organization Archives - Page 2 of 2

DIY Cell Phone Holder and Charging Station

Hello Pretty Handy readers, it’s Jillian here from I Am a Homemaker and I have a great last minute gift idea for that person on your list that has it all! Does anyone what to know how to build a DIY Cell Phone Holder and Charging Station?

Whether you see it as a blessing or a curse, we are pretty much tethered to our cell phones. They usually end up on our nightstands or kitchen counters at night. I don’t know about you but I use mine as an alarm clock (no worrying about forgetting to turn the clock back or the power going out and missing your wake up time.) I thought it was time to make a designated spot for my phone that would double as a convenient way to charge it. I came up with this simple DIY cell phone holder and charging station. Ready to learn how to make one of your own?

These directions will adequately hold an iPhone 6. You may need to adjust things slightly if you have a different phone.

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Materials:

2 – 5/4 x 6′ cut to 9″ long
Wood Glue
Clamps
Router with 1/2″ straight bit and 1/4″ straight bit and a round over bit(optional)
5/16 Drill bit

Instructions:

Step 1: Measure and mark a 6″ long and 3/4″ wide guide down the center of your one of your boards. This is the section you will remove from the wood to make a space for your phone.

Step 2: Set your router for a 3/4″ depth setting and use the 1/2″ router bit to remove the channel you outlined with your pencil.

Step 3: Use the 1/4″ bit for more control to clean up the edges of your channel. Be sure to have your phone on hand to check the fit.

Step 4: Add glue to the top of the second piece of wood. Stack the routered piece on top and clamp them together. Allow to dry according to the wood glue instructions. (You can ignore the hole in my piece, I did things a little backwards but you can save some time by learning from my mistakes.)

Step 5: Once the glue has dried, drill a hole through both pieces starting in the center of the channel and coming straight out the bottom. Flip the piece over. Beginning at the hole you drilled and continuing to the back of the piece, use your 1/2″ router bit to cut a groove for the cord to rest in.

Step 6: This is totally optional, but you can go back and edge the top of your cell phone holder with a round over bit on your router to make a decorative edge. It gives the piece a more decorative look.

Step 7: Now all you need is the perfect person to gift this to. Or you could always keep it for yourself. 😉

The phone can sit vertically or horizontally. When it is placed vertically, the charger will be completely hidden in the hole. When it is horizontal, the cord will need to be pulled up a bit and tucked behind the phone.

Want a few more last minute gift ideas? Check out these DIY gift ideas!

-Read more of Jillian’s posts-

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December 14, 2016/1 Comment/by Jillian Grennon

Decorating, organizational tips

Toolbox Homework Caddy

I know you are probably sitting by the pool and homework isn’t quite on your list of things to do, yet. But before you know it, the leaves will be changing and the kids will be in full school mode. Evenings of “Mom, do you know where the pencils are?” are on the horizon. When all the writing and drawing utensils in the house exist in an pile of color, it’s tough to find what you need.

Surviving evenings of homework during the school year can be a bear, but having everything in one place will help. That’s where this toolbox homework caddy comes in.

I used an old toolbox because that is what I had and I like that it has a little paint splattered and not fussy, but you can use anything you have around. You will need jars. Mason or pickle work great, but I prefer pickle jars because they are free.

This toolbox holds 8 jars which is perfect for all the things kids need to get their schoolwork done.

Some things you can add to the jars to help with getting homework done are colored pencils, crayons, markers and pencils. Some chalk, paint brushes, scissors and rulers, erasers and a pencil sharpener are also great ideas.

Keep the homework caddy in an easy to reach place, like a playroom coffee table, bookcase or desk. Add a stack of colored paper next to it and you just may encourage some creativity along with productivity.

Now all that’s left to do is decide on a backpack 🙂

-See more tutorials from Jillian here–

August 10, 2016/2 Comments/by Jillian Grennon

Build It

DIY Drawer Dividers

DIY Drawer Organizer | Pretty Handy Girl | Storage and Organization

I like to think of myself as an organized person, but that isn’t 100% true. I spend 15 minutes searching for my son’s baseball hat on the way out the door to his game; I shuffle papers from one pile to another; and I have that dreaded “drop spot” in my kitchen where everything seems to land when I walk in the door. The one thing I am good at is putting things back where they belong. If an item has a spot to live in my home, it is easy for me to put it there.

Drawers can be tricky when it comes to organization because when you toss things that belong in, they can still become cluttered. DIY Drawer Dividers help get your drawers more orderly and I can show you how to build them to suit your exact needs!

Materials:

1/4″ poplar hobby boards (width and length will be determined by the size of your drawer)
Wood glue
Shelf paper
Old newspaper or other scrap paper
Painter’s tape

Tools:

Hand saw or miter saw

Instructions:

The first step is the most important. Clean out your drawer. By emptying it completely and then adding back what you intend to keep, you are designing your storage around things you actually need.

I built my dividers for my bathroom drawers that hold our toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss so there wasn’t much to throw away, but there was plenty of cleaning to do.

Once your drawer is cleaned out, line it with some pages from an old magazine or craft paper. This will protect the drawer from the wood glue later on.

Next, add back the items you want to keep in your drawer. This will help you with measuring and planning where the dividers will go. Use a marker to map out the compartments by drawing lines on the magazine pages.

Take your measurements and cut your wood. Then place them in the drawer for a dry fit.

You may need to do this in sections to get the right measurements.

If you have a section that will run the entire width of the drawer, you can cut that piece to fit snug so it stays in place and then glue other pieces to it.

Glue the pieces together in your desired configuration and use the painters tape to hold them while the glue dries.

(I don’t recommend gluing the dividers to your drawer sides. You never know when you may want to change the configuration. By only gluing the sections to each other, you can remove them easily to clean without any damage to your drawers.)

After the glue has dried, remove the dividers from the drawer and remove the tape. Add shelf paper to the bottom of the drawer and put your dividers in place.

All that’s left to do is add in all your perfectly organized items.

This project was so easy, I made a DIY Drawer Divider. My kids aren’t the only ones who need organized toothbrushes. Now my husband and I have ours neat and tidy too.

By creating custom drawer dividers you save time, effort and money. I have tried so many different ways to organize these drawers with no success. These DIY drawer dividers have finally made this storage space work for me. I hope you have the same success.

~ Read more of Jillian’s tutorials ~

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June 8, 2016/13 Comments/by Jillian Grennon

Tag Archive for: organization

Materials:

Instructions:

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