at my design and see if you would like something like that, too. Keep in mind that you are free to choose whatever colors, elements, or layout you want. Mine is, as I said, rather on the simple side of life.
Let’s do this. Create a custom-made desktop wallpaper.
Find out your desktop dimensions
To craft a custom desktop wallpaper you will have to know what measures you need to make it fit. Look into your computer’s settings or if you want it done fast and easy (like me) go to a free web service like What is my screen resolution or this tool of websiteplanet.com. The tools will let you know instantly upon clicking what dimension your desktop is using. (Mine is 1980 x 1020 pixels)
Check.
Set up your canvas
Go to PicMonkey. Then, go to design with your mouse cursor and a selection will open up. Select custom design.
Enter your desktop’s dimension in the boxes and press “Make it!”.
Next, choose your background color. I chose a light mint. (Hex code: dbfff3) Once you are happy with the color, press apply.
Chose your organizing elements
Then add some overlays. I chose to go with four white rectangles with round corners and transparent borders. To choose yours go to the overlays section by clicking the butterfly. Then open the subsection Geometrics.
Choose whatever you like best. Then you select the color of your overlay.
To have exact overlays of the same size I created one and then copied it by selecting the overlay, right click and select “duplicate overlay”. (Shortcuts work, too, if you prefer them)
Arrange your overlays on the canvas until it looks just fine.
Add some text
You will want to put a name to each of the sections you created. I made sections for hubby and me (as we are using the same computer and one account only), then a section for files that need to be filed away or printed, and one section to collect all the shortcuts to programs and apps we use regularly.
Choose the Tt for Text. Then choose a font (mine is “Antonio”). Do you have a font on your computer you want to use? No problem. Click “Yours” and wait for PicMonkey to show you a list of fonts it found on your computer. This is even featured with the free version of PicMonkey.
Select a font and click “Add text”.
Write your first heading and choose a color that matches your background (I chose Yellow, hex code: ffdc54).
Drag the text to the size you desire. Then I usually center the text and drag the text field as broad as the overlay so that I can place it centered to the overlay easily. Copy the text field and paste it, one for each overlay. Place the text fields in the proper space and rename them.
Save your desktop wallpaper masterpiece
Once you are happy with your desktop wallpaper, save it to your computer. Click “Export”, give a filename and choose to save as a PNG-file. Click “Export to Computer”. Now you have it stored on your computer. You can save your design in PicMonkey, too. Then you can come back to them and change things.
Change your desktop background
Now you will have to put this piece of art to your desktop to use as a desktop background. Right-click an empty area of your desktop where no icon is. Select Personalize. Choose the option “picture” as background and browse your computer to find the desktop wallpaper you just crafted. Select your wallpaper. Done.
Finally, conquer your desktop
Remeber that the icons on your desktop will usually not go to any place but are ordered in a pattern. So create enough space in one overlay to move icons around in there if you want to keep your icons aligned. Alternatively, make the desktop icons movable freely. To do this in Windows, right-click on an empty area of the desktop, then choose “view” from the menu, uncheck “Align icons to grid”. Now you can grab an icon and move it freely to whatever space you want.
Put the icons where they belong to organize your fantastic new desktop background.
Check.
Now you have the most organized and beautiful desktop that lets you find what you are looking for and helps you tame desktop clutter to keep junk away for good. And all this, thanks to your custom homemade free desktop wallpaper.
Please let me know how this was going. Happy crafting! Check out this tutorial on crafting wall art in PicMonkey if you still feel like crafting.