In the past, I shared with you all How to Clean up your Computer Desktop. It has been so helpful to many of you AND the post gets a lot of love over on Pinterest!
Computer Desktop Backgrounds
If you are anything like me, I need change, so it was time to create a few new desktop organization backgrounds for you to use. Here are a few fresh backgrounds you can use: the 1990’s preppy color background, a gold ombre background and aqua circles background.
I simply feel like my life (at least my computer life!) is super organized because of these desktop organizers! You can read all my gushing about how and why you should use an organizational desktop background over on the old post….and here’s the quick “how to” install:
1. Find out what size resolution screen your computer is.
For Mac, you can select the System Preferences from the Apple Menu, then click on Displays. Next to the word Resolution, make sure your radio button titled “Scaled” is clicked and look to see what resolution is highlighted. This is the size download you will need.
For Windows, Click the Start button, then click Control Panel. Under Appearance and Personalization select Adjust screen resolution. Check to make sure the monitor you want to examine is selected in the drop-downDisplay list. Below that, you will see the drop-down resolution list, with your current setting showing the number of pixels horizontally and vertically. This is the resolution size you will need for your download Click cancel to leave things as they are.
2. Download the correct size desktop background from below.
3. Next, go to Picmonkey, upload the image and add the titles to each box. Then re-save the image.
4. Now you will need to upload the image as your Desktop Background.
For Mac users: select the System Preference for the Apple Menu. Select the Desktop & Screen Saver option. In that window, find where you saved your newly created Desktop Background and click on the image. This will add the Desktop Background for you. Super simple.
For Windows: Right-click your desktop and choose Personalize. Select Desktop Background from the windows’ bottom left. Click your newly created Desktop Background for the background. Click the Save Changes button.
5. Now you get to clean! Drag your icons to the respective boxes and admire!
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You’re awesome…really awesome. It’s the little things in life that make some of us so very happy. Thank you for the new backgrounds! 🙂
Thank you, Heather! Love this!
What a clever idea. I am always embarrassed by the mess on my desktop – now I can get all my icons organised! Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome! Glad it can be of use to you!
Love the way this looks and am doing it on my computer tomorrow! Can you do this on an iPad too?
Great idea, Linda! I’ll do a post soon for an ipad background!
I just found your earlier post last week, and I have been showing EVERYONE! I absolutely love this, and it’s one of those, “Duh, why didn’t I think of that?” I used to be anti-desktop icons, but now I am all for them. Thank you so much for making these and for continuing to make more! Such a wonderful idea.
I am SO glad you like it…AND thanks for sharing it too!!
I love this! Is there a way to download the boxes without the background?
There is not…but shoot me an email over on the contact page and I can send you the boxes with no background!
Would love this for my Ipad
I love this! I saved it and did everything, but it doesn’t fit my desktop quite right since my resolution is 1280×1024. Is there any way you can make one that fits this resolution?
Me too! I need the same size!
Love this Organizer, thank you. The ombre is working for me, but the link to the aqua circles sizes are not found. Can you help?
Thanks for letting me know, Erin! I just fixed the link and you should be able to grab it without a problem!
Love this idea, and the possibilities are endless! Thank you!
Enjoy organizing your desktop, Kitty!!
Just downloaded your screensaver and added it to my desk top. I love it! You’re a genius. Thanks!
Enjoy, Patty!! Glad you love it!
This is such a great idea! I love picmonkey. I am wondering if I can make backgrounds of my own? I guess sizing would be the issue. Until I figure it out I’m using yours. Thanks for such a great idea!
I forgot to say that I can hardly wait to show this off at work. The mess on my desk top is kinda legendary. I will be the envy of everyone!
LOL! I bet everyone at work will want to download the background too! ENJOY.
I love them! I wasn’t able to download the resolution 2560×1440 of the aqua circles though. I use two displays and wanted to put one on each of them. Thank you so much!
Sorry about that Allison, not sure what happened to that link, but I have it fixed! You can download the background now!
Have you given the program Fences (http://www.stardock.com/products/fences/) a try? It does virtually the same thing without have to redo a background every time the blocks run out of room or if you don’t intend on using all of them. It also allows for smaller blocks you can scroll through for an even more CLEAN desktop! Unfortunately, it’s only FREE to try but well worth the $9.99 it costs.
Jamie- I haven’t seen it before! That is a really great idea, unfortunately it’s only for PC users! Thanks for letting all my readers and I know about it.
I want to say thank you. This is beautiful and a great way to tidy up my desktop for the new year. So generous of you!
You’re welcome, Jimmie! Glad you like it!
