DIY Charging Station For Electronics
See how we created a multi device charging station that keeps cords and chargers hidden inside an easy to access drawer.
It seems that every time I turn around there's another device charging on a countertop and with a cat that likes to chew cords (which aren't cheap) I had to figure out a way to create a family charging station and device organizer.
The answer to storing cords and chargers with their devices out of sight?
A Charging Drawer
We have a "no devices in the (kid's) bedroom after bed time" policy so I looked at some charging station ideas and quickly decided that our device organization had to include an in drawer power outlet and usb charging dock for:
- a multiple iPad charging station
- a multiple iPhone charging station
- a multiple Chromebook charging station
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Creating A Multi Device Charging Station Inside A Cabinet
I decided the best place to create a hidden charging station would be inside the cabinets of the built ins in our family room.
The built in cabinets are Ikea kitchen cabinets and at the time we installed them, they didn't come with the option to install interior (or hidden) drawers like they sell now, but I'm a big fan of figuring things out, so we did just that.
Click play on the video below or keep scrolling to see how we made it happen!
Installing the drawer for the charging station
- I purchased a low drawer with an interior front from Ikea to fit the width of our cabinet as well as 153 degree hinges that allow the cabinet doors to open wide enough for the drawer charging station to pull out and built the drawer according to the instructions.
- To determine where to drill holes in order for the drawer to be an interior (hidden) drawer, hold the drawer inside the cabinet where you want it to go and using the existing holes as a guide, hold the drawer rails in place, but as far to the back of the cabinet as possible, and mark your holes.
- Using the marks, drill holes for the drawer rails, making sure not to drill into the next cabinet.
- To make sure you don't drill too deep, put a piece of painter's tape on your drill bit to mark your desired depth and only drill to that point.
- Once the drawer rails are installed, slide your drawer in place.
Adding an in-drawer power outlet
- We have an existing outlet at the back of this cabinet but in order to create a docking station for multiple devices, I added this square power strip with outlets and usb ports. The outlets will make it easy to charge the kid's Chromebooks and the usb ports will make for a nice and organized iPad and iPhone charging station.
- To keep the kid's charging station organized, I put poster putty on the bottom of the power strip so it sticks to the bottom of the drawer and won't slide around.
Our Family Charging Station
So far our hidden charging station is working out really well. It gives us a place to charge multiple devices and this charging station hides cords so I don't have to see them, and the cat can't eat them! Win-win!
When the kids come home from school they hang their backpacks up in the under stairs closet we set up to work like a mudroom and plug in their Chromebooks so they charge overnight and are ready to take to school the next day.
They're also remembering to plug their iPads in when needed, and even when they don't need to be charged, they store them in here.
Above the charging drawer, we have a bin for batteries, a few iPad holders, and a decorative box to hold headphones and extra cords.
Below the charging drawer is where we keep extra blankets and pillows for cozy nights in.
Board Game Organization
I moved the board games to a different cabinet but this time, instead of stacking the games, I placed the games on the bottom shelf upright like books. This makes it much easier for the kids to grab a game without pulling all of the game boxes out on accident.
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