When it took almost 5 minutes to saw through one end of the box with my knife just to get the blankety-blank thing open, I figured the whole project would be difficult. With one end open, I couldn’t budge a thing. Then I sawed through the other end. Still nothing moved because everything was fitted so snugly nothing could budge. I could push all I wanted but nothing would happen. So I sawed through one long side of the THICK cardboard with my trusty knife and was able to open the box and totally expose the parts of the four-tier shelving. 

The 3-foot long by 14-inch wide by 56 inches high shelving would be used to help solve my office organization problems. The closet is jam packed with a 1964 sewing machine that hasn’t worked in years, pitiful shelves filled with sewing stuff, a chair, two-drawer file cabinet, and all kinds of stuff that is in various tote bags and some other stuff too. There are tote bags on top of tote bags. I think they are multiplying because there are tote bags outside the closet around a larger file cabinet. It is all just crying out to be cleaned out and organized. I have wanted to do something about it for ages. Months ago, I bought clear bins in which to organize everything. Then I was going to buy the shelving and hire someone to put it together.

So why do I, not a “some assembly required” person, think I can put this shelving together? Answer: the cat’s new water fountain.

The other day, I bought a water fountain for my cat because he likes his water moving when he drinks from it. He used to drag the water dish all over the dining room trying to get the water to move and spilled huge puddles everywhere. Once I figured out why he was doing it, I started putting water in one of the sinks in my master bedroom bath. (Just try dragging that, Groucho!) It’s just that the bathroom sink leaks ever so slowly and to keep water in there for him overnight, I have to use a bowl. Well, when he puts his paw in the bowl to make the water move, it makes a racket and wakes me in the night. And besides his wet paws track up the wooden floors.

So when I saw the water fountain, I thought that it would solve the problem. I got it home, took out all the parts, read the directions, and put it together. Miracle of miracles, it worked––totally amazed me. The directions were excellent. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to figure it out. It was somewhat complicated. So with that under my belt, I was ready to tackle the shelving.

Once it was out of the box, I sat down to read the directions. But each page had only the same five words “edge of shelf faces down” with detailed drawings. At that point, it seemed that it would be easier than the water fountain.

There weren’t many types of parts. Mostly four of this and four of that, but 16 of one type and numerous little packaging parts. It didn’t take much of an imagination to picture Groucho chasing parts all around the house. So out came my Tupperware.

I got started. I screwed the feet into the bottom portion of each pole. Then connected the top part and bottom part of each pole by screwing in a steel bushing. I always thought bushings were rubbery, but not these. Easy, peasy so far! Nothing to this “assembly required” stuff!

When I was attaching the bottom shelf, there was a moment when all four legs were flopping around that I thought I had overreached myself, that this was beyond me. But I got control of the situation one pole at a time until all four legs were snug and at the same place on each pole. As it turned out, this was the most difficult part of the whole project.

Then I set one of my clear storage bins on the shelf to help in figuring where I wanted the second and third shelves. They could be placed anywhere. I marked two places on each pole with tape. Then I was ready to get it finished.

The second shelf was next. I put the clips on first, slid the shelf over all four poles and down over the clips. I snugged them into place and made sure all were at the same level.

Then I did the same for the third shelf and then the top one. Total time was two-and-one-half hours from the time I started sawing through the box. That also counted writing most of this blog post and taking photos.

Whew! I’m so relieved that it’s done. Putting the shelving together was the only part of the “office reorganization project” I didn’t know if I could do. I knew I could do all the rest, just wasn’t looking forward to it. So I need to start moving some furniture and other stuff out of the closet and start going through all the tote bags, thinning out and organizing what I want to keep. I’ll try to put a couple hours into it each day until it’s done. Now that the shelving is put together, I don’t have any more excuses!