I just finished downloading and tweaking the aqua desktop organizer and I love the looks and functionality of it! Thanks you so much for sharing this! What a great idea!!
blessings,
Gay Idle/CaptiveHeart
Glad you like it Gay! It makes your desktop just a bit prettier, doesn’t it?!
Have you done the desktop organizer for iPad? I’m looking forward to that. My husband would have had a breakdown if I had done it to our laptop! He is less computer savvy than I am! So MY iPad is in for a treat!
Thanks!
Hi Kay! It would be awesome to be able to do this on an iPad, but the problem is because the screen rotates, everything moves on the rotation and would fall out of place! So, even though I have done some cute iPad backgrounds, they aren’t organizational because they won’t function correctly. Sorry to disappoint!!
I love the idea of organizing my computer desktop, but I have a Mac computer rather than a PC. Can you tell me how to do it with a Mac?
Louise
Hi Louise! I actually have a MAC computer too! If you look above in the post, the directions that are in the gray area tell you how to install it on a MAC, specifically step #4!
I hope that helps you! Let me know if you have any other questions!
What a super idea! Thanks for sharing. I wish I could use it, but can’t because I have a MAC computer. Any suggestions for organizing it? Thanks.
Louise
I LOVE this! I just put it all in place and it works fantastically. One question though. With the way my desktop places icons, the boxes are just a bit off. For example, there will be too much space between the header and the first row of icons and then the bottom row of icons runs into the next header. I hope that makes sense. Any suggestions to fix? I definitely downloaded the correct size so I don’t *think* that would be it? Also, I’m on a PC.
Tiffany, My guess would be that it’s the wrong size background. I would go in and check your screen settings and I know you can also adjust your screen settings as well. I’m not on a PC, so I can’t tell you exactly where to adjust them, but that might be the issue! Hope that helps a bit!
This isn’t quite working for me. The icons aren’t lining up correctly in the boxes. I have it on the default font size and classic icon size. They fit horizontally in the boxes, but not vertically.
Jenn- Are you manually moving the icons in the boxes? I place each icon where I would like it.
I have a screen resolution of 1280 x 1024. Is there a way that I can get a copy with that resolution? I would love to try this on my work computer, home desktop and home laptop. Also can you do this on an iPhone 5 and iPad 2?
Jennifer- Which background would you like at that resolution? Also, you can check out the iPhone Background organizers HERE.
Just wondering why when I drag icons to respective box they won’t stay put?
Denise- Are you on a Mac or PC?
I’ve just done this and it’s brilliant! Thank you so much for the download!
I just tried to download the 2560 x 1600 resolution in Aqua Circles, but the link did not work. Is there any chance you could update that link?
Hi Adriana- Sorry about the broken link, but it’s fixed now!
Thank you SO much for that quick response!!
WOW! I was so impressed and inspired — I not only did it but I even wrote a blog post about it. http://daylilygrl.wordpress.com/2014/06/11/proud-nerd-desktop-organized/ Love it! Thanks so much for your creativity and willingness to share!
Thanks so much for sharing it Kelley!!
The aqua circles are adorable on my desktop…I typically try to keep my desktop empty, but have found it easier to access my most used items so I love this new background to organize it!
Wow! This is exactly what I needed and your directions made it simple to set up! 🙂 Suggestion for future versions — could you do some variations using seasonal color palettes? I like decorating my desktop with colors that remind me of each season. This time, I used the gold ombre version and added leaf images from picmonkey to dress it up for autumn. It’s so pretty!
¡I Love you!
Thank you very much.
<3
Just used your background this morning to clean up my desktop. What a great way to start the new year! Thank you for sharing! Also, I can’t wait to explore the rest of your site.
This is excellent! I’m so happy I found it. I just finished customizing the aqua one and it looks amazing! Thank YOU! <3
Hope you are enjoying feeling organized, Mellissa!
I pinned the first article on Pinterest a while back and was checking my pins. I found this one and it’s so cool! Great idea! My pin is now updated to this one and I subscribed to your newsletter, too. Thanks for being so creative! God bless!
Awesome, Amanda! So glad you stopped by! Enjoy the weekly freebies in the newsletter.
Thank you so much for this. It really brings me joy every day. I just got a new laptop and decided to update my labels. One thing I do is include pictures when I edit it in PicMonkey, so I can see my inspiration every day!
Love this!!!!!
I didn’t even know this was a thing. My desktop is on it’s way to tidy. Thanks for this!
Hi, just want to check with you, that first background I could not get access to. It would be perfect for spring!
could you share a link to it? thank you!
After I edit my image, how do i go about and saving it on my desktop? When I try to save it, it’s asking my to start a trial or sign up for it?
I just checked out PicMonkey and it looks like it is no longer free. You might want to make your edits on Canva.com. They still have a free version!