Would you love to have an uncluttered spot for charging your electronics? That’s exactly what I was looking for when I created my simple DIY charging station. It’s been a game-changer at our house!
Our charging cords now stay there 24/7 and our electronics all have a home for easy charging. Ready to make your own? I’ll show you how! (post includes commissionable links; for more information, see my full disclosure statement {here})
DIY Charging Station
I created my charging station with an inexpensive open desktop wood organizer that I scored at HomeGoods. I wanted one where I could fit four iPhones across the front row and an iPad in the middle. Another great option that you can order online is {this desktop storage set}.
The first step in this DIY is to figure out where you want the holes for your cords, which will be coming up from the bottom. I drilled small pilot holes first to make sure they were in the right place and then drilled bigger holes that would fit the smallest sized end of each charger cord.
My charging station was right in front of my outlet so I used short charging cords similar to {these}. They stay in the charging station full time so there’s no more searching for cords!
You’ll also want to add circular felt pads such as {these} to the bottom of your organizer. They create just enough space for the cords for go underneath the charging station and plug in at the outlet behind it.
And I typed up a little “Recharge” label to add to the front:
Consider a USB Outlet
If you peek behind the charging station, you’ll see the other part of this project: an outlet that we converted to a 4-port USB charger:
My husband and I rarely mess with anything electrical but this project was as easy as it comes. We used {this 4-port USB charger}. The faceplate isn’t included so add one of {these Decora wall plates} to your shopping list if your existing cover is the more traditional two hole type.
For installation, we followed the instructions included with the USB outlet. First we turned off the power to the outlet at the circuit breaker and tested it to be certain that the power was off. We then removed the faceplate from the old outlet, pulled the outlet out of the box, and removed the wires from it.
The USB charger comes with three colored wires connected to it – we connected these wires to the same colored wires coming out of outlet box, twisting the strands tightly together. We then screwed on the plastic connectors, secured them with electrical tape, and mounted the USB charger device in the wall box. Done in under five minutes!
A few things about the installation:
1.The Leviton USB charger is fairly deep and fits into standard electrical wall boxes but some older boxes may be too shallow to accommodate it. Make sure your wall box measures at least 3″ x 2″ x 2.5”
2. I am NOT an electrician – our install was very simple but your wiring may be different. Read the instructions included with the USB charger and consult an electrician if you are not sure about any part of them.
There’s also an option to have your regular outlet plus two USB ports that you can find that {here} (again, don’t forget to buy a wallplate too!).
I’m so glad to have one of our little daily dilemmas solved! It really is the simplest of DIYs but if you don’t have the time or interest in doing your own DIY project, we have {this bamboo charging station} in our office and it’s also a great option:
If you want other ideas for whipping your workspace into shape, be sure to check out my post on favorite desk organization ideas.
Another option to consider is adding an outlet to the inside of a drawer for hidden charging of your electronics – we did that as part of our kitchen remodel:
We ordered ours as part of our new kitchen cabinets but you can also buy {this in-drawer docking outlet} to add to an existing drawer in your kitchen. Check out my post on kitchen drawer organizers for more ideas of smart storage solutions for your kitchen.
And one last idea… if you’re looking to charge your phone easily at your bedside, consider a lamp with a built-in USB outlet in the base – both beautiful and functional! We have a pair of these USB lamps in our guest room and guests really appreciate how easily it is to charge their phones bedside:
Our exact lamps are no longer available but you can find several options for table lamps with built-in usb outlets {here}.
Thanks for stopping by everyone! If you’re looking for more ways to get your home organized, be sure to check out my other home organization posts {here}!
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kate@willowinteriors says
Absolutely LOVE!!! The cords all over the counter and the “oh, i forgot to bring my phone down b/c it was charging in my room earlier…you know, when i was doing my homework” drives me up the wall! I might be hunting for something at homegoods today! Thanks for the inspiration! 🙂
savvy shopper says
Great idea. We have a charging area in our kitchen, but not as sophisticated as this one. Ours is a 2 devices only. Might have to do an upgrade to 4 🙂 For the back rows, I would throw some pens and a pad of paper for those times you want to be a traditionalist and put pen to paper vs. finger to device.
Kris @ Driven by Décor says
That’s a great idea for the back rows. I’m a big list maker and still prefer to do that with pen and paper rather than on my phone most of the time.
Nancy {at} powellbrower at home says
the best idea yet! I haven’t seen those USB outlets…so great. Wonderful DIY Kris! xo Nancy
Greta says
How do you plug the devices into the cords? Do you pull them up each time or did you secure them in some way so you drop the phone onto the charging cord? love the idea, we need one at work!
Kris @ Driven by Décor says
Initially I thought I might try to find a way to secure them but then I decided that I’d like to be able to easily remove the cord if I needed to so we just pull it up when we need it. All of the openings are shallow enough that it’s easy!
Stacey {steward of design} says
Smart! I need one of those outlets too.
Elizabeth @ The Little Black Door says
Brilliant! I didn’t know that outlet existed. I’m adding this to my to-do list for sure!
WordsPoeticallyWorth says
Well done, it looks really nice.
Thank you. Love love, Andrew. Bye.
Simply LKJ says
Love it! We have an adapter that plugs into our original outlet, but would love to replace it with one of these so it is flush against the wall. WIll have to look for one!
Vel Criste says
Perfect! If I ever need more, I’ll make sure to keep this in mind. I have mine inside the drawers so everything is pretty hidden and organized too!
Lisa @ Shine Your Light says
That looks so great, Kris!! I have to get one of those USB outlets for my kitchen. I made a charging station out of a wine box and like the look of it (all the cords hidden inside) but this is even better. Looks so nice and tidy and is so functional.
Calypso In The Country says
What an awesome idea! I am so sick of having all these cords all over the place AND my boys are always losing their ipods somewhere! Having a central location will solve all those problems!
-Shelley
pam {simple details} says
I had no idea! You are always filled with great ideas, my friend – LOVE this!!
cindy hattersley design says
This is such a clever and attractive idea! I am posting this on my facebook page!!
Becky {This Is Happiness} says
This is a brilliant idea! Have not seen the USB wall outlet charger…so cool.
Linda {Calling it Home} says
I love this, and that adapter/plug will change our lives. I probably won’t do this unit we move, but this is brilliant!
A to Z says
This is awesome! Thank you!
Kris @ Driven by Décor says
Thanks so much!
Anonymous says
Thank you for showing me it’s alsome