Hey there! I have a fun/functional project I thought you might enjoy. Create a charging station in a cabinet to hide all of those unsightly cords!
I don’t know about you, but we seem to have way too many electronic devices that end up in random places throughout our house. My kids were always searching for their Kindle or the school-provided Chromebook, usually as we were trying to run out the door in the morning and catch the bus. I was tired of it!
I am not a fan of letting them have screens in their room. So, I knew I had to have a plan that kept their devices in one location, out of their rooms, and hidden from view. I also knew I didn’t want all of the cords in plain sight.
I had my kids help me paint an old cabinet that no longer matched my decor. My husband cut a hole in the back just large enough to allow the cord of a power strip to fit through.
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To paint the doors, we used Annie Sloan chalk paint in Coco. Click here to see a small pot of this color. The body of the piece was painted in Amy Howard One Step Paint (chalk paint) in Bauhaus Buff. You can see the white paint option by clicking here. Both of these chalk paint brands are top notch. I have used a lot of the colors and they are so easy and forgiving to work with.
I sanded the doors and body slightly between coats, then wiped with dry cloth prior to painting the next coat to get rid of any dust from sanding. The doors required two light coats and the body needed three. I find with anything white, it typically needs three coats for good coverage with the chalk paint.
After I finished with the painting, I sanded (fine grit sand paper, nothing too abrasive) some of the edges to give it a distressed look. I knew this cabinet would be taking a beating with the kids using it to charge their devices, so distressing it was bound to happen at some point. It just made me feel better having some control over it;)
The next step was to seal it. I used Amy Howard clear wax on the entire piece, following the directions on the can. On the doors, I used a very light coat of dark wax. You can find the dark wax by clicking here. It was a little darker than I was hoping for, so after it dried, I went back and dry brushed just a hint of white onto the doors to lighten it up a bit. After that, I applied another coat of clear wax to just the doors.
DONE!
Charging Cabinet Before and After:
What do you think?
The kids did a great job! I love letting them help with things they will be using. They appreciate the details so much more and I think they were proud of their work. Now, we can keep their chrome books and Kindles where I can’t see them! At least as long as the kids put their things where they belong!
The cabinet is in our living room, so it’s convenient for them to grab their Chromebook for homework. Plus the charging station is in an area where my husband and I can keep an eye on what they are viewing on the internet. It’s been a win for all of us.
Do you have a charging station in your home? I’d love to hear what works for your family. Leave me a comment below.
Shannon Patterson says
May 12, 2017 at 8:33 amI LOVE DIY tutorials and this one is awesome! I like how easily you made it seem to hide all of those unsightly cords. Thanks for the tutorial!
[email protected] says
May 12, 2017 at 8:47 amThank you, Shannon! It has saved my sanity some days. Out of sight, out of mind;-)
Living Life Blended says
May 12, 2017 at 8:40 amLove this! We have a makeshift charging station at the bottom of a bookshelf in our bedroom. With six kids (and six tablets), it’s been great. Now…if we could just get them to keep up with their chargers. They manage to lose them when we travel with them.
[email protected] says
May 12, 2017 at 8:46 amThank you! We can’t have it all, can we?! Lol 😉 Baby steps!
Amanda says
May 12, 2017 at 9:23 amThis is great! Right now all our devices charge on the kitchen counter and it drives me bonkers! I really want to keep them hidden.
[email protected] says
May 12, 2017 at 1:58 pmYes, Amanda! That’s exactly how ours were. It’s still not perfect by any means, but so much better!
Stephanie says
May 12, 2017 at 10:05 amI have a charging station in my home too, but it doesn’t look as fancy as yours. Ours are left on my desk so it’s not very appealing to the eye. Great idea!
[email protected] says
May 12, 2017 at 10:18 amThanks, Stephanie! I just used what I had as I’m practical to a fault;-) Thanks for stopping by!
Eryn says
May 13, 2017 at 11:22 amI’m showing my husband this! What a simple thing to do to really spruce up an area! I love the paint job. Now to find a cabinet as unique at that one! Thrift stores here I come! 😉
[email protected] says
May 13, 2017 at 5:04 pmThanks, Eryn! Good luck with your cabinet search!
[email protected] says
May 16, 2017 at 6:57 amThis is such an amazing idea. I’m going to tell my husband about it right now lol. My kids are always losing their chargers for all their electronics so this would be great to have them all in one spot. Thank you so much for this great idea!!
[email protected] says
May 16, 2017 at 11:12 amThanks, Connie! If you try it, I’d love to hear back! Have a great day!
Kerri @ Holly Muffin says
October 11, 2017 at 8:36 amThis is the coolest! I love how much this unit can hold. Great job!
[email protected] says
October 11, 2017 at 3:36 pmThank you, Kerri!
Madison Fichtl says
October 11, 2017 at 8:48 amThis is such an awesome idea! I have to try this so I can keep everything organized! Thanks for sharing!
[email protected] says
October 11, 2017 at 3:36 pmThanks, Madison! It saves my sanity😊
Mary says
October 11, 2017 at 12:52 pmThis is such a great idea, I hate having all our electronics and their cords all over the counters.
[email protected] says
October 11, 2017 at 3:35 pmThanks, Mary! I couldn’t agree more!
Patricia @ Grab a Plate says
October 12, 2017 at 10:02 amWhat a great DIY and idea! I’m like you, and have so many things to charge between my husband and me! Great (and pretty) way to take care of business without a tangled mess!
[email protected] says
October 12, 2017 at 2:15 pmThank you, Patricia! I appreciate the kind and thoughtful comment 😊
Kori says
October 12, 2017 at 9:40 pmSo adorable!!! I love that you let your kids help as well! Great family project!!
[email protected] says
October 13, 2017 at 3:43 pmThanks, Kori! Yes, I loved that they helped as well 😊.