Spring DIY: Cord Control

I wrote a post a while ago about our new LCD TV and the joys of hanging it ourselves. I was so happy to get rid of the big old TV that took up so much space that I didn't think of the problem that comes along with mounting a flat panel...the cords.

Most people who own their house will drill through the wall and run the cords through. When you're renting, this isn't always an option. Granted, In my situation, the holes really aren't a problem. Our landlord has been pretty lax about us personalizing the apartment, as long as we put it back before we move out. Still, the thought of adding to the list of things to fix when we move was a huge turn off. So, I turned to cord covers.

Cord covers come in different sizes and shapes. They can be cut to the desired length and are easy to paint or stain. Most covers are self-adhesive, though some come with brackets to secure them to the wall.

I chose to use the cord covers as an accent on the wall panel. Instead of one giant cover, I went with three of the small covers. The length worked for me so I didn't need to cut them. The smaller ones can be cut with a knife but the larger ones may take a larger duty knife or a small hand saw.

To add a little color, I painted the covers orange, which is a color we don't have on that side of the room. My advice, paint them BEFORE you hang them up. I tried to hang them up and then paint which turned out to be a major disaster.

Once you have everything painted, it's time to hang. The cords can be a little hard to get in...I found it easier to use a pen to hold the covers open as I snapped the cords into place. It all depends on how big the cord is.

After that, you just peel the adhesive off the back of the holder and you're done! I kept moving mine around so the adhesive wore off. In that instance, a glue gun will do the trick. Just use a few small drops and you won't have to worry about ruining your wall.

I love the covers. Jerome had the idea of adding three extra covers to the top right side of the panel to make it look really funky, but we might wait on that. There's already enough stuff happening on that wall.

As you can see, there are still some cords coming from behind the pillow. The cable box has seven cords that go to various places...the thought of trying to figure out how to cover those is driving me crazy! In the end, I might just hang a panel behind the pillow that covers the wires. I've really become lazy!