Correcting Cord Chaos

I hate cords and cables. They are ugly and tangley (yes, that's a word.) Unfortunately, many really cool technologies require them. Take cameras for example. Each one comes with at least 15 gazillion hook-ups. It's obnoxious. Should you keep the cords in a drawer? Then each electronic doohickey would need its own drawer so that you won't confuse them with other gadget cords and who has that many extra drawers just lying around? Not me. Baskets are not an option either because I don't want to use any cute basket to display black and gray cables. Keeping cords in their original packaging doesn't work for me either, because, well...it's tacky. Simply stated, cords wreak havoc on my never ending quest for organization.

A while back, I read in a magazine about a solution for these annoying necessities of modern life. A shoe organizer. Duh! Why didn't i think of that? They have perfect size slots for small items like cords and cables, they can hang on the inside of a closet door to maximize the usage of space,  and they are cheap. Perfecto!

Here's what I pulled together in about an hour. You could always spend more time (if you're one of the lucky ones who has unassigned time) to make the organizer more unique and eye appealing.

Here's the easy how-to. First, find a shoe organizer you like. I recommend getting one that doesn't have clear pockets since the whole point is to NOT see the cords. I grabbed this one at Wal-mart. (Yes, once a month, I venture to this crazy zoo because Wal-mart is the only place that carries my favorite coffee drink, and trust me, it is worth the long lines and cluttered isles.) I think it's the Canopy brand and it only cost me $14.99.

 

Then go to your nearest fabric store and find double side fusible web. This magic little stuff adheres the fabric to the organizer. It's quicker and easier than sewing the labels on. This packet was a whopping $3.99.

Next, decide on the material for the labels. You can either use a scrap you have lying around the house like I did, or you can buy some new shnazzy fabric to make it super cute. Peel off one side of the webbing and stick it to the fabric before you cut the labels out. It'll save you time.

Go ahead and use a sharpy to distinguish each of your labels. Sure, their are more sophisticated ways like printing the words on fabric or stitching your labels, but I wanted quick and easy this time. I only needed 8 slots now, but I've got extra fabric and pockets for future purchases that have cables/cords.

Now it's time to bust out the iron. Put it on the high heat cotton setting with steam. Peel off the other side of the web adhesive and place the labels on each pocket. Iron for about 20 seconds.

 You're done. So easy, right? No talent needed for that one. Join me and find relief from cord chaos. :)