Handmade Gift Challenge – Who doesn’t need a charging station?

What do you gift someone that has everything?  Chances are a DIY charging station (or two) would be a welcome addition to most homes and for most anyone over the age of 8.  Today I’m sharing the plans as part of the #HandmadeGiftsChallenge on Instagram.

 

🎶 Good morning, good morning!  🎶 (in my best Debbie Reynolds voice)

Today is the #HandmadeGiftsChallenge with some of the best DIY bloggers in the biz – and I am so excited to have been invited to play along!

I have to tell you – I struggled to come up with an idea for the challenge.  I love to give serving trays as gifts because they are relatively easy to make and who doesn’t need a tray to corral a vignette, serve treats to a group, or just use as a decor piece on its own.

But I have a couple/few posts with DIY serving trays already on the blog,

see:

• Raised tray
• Simple Cedar tray
• Round tray from a concrete form   – still my favourite
• Decorative metal tray
• Folding lap desk / breakfast tray
• “Lord give me wine” coffee tray
• Hexagonal nesting trays
• Watermelon serving tray / lazy-suzan
• Slate cheese board / Cheese tray
• Wood ottoman tray
• Before & After – Tiled tray

Okay, so maybe my friends might like something other than a tray this year?  😂

I wanted something different – but equally as usable to the gift recipient…

and who doesn’t need a charging station nowadays amIright?

*This post contains affiliate links to products I use and recommend.  For full affiliate disclosure please see sidebar (on desktop) or scroll to the bottom of this article (if on mobile).

DIY Charging Station – Supplies

• ~3/8″ plywood or mdf
• wood glue
• orbital sander
• compound mitre saw
• table saw
• clamps

DIY Charging Station – Cut list

• (1) 12 5/8″ x 7 5/8″  (base)
• (1)  12 ¼” x 1″  (back)
• (1) 12 ¼” x 4″   – one 12 ¼” side cut at a 19° bevel  (middle)
• (1) 12 ¼” x 3 1/8″   – one 12 ¼” side cut at a 19° bevel  (front)
• (2)  8″ x 5 5/8″  – cut a 19° angle so that one side is 8″ x 5 5/8″ and the lower side is 8″ x 3 1/8″ (see photo)
• (1)  12″ x 5″  – cut ~19° bevel on both long sides. (shelf)

Step 1

Set up your table saw so that the blade is raised 1/8″ from the table surface.  Set your fence close to the blade as you can and run the short side of one of your side pieces over the blade to create a rabbet.

Step 1 (b)

Repeat the rabbet cut with your second side piece – but so that it MIRRORS the first (not the same side of the board – see above).

Step 2

Adjust the fence on your table saw so that it is slightly further away and repeat the rabbet cuts (on both sides) until your overall rabbet groove width is 5/16″ wide (the width of your wood).  Make another set of cuts at the 3″ – 3 5/16″ mark.

Step 3

Using wood glue in your rabbet joints, insert the front and middle pieces of your DIY charging station and clamp lightly.

Step 4

Cut notches in your shelf piece (12″ x 5″) for your iPhone/iPad/android charging cables to fit through.

 

Mine are at 2″, 6″ and 10″ and are ¾” wide and ½” deep.  (you can use a small handsaw, jig saw or scroll saw to cut rectangles OR drill holes with a spade bit and a drill)

Step 5

Tuck your shelf between the side boards so that the top bevel is lined up with the top of your side piece and the lower bevel sits flush about ½” down from your middle board. Use wood glue on both sides and the bottom edge and then clamp tightly in place.

If you have some scrap wood, now is the time to insert a small divider to corral pens in your DIY charging station.  This piece will be approximately 4″ tall by 2 ½” wide with a 19° angle cut on the top.  Use wood glue to hold in place.

Step 6

Attach your base piece to your DIY charging station and glue in place.  I used small finishing nails to tack into place.

Step 7

Attach your 1″ back board to the base of your charging station and glue in place.  This will be the lip that keeps your cords wrangled inside.

I used scrap wood for my project, and I had to make adjustments here and there to get my plans correct – so there are more than a few “uglies” in my build.

Step 8

Give your DIY charging station a thorough sanding – 120 grit to 220 grit – and make sure that your angles line up and create smooth and even edges.  (sanders are brilliant for hiding imperfections! 😉)

Step 9

In a perfect world, I would have made this with a birch ply and finished it in a gorgeous ebony stain, with black paint on the exposed edges to hide the plywood layers.

Instead, I went with 2 coats of primer and then 2 coats of flat black spray paint to finish my DIY charging stations out.  I find black recedes from sight – and while these are cute and functional – they don’t need to be a glaring beacon on your kitchen counter.

This DIY charging station will hold an iPad and a phone or 3 phones – plus your mail and a couple of pens, or a pair of glasses.

 

The cords tuck perfectly into the back so that they aren’t an eyesore.

Neat, compact, organized – and really, who doesn’t need at least one of these in their home anymore?

I have a phone and an iPad and I’ve filled this one by myself.

I really should have brought out some greenery and Christmas ornaments to really make this #HandmadeGiftsChallenge appropriate.  Sorry folks, we have a November birthday in my house and Holiday decorations have to wait until she turns 12.

 

I’m excited to see what the other DIY Diva’s have come up with!  I just might end up with an entirely “handmade” Christmas this year!

I’m linking to everyone’s Instagram feed as well as today’s #HandmadeGiftsChallenge post because (trust me) you don’t want to miss a thing that these ladies are up to!

Click the blog name (left) for their Instagram feed, then click the project (right) to see what they’ve come up with.

100Things2Do – you are here!

Addicted 2 DIY – xxx

RemodelaCasa – DIY House Advent Calendar

Jaime Costiglio – DIY Handmade Wood Gift Box

Anika’s DIY Life – DIY Wood Tray

DIY Huntress – Easy Concrete Planter

My Love 2 Create – DIY Step Stool

My Repurposed Life – Tree Branch Log Projects

Ugly Duckling House – Desk Planter / Card Holder

House Becoming Home – Wood Cake Stand

The Created Home – Service Spoons

The Inspired Workshop – DIY Wine Dispenser

Reality Daydream – Hanging Macrame Planter

 

 

 

Have a great one!

 

Linked to:

• Between Naps on the Porch