Hello friends! I’ve got a great organizational idea to share with you today!
Yesterday I was attempting to get the house in some type of order and I came across my kitchen counter where we house all of our charging apparatus. It was so frustrating to see cords and phones and iPods strewn everywhere!
If you know me, an idea is a dangerous thing. I woke up this morning and right then I knew what was on the agenda for today!
An under-the-cabinet docking station:
This is our current docking station that also functions as a toaster oven!
It looks so messy! There is one more not pictured that is usually here too.
I have seen a couple of really cute and clever docking stations made from bread boxes, but I don’t have the counter space for another bread box.
So I created the perfect solution, and it was so easy to make!
To make it, I used:
- One piece of pine cut to 10″ x 12″ x 3/4″(leftover from new top to Brennan’s changing table)
- Two side pieces 3 1/2″ X 10″ x 3/4″
- Four pieces of molding cut to make door
- Wood glue
- One magnetic closure
- Drawer pull
- Two hinges
- Four 1 1/2 ” wood screws
- Six 1″ finishing nails
- Paint
Here are my wood pieces cut, sanded, and ready to go. (Let the sun SHINE!! It’s been too long!)
I attached the two sides with wood glue, then three nails down each side. (I think a nail gun is inching its way towards my Christmas list…)
Next I attached the molding pieces together with wood glue.
You could use something else for your door; this is what I had in the garage. You could also leave the door off and just build a docking shelf.
Then I attached the hinges.
As you can see in this picture, the door does not come all the way to the top because the top portion of the docking station will be recessed beneath the cabinets.
Next came paint… I painted it with acrylic paint first to give it a good base. Then I gave it a coat of spray paint. This is always my favorite part!
After the paint was dry, I added the magnetic closure. (I probably should have added it before and painted it to blend in.)
Then it was time to attach it to the cabinets. I drove wood screws through the bottom of the inside of the cabinet down through the each side of the docking station. (I use two on each side.)
Here is the underside view.
Just need to add a handle. Done!
It easily holds my iPad and a couple of phones.
From a distance, it looks so much neater. This also matches our spice cabinet!
Fortunately all of the items we need to store here are apple products. I found this charger at TJ Maxx that can hold three USB ports at once. Then I mounted my docking station near an outlet.
You could also add a power strip beneath or on the side if you needed to.
One more time, open:
And closed:
Do you have any clever solutions to housing all your items while charging?
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XO,
Jennifer says
Wow, you are amazing. I think I need to get more brave at cutting, screwing, nailing, gluing, etc. I can imagine how much nicer this system works, not to mention how much nicer it looks. and now you can use your toaster oven without moving the electronics. It looks awesome. great job. Jennifer
Christy K. James says
Thanks, Jennifer! So far so good! What I have found is the best part, is that I don’t stop to scroll around on my iPad while I’m supposed to be making dinner!!! Out of sight, out of mind:)
Jenn says
How clever are you? This one has me pondering a good spot for something similar at our house… I would love it if you linked this project at Thrifty to Nifty Thursdays at A Jennuine Life – http://www.ajennuinelife.com/2013/03/thrifty-to-nifty-thursdays-10.html.
Desiree @ YourCraftyFriend says
Great project, I need to make one of these. Thanks for sharing.
Christy K. James says
Thanks, Desiree! It was really simple to make:)
Karen says
I am sooo going to be making this. All the cord litter drives me crazy.
Christy K. James says
Me too!!
Bliss says
Clever and now you never have to worry about toasting an ipad.
Bliss
Christy K. James says
Exactly:)
Nancy @ Artsy Chicks Rule says
Not sure how I missed this but it’s awesome!! What a clever idea!! 🙂
Nancy
Christy K. James says
I built this last year. It really has helped de-clutter our counter!