Getting Organized with a Vintage Tool Box Charging Station
Today I can’t wait to show you our new Vintage Toolbox Charging Station.
It is the answer to my dreams. Or at least is a remedy to one of my organizational nightmares.
Do you have technology-charging clutter issues?
Up until recently, we had some serious issues.
Like… phones and tablets strewn across our kitchen counter as I tried to make dinner each evening.
It drove me bonkers.
But not anymore. Thanks to our new-to-us vintage toolbox turned charging station.
This is an easy project.
I found this guy at a thrift store for five bucks.
I had originally planned to use it in my youngest son’s bedroom but now that we have a shared bedroom space we don’t need it in there anymore.
So…. it has sat in the garage for several months while I searched for some way to contain our technology-clutter and keep it off the kitchen counter.
And this morning it happened.
I figured it out.
See, this guy has a little tray shelf that is super helpful.
How we did it:
My husband drilled and filed some wholes into the tray that sits at the top of the tool box. Then the cords for our phones and ipod plug into a power bar that sits underneath the tray through these holes. The power bar feeds out of one corner of the tool box and connects to an extension cord that sits behind it. The extension cord plugs into the wall behind the cabinet that the charging station sits on.
You could use a more basic tool box as well and sit your technology further down inside it… but I love how this style means that I don’t have to see the power bar and cords hardly at all.
Awesome.
All of those spaghetti-noodle cords on our counter all the time were causing me some major stress.
Gone.
And the metal is magnetic (obviously) so I can even clip up cute little inspirational photos and cards using magnets. How fun.
It lives right below our calendar in our kitchen… part of a little command central area the rest of which I may show you soon.
If I can get it organized:)
You can check out another version of a Tool Box turned charging station by Donna at Funky Junk Interiors… I love the fun red tool box that she used to create hers. And she has some great advice on how you might want to clean and treat your vintage tool box to make sure it is safe and useable (tips I wish I had read before I made mine!!).
This is part of the Get Your DIY On (NEW) Monthly Challenge – January’s Challenge is Organizing.
Check out what my cohosts have been up to this week:
Organizing Finances by Abby at Just a Girl and Her Blog
How a Girl Built Her Closet at Confessions of a Serial DIY-er
Vintage Tool Box Charging Station at The Happy Housie (you are here!)
A Completely Organized Toy Closet by April at House by Hoff
Baseball Inspired Cubby Tags by Mandy at The Hankful House
We hope to see your projects this coming Sunday- the party goes live at 7pm EST and will last for two weeks!
Any big organizing plans this year? What are you going to tackle first?
I have a list to finish before school starts up again on Monday. Going to be a busy weekend.
Thanks for reading.
And remember my housie friends, HOME isn’t built in a day. Enjoy the journey.
This project was featured at!
I may link up at some of these fabulous places below, for more info check out housie parties:
Make the Scene Monday , Monday Funday , Give Me the Goods Monday , Inspiration Monday, Craft-o-Maniac Monday, Nifty Thrifty Tuesday, Project Inspire{d} , Inspire Me Tuesday, The Scoop, Wow Me Wednesday Whimsy Wednesday , Fall Into Fall , From Dream to Reality, The Inspiration Exchange, Live Laugh Rowe Live Laugh Linky, Thursdays Are Your Days, The Weekly Creative , The Creative Connection, Inspire Me Please, Fabulously Creative Friday, Party Junk, Pinworthy Projects , Link Party Palooza,, Weekend Bloggy Reading, Strut Your Stuff Saturday, Spotlight Saturday, Get Schooled Saturday, Overflowing With Creativity , , Suburbs Mama , That DIY Party
Love it, Krista! Such a great way to use something old and making it new and modern. Thanks for linking up to the party. xo
Thank you Kelly! I just love having all that technology off my kitchen counter now and not seeing those ugly cords! So thrilled and honoured you came by in person:) Have a great week- and thanks again for hosting!!
This is SO super cute! I have a tool box project coming up too!
Thanks Virginia- I am so pleased with how functional it is. Can’t wait to see what you do with your tool box! I have another one to share as well… they are just so practical and have such great character at the same time.
Found you through Teenyideas.com. This is a great idea! Would love to see how you handle your command center (although it already looks pretty good-I like the basket w pad and pencils!).
Thanks
Hi Megan! So glad you came by… I will try to share some more about that area really soon- it is a pretty simple ‘command center’ – really more of my attempt to deal with the constant stream of paperwork that seems to enter our home!
Love this – repurposed projects are always my favorite! And seriously what a fresh new way to use something old and somewhat outdated. It looks great!
Thank you Carrie! I am just so thrilled to have finally dealt with my ‘charging station’ conundrum- I have been trying to figure out how to make one for months. No more phones and tablets on our counter- yay!
This is such a great idea! I am a major fan of anything vintage especially if it hides those awful cords. Have a great weekend.
Thank you Kristine:) I totally agree -those cords everywhere were the bane of my existence:) Thanks for your visit!!
This is so NEAT. Very different, very cool, and very creative!
Thanks Amy- I am still loving it- so convenient and I love not seeing all those cords!
So super cute! Pinning! Life to the full! Melissa
Thank you Melissa – and thanks so much for the pin!!
Oh Krista!!! This is so creative and SO adorable! You never cease to amaze me!
Oh Kylie- thank you… you are way to sweet! So thrilled you came by:)
Love it Krista!! So creative!! And I just love eclectic fun additions to the home like that! 🙂
Nancy
Thanks Nancy- My father in-law joked that he is surprised I didn’t paint it first:) lol
Adorable! How do you keep the cords from falling back through the holes? I’ve seen wooden toolboxes that could be easily painted to match decor too and I think this could work! Of course, I lose the ability to use magnets, but it’s an idea. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Sherrie! The cords just say seem to stay put… I would have to push them down through the whole to lose them- I leave a few inches out of the whole and the cords stay there. Maybe because the metal isn’t totally smooth (but it isn’t rough and sharp either- my husband filed down the edges so the holes would be safe). But if them falling was an issue you could probably use a piece of cute washi tape to secure them where they come out of the whole. A wooden toolbox is a great idea! You could always glue some pieces of cord board inside the lid of the wooden box and create a mini pin-board if you really wanted that feature. Even though I have cute little pictures featured in the photos I think I will more likely use the magnet board to pin up reminders of things I need to do or mail I need to remember to send etc… Thanks so much for your visit and comments!
what a great idea this is Krista: I LOVE it! 🙂 oh! how much I hate looking at those cords in our kitchen too and now you don’t have to see them anymore 🙂 very good idea you had here & not expensive at all 🙂
happy weekend!
Thank you Ingrid!! If you have any projects that have to do with organizing we would love you to come share them today at the monthly challenge party- it starts at 7pm EST! Hope you had a great weekend:)
Cute idea, Krista! (We’re always having to deal with wrangling all our charging cords, too.)
Thanks! Now that the charging station is set up and off our counters I am thrilled to not be battling off cords while I try to prepare dinner each night!
LOVE your take on drilling the holes for the wires! Did my own charging station inspire you or did you come up with this? If so, what great minds! Haha Here’s mine from November!
http://www.funkyjunkinteriors.net/2013/11/make-an-instant-junky-toolbox-charging-station.html
Awesome! I love yours- just checked it out… I hadn’t read your post before but maybe I saw it floating around on pinterest? Not sure- I bet your brilliance put the bug in my mind somehow- I added a link over to your project in my post. Thanks so much for the visit Donna- such an honour!!
I LOOOOOOOOOVE this!!! It looks so cool with your plates too! This is such a smart design! Great work!
Thank you April – I am so thrilled to have all that stuff off my counter!! And I love that I don’t even have to see all the cord clutter too:)
That is a really cool idea! I need to make one of these. We always have devices charging all over the house and cords everywhere! I love this…so crafty and smart.
~FringeGirl
Thank you Tricia- I was literally trying to prepare meals around technology every day- so glad to have it figured out!
This is AMAZING, Krista! What a unique and beautiful idea! Pinterest is going to go crazy over this one, and I’m helping it out by pinning! 😀 Have a great weekend, friend!
~Abby =)
Aw, thanks Abby! And thanks for the pin!!
I love this idea! I have an awesome toolbox already, so I am totally going to try this!
Yay Susan- it is a quick and satisfying project!! Thanks so much for your visit:)
So cool – I love this!
Thanks Sarah!!
This is such a fun way to coral that clutter! I love that it matches the plates perfectly too. I built an under-the-counter docking station last year, which was great at first but these days, I’m lucky if anything makes it in there! This looks much easier to use. Have a great weekend! XO
Thanks Christy! So far it has been really easy to use, and I am thrilled to have all the junk off my kitchen counters!! It isn’t really put away too, so you can still check your phone while it charges.
Krista, this is awesome!!! I absolutely love that you recycled a tool box into such a functional, useful and much needed item! I am a chronically disorganized person at home and am making an attempt to get a grip in 2014! 🙂 I know I’ll get lots of wonderful ideas from you and all of my much more organized blogging friends – and can’t wait to see all of the ideas shared at the party! Pinning and sharing! Have a happy Friday!
Thank you Cindy! I am super excited to see all the organizing ideas too!!