Cable organization ideas

The spaghetti-like tangle of disorganized cords behind your TV or under your desk could be scarier than your Halloween decorations. Tame that frightening mess with these easy ideas.

Hide them.
Tuck your power strip inside something decorative, such as an inexpensive cardboard photo box from your local craft store. Cut holes in the side for cords (and for proper ventilation!) and you’re set.

Or, look for a ribbon box, which already has holes in the side, to make a perfect charging station. This one was featured on allyou.com.

Label them.
Save the plastic tags from your baked goods and re-use them to label your cords. Theses sturdy tags make it easy to tell what’s plugged in, and where.

Alternatively, wrap a strip of masking tape or Washi tape around the cord, but leave a little extra to make a “flag” to write on.

Even better? Wrap the plastic bread tags with Washi tape and then you have cute and removable tags.

Control them.
Use cord clips to tuck your cords along the wall or trim. These keep cords in check and make them less noticeable. Popular clip choices include the Command™ brand round, as seen on the Fox Hollow Cottage blog (image below), and flat varieties and Wiremold brand cable raceway.

Another way to tame those computer cords is to hang a small wire basket (big enough to hold a power strip) under your desk. It will not only keep the electrical hub off your floor, it also holds all the bulky cords up and out of sight.

Store them.
When you’re not using a specific cord, having a system in place to store it will help prevent a jumbled mess. If you can sew and have a few scraps around, you can whip up this cord keeper in no time flat.

If you’re not that handy, pick up some Velcro reusable ties or some Q Knot Cable Ties to keep your cords in order.

Once they’re all wrapped up, take your cable organization a step further and find a box and sort by type. I Heart Organizing took it to the next level with fancy dividers.

But you could make something similar—if slightly less sexy—using this instructable which uses a shoe box and toilet paper tubes.

For these and more awesome ideas, check out our Life Hacks board on Pinterest!