DIY Charging Stations to Make Easy and Quick Charging
We now use more than one electronic device that require regular recharging. These devices, phones included, come with charge adapters and cords of all colors. It is not easy to handle cords, and that is why we are introducing DIY charging station to help in their organization.
Whether you need one for your entire family or just for you, we have what suits your need. You will no longer have colorful cords ruining your interior decoration or fighting over a charger.
Elegant Wood Charging Station
The DIY wood charging station is the best pick for those desiring classical looks. The timeless appearance of this wooden box resonates well with your interior decoration by adding a focal point.
It is easy to make this charging station for your phones, tablets, cameras, and other portable electronics. Do not waste any more time if it is your best fit. Set an afternoon aside to make this DIY docking station for the entire family. Build it from here.
Desk Organizer Charging Station
It is not a surprise if you have more than one smartphone and other portable electronics. Tablets, portable gaming consoles, and cameras have become part of us. But they also come with challenges, especially when you have to recharge them all at once.
This tutorial can help you turn an ordinary desk organizer into an all-in-one charging station for your electronics. Say bye-bye to the cords and unwelcoming look they give to your room.
Multiple Device Charger Station Using A Mail Rack
A reader, Anna, also made her own organizer by using a mail rack (shown above). What I like about these pictures is that she’s shown us what all the cords and the power strip look like as well, which I think brings a little realism into the picture.
Quirky Cordies Desktop Cable Managementfor power cords Click here to purchase on Amazon
Whatever you choose to use for charging your devices, as I already mentioned, there will be lots of wires and things to plug in.
Anna explained: This is mine. A mail rack from The Reject Shop with all the leads clipped into a 3M hook behind (the kind that loops back on itself). The powerboard is under my desk strapped to an Ikea cable management system.
You see now why considering air flow is so important, along with the eye sore than lots of cords and cables can be? (Anna’s cords aren’t an eye sore though because she has this under her desk.)
If you’re considering making your own charging station, you might also want to get a cable management system to keep cords organized and untangled.
Here’s another example, from another reader, Melissa. Notice how she keeps cords out of the way with simple binder clips. Genius!
Further, here’s a picture from a reader, Laurie, who used the cable management system that I suggested above, to keep cords from getting so tangled. She said, Thank you for this! I have been changing mine around and look forward to seeing photos! The Multi-port USB from Amazon and cord holders have helped. Now to get a container.
width=450 height=296 /
Can Hide Your Electronics In A Charging Cabinet
width=450 height=345 /
Some people don’t want their electronics to be on display while they’re charging.
As long as there is enough air flow you can hide your charging station behind closed doors, like Heather did.
She sent in the picture above and said, Here I used as three tiered corner shelf to hold our phone/iPad/other in our charging cabinet. Definitely helps prevent tangled cords!
Electronic Charging Station For Many Types Of Gadgets Devices
While you can go the do it yourself route with good results, as seen above, some people just want to get something that’s already been designed for them.
Fortunately, there are many popular products on Amazon that fit the bill. The ones I recommend are ones which can be used for multiple types of devices, and which hide the cords so they’re attractive.
Make sure you know whether the one you choose comes with a power strip included or not, just to make sure you get everything you need to get it set up when it arrives!
Here are a few of the most popular charging stations:
Charging Station Organizer Products
USB Charger Stations Should Definitely Be Considered
Not all devices these day have a traditional plug. Instead, many devices are charged through a USB port.
Instead of getting an adaptor for each USB charged device to allow you to plug it into a more traditional electrical socket, I suggest considering a USB charger station where you can plug in multiple devices at once.
This can help you reduce cords either in your own DIY charging stations or for a store bought variety, or just have it sitting on your desk.
Here are some of the most popular ones on Amazon:
USB Charger Station
DIY charging station
Keep your electronic gadgets and cords in one place with an easy-to-build charging dock, which can hold three to four phones or even a few small tablets.
The top conveniently lifts out for easy access to a standard, 2 x 10” power strip concealed below.
Step 1. Cut the Box Pieces
Mark the box pieces to length with a tape measure and a square to ensure straight cutting lines. Use the BLACKDECKER 4.5 Amp Jigsaw to make the cuts:
- (2) pieces of mahogany board, 14” long for the front and back of the box
- (2) pieces of mahogany board, 7” long for the sides of the box
- (4) pieces of the 3/4” mahogany strip, 4” long for the corner blocks
- (1) piece of 7 x 13” plywood for the bottom
Tip: Clamp the mahogany to a work surface for accurate cuts.
Step 2. Drill a Hole for the Power Strip
Drill a hole, 1” diagonally from one bottom corner of one of the 7” long pieces of mahogany for the power strip plug to run through. Use the BLACKDECKER 12V MAX Cordless Lithium Drill/Driver with a 1” spade bit to drill the hole.
Tip: Most power strips have the cord emerging from one end. Depending on what type of power strip you use, you can drill the hole through the back piece of the box, if desired.
Step 3. Drill Pilot Holes
Use the 12V MAX Cordless Lithium Drill/Driver and a 1/8” drill bit to drill pilot holes 3/8” above the bottom edge and spaced 4” apart, along the bottom of all four pieces of mahogany board.
Tip: Depending on what type of screw you’re using, pilot holes should be just slightly smaller than the screw. The idea is to allow the hole to be big enough for the screw to pass through without splitting the wood, but at the same time, small enough so that the threads grip firmly.
Step 4. Assemble the Box
Apply wood glue to all four edges of the 7 x 13” plywood bottom piece and place it on a flat surface. Center the 14” front and back pieces of mahogany against the sides of the plywood. Then slip the box sides flush between the front and back pieces.
Use the 12V MAX Cordless Lithium Drill/Driver to drive 1” screws through the pilot holes to secure the box pieces to the plywood.
Step 5. Fit the Corner Blocks
Apply wood glue to two sides of all four 3/4” corner blocks. Fit the blocks into the corners, one at a time, so they’re standing up and flush against the plywood bottom.
Using your fingers, apply pressure to each block for about 3 minutes or until the glue gets tacky. Allow the glue to dry according to the manufacturer’s recommended dry time.
Step 6. Cut the Lift-Out Top
Measure the size of the opening inside the assembled box. Use the 4.5 Amp Jigsaw to cut the corkboard 1/4” smaller than the width and length of the opening. Use a drinking cup and a pencil to trace three evenly spaced semicircles along one long edge of the cork board.
DIY Vintage Phone Charging Station
From the old wooden box phones that were all the rage back in the early 1900s to teeny, tiny little things that double up as cameras today, phones have come a long way. I remember, as a child watching a local program called “Nommer Asseblief” about the life and times of a close-knit Afrikaans farming community. Everyone had a wooden box phone installed in their homes, and chaos and mayhem would ensue when the local busybody would listen in on other people’s conversations. It made for a great storyline and got me thinking about how I could possibly marry today’s technology with Alexander Graham Bell’s original creation. And that’s how I came up with the idea of making this vintage phone charging station.
It’s the perfect way to clear the clutter and power up your devices at the same time. Of all the repurposed tutorials we’ve shared, I think this one uses the weirdest mix of common household items and salvaged bits. Out-of-the-box thinking at its best.
Best of all, the charging station hardly cost me a thing. I just had to buy two call bells and shelf support loops.
That gorgeous metal label at the bottom came in a pack of 6 and was too big to use on our linen book covers.
From start to finish, the charging station only took a few hours to put together. Right, before I share how I made the vintage phone charging station using recycled bits, be sure to follow us on or Instagram. And don’t forget to subscribe so you’ll never miss a post!
Oh, and I’ll also share a few more telephone craft and decor ideas towards the bottom of the post.
What you need
For the wooden ringer box frame
- Wood to make a small box with a lid (12” x 9.2” x 3.3”)
- 2 x hinges and screws
- Wood stain
- Pegboard MDF for the backing
- Wood stain
- Drill and wood drill bits
- Jigsaw or handsaw
If you have a wooden box with a lid that’s big enough, feel free to use that instead.
The Crank
This one was easy. We have loads of old fishing reels that the kids left behind when they moved to Canada. You only need the windy handle thingy.
Mouthpiece
I used a tea strainer for my mouthpiece. One of those plastic or metal drain guards will work too. See what you have stashed away in your cupboards.
Earpiece and Handset
This one had me scratching my head, but I finally decided to use a spare pool light casing and craft foam. A small plastic bowl or cup will work too. Or if you have a toy phone lying around, see if you can repurpose bits from that to make the earpiece. You’ll also need:
- A hook for hanging the earpiece
- Broomstick or small spindle
- Metal rivets and loops (A loop shelf support kit works great)
- Electrical cord
How to make a vintage phone charging station
Since the vintage charging station is made from found, scavenged, and repurposed bits, your found bits may not be the same as mine No worries; the basic principle remains the same. You need a rectangular box with a lid that’s big enough to hold a cell phone or three. Everything else (mouthpiece, earpiece, crank, and bells) is just there to make the look like an old phone.
Prepping and painting the bits and pieces
My repurposed bits came in an assortment of different colors, which didn’t quite fit the antique look I was going for. But as they say in the classics, there’s nothing a little spray paint can’t fix.
Depending on what you’re using, you may need to unscrew, uncouple, or mask off some of the bits before painting. I pulled the call bells apart to make it easier to paint the tops gold and the bottoms black.
I also drilled two small holes on either side of the bells so I could screw them onto the box frame later.
If you already have a small spindle and a wooden box that’s big enough, making the vintage phone charging station is pretty simple. Since I had to start from scratch, I’ll quickly share how I made the box and prepped the broken broomstick for the phone handle.
Making the wooden ringer box
My vintage phone charging station measures 305 mm x 235 mm x 85 mm (12” x 9 2/8” x 3 3/8″). To make the wooden ringer box, I cut the following pieces from a pine board that’s 21 mm (1/2″) wide:
- 2 x sides – 305 mm x 85 mm (12″ x 3 3/8″)
- A top and a bottom – 214 mm x 85 mm (8″ x 3 3/8″)
- 1 x lid – 305 mm x 235 mm (12″ x 9 2/8″)
- 1 x Peg Board MDF Backing board – 305 mm x 235 mm (12″ x 9 2/8″)
Use a spade bit to drill a hole in the bottom piece that’s big enough to fit the charging cables through.
Drill a hole on the right-hand side to fit the handle windy thingy from the fishing reel.
Just eyeball where it should go. Mine is sort of at the halfway mark.
Glue and screw the sides, top, bottom, and backing board together to form a box frame.
Drill a small hole in the bottom of the box frame for the electrical cord to slip into.
Glue and screw the top, bottom, sides, and back together to make box frame.
Turning a broomstick into a phone handle
I would have loved to use a small spindle to make the phone handle for my charging station, but here in my neck of the woods, spindles are as scarce as hen’s teeth. So I used a broken broom handle instead. Cut the broom handle, so it’s about 160 mm (6 3/8″“). If you want to be fancy, you can use a router to shape the ends.