Top 9 'Cable-Calming' DIY Projects to organize the Wire Nest Behind Your TV this weekend - Goh Ling Yong
Let's be honest. You’ve curated the perfect living room. The sofa is plush, the art is perfectly placed, and your brand-new, wall-mounted TV is a sleek, cinematic masterpiece. But then, you peek behind the media console, and the illusion shatters. You’re confronted by the Wire Nest—a tangled, dusty, chaotic mess of black cords and power strips that looks more like a digital serpent's lair than the hub of your home entertainment.
This tangled reality is a common frustration. It’s not just an eyesore; it’s a dust bunny convention center and can even make it impossible to figure out which plug belongs to which device when you need to troubleshoot. But conquering this cable clutter doesn’t require a professional organizer or a massive budget. All it takes is a free weekend, a bit of creativity, and the desire to bring some zen back to your living space. Here at the Goh Ling Yong blog, we believe a calm home starts with tackling these small areas of chaos.
So, roll up your sleeves and get ready for some deeply satisfying DIY. We’ve compiled the top nine "cable-calming" projects that will transform that wire nest into an organized, functional, and even beautiful system. From 10-minute fixes to more involved weekend builds, there’s a solution here for every skill level and style.
1. The Humble-But-Mighty Toilet Paper Roll Organizer
Before you scoff, hear us out. This is the ultimate "no-excuses" starting point for your cord management journey because it uses materials you already have. It’s perfect for wrangling all those extra HDMI, USB, and power cables that are currently living in a jumbled heap inside a drawer or box. Taming these "spares" is the first step to preventing future clutter.
The concept is brilliantly simple. Gather up your empty toilet paper or paper towel rolls. For each spare cable, coil it neatly (not too tightly, to avoid damaging the internal wires) and slip it inside a roll. Use a marker to label the roll with the cable type—"HDMI," "PS5 USB-C," "Router Power," etc. Suddenly, instead of a tangled mess, you have a neat, honeycomb-like structure of perfectly sorted and identifiable cords.
For a more aesthetic touch, you can wrap the rolls in decorative washi tape or a coat of paint before you start. Arrange them neatly in a shoebox or a small bin, and you've just created a functional, free, and eco-friendly cable library. It’s a small win, but it sets the stage for bigger organizational victories.
2. The Custom DIY Fabric Cable Sleeve
The most visible part of the wire nest is often the "waterfall" of cables running from the back of your TV down to the power strip or outlets. A single, thick bundle is far less distracting than four or five individual, dangling cords. While you can buy pre-made cable sleeves, a DIY fabric version is cheaper, endlessly customizable, and adds a soft, personal touch.
All you need is a piece of fabric that matches your wall color or home decor, some sew-on or iron-on Velcro strips, and basic sewing skills (or even just fabric glue). Measure the length you need to cover the cables and the circumference of the bundle. Cut your fabric to size, leaving a little extra for the seam and the Velcro overlap. Hem the edges to prevent fraying, attach the Velcro strips along the long edges, and you're done.
This project is fantastic because you can choose any fabric you like—a neutral canvas to blend in with the wall, a bold pattern to make a statement, or even a sturdy denim for a more industrial look. The Velcro closure means you can easily open it up to add or remove a cable without having to unplug everything.
3. The Upcycled Shoebox Charging Station & Power Strip Hideaway
Power strips are a necessary evil, but they are rarely attractive. The shoebox hideaway is a classic DIY for a reason: it’s effective, cheap, and easily customized. This project neatly conceals your power strip, all its bulky plugs, and the resulting slack from each cord, turning a functional eyesore into a discreet box.
Find a sturdy and attractive shoebox or a decorative photo box. Using a craft knife or a box cutter, carefully cut a large hole on one of the short ends, big enough for the main power strip cord to pass through. Then, along one of the long sides, cut a