ARLINGTON, Texas — As schools push back in-person start dates, at-home learning spaces are more important than ever.
“This is our new school until we don’t know when,” said Amanda Shirley, mother of 4. “There’s a lot of uncertainty.”
Like a lot of DFW parents, she’s finding out supplies are becoming scarce.
“It was more of a stock issue,” Shirley said. “I think everybody started ordering stuff kind of at the same time.”
Desks are among the things that have become harder to find. Shirley said she bought one desk but also had to rearrange her dining room to make a space conducive to learning for her boys.
Child-appropriate desks were largely out of stock at D-FW’s two IKEA locations, as well as several furniture and resale businesses in Arlington and Fort Worth.
The small supply is exactly why Adam Zamora of Mansfield is making a desk for his stepdaughter who's in college.
“All of a sudden the pandemic hit and now she’s in need of a desk because she has to do it online now,” Zamora said.
Zamora is a carpenter by trade and sells what he makes at Painted Tree Marketplace in Mansfield, where demand is growing for tiny tables.
“I’ve had a few people already call me about some little desks, coffee tables kids can use as desks,” Zamora said.
If you don’t have the skills to make your own or can’t afford a handmade piece, Shirley says you can repurpose some furniture or materials you already have.
She also recommends searching Instagram and Pinterest for creative ideas that can save you time and money.
Zamora is already making child-size desks for sale at his Mansfield space.
Click here to learn more.