Television Cords

Okay, so this isn't exactly "organization" so much as "decoration", but it was really bothering me and I thought I'd share it with you! (Also, let's hear it for two posts in two days! **applause**)

We had a similar situation with our television when we moved. We had it in a large black armoire, similar to our old computer desk. But, again, it wouldn't fit in our new living room arrangement.

So, we got this cute little accent cabinet from Target.

It's not an entertainment center, and in fact, it warns against putting a television on it, so if you decide to do this--do it at your own risk!

I measured our television and I also looked up the weight online and we decided it wasn't a big risk for us. Our only problem was that the back of the cabinet is solid so there is no place to thread the cords through so we could plug them into the wall.

My husband drilled holes in the back of the cabinet. I asked him to make them high up so that when your sitting or standing, you wouldn't be able to see the holes. However, I didn't think that suggestion through all the way, because had we put the holes low, the cords would be hidden behind the box instead of climbing up the back of the cabinet. That's totally my fault (and why I'm not a designer by trade)!

Oh well..what's done is done and now I had to come up with a solution.

At first I thought of colored duct tape or washi tape...but I didn't want this to be permanent in case we got a new box or anything in the future.

Then I had a great idea! A tension rod fits back there perfectly...so I bought one for each shelf and then I needed to find something to cover the holes. I couldn't find a valance that I liked and I don't sew, sooooo...I was walking up and down the Target aisles and found the perfect solution: placemats!

For each shelf, you simply need one tension rod, and two placemats (depending on the size of your shelf). I tried a couple of different types of placemats, and I found that a solid color or one with a tessellated pattern would work best. If you get one with a border or a large picture, you will see where the line breaks. Tessellation (where the pattern is repeated with no gaps) will camouflage the line and make it appear to be one long piece of fabric! Also, try to pick a fairly stiff fabric so that you avoid wrinkles.

Once I decided on a look I liked, I simply folded the placemats over the tension rod and made sure they were lined up nicely and viola! All hidden and pretty.

What are your cord solutions? I'd love to hear about them in the comments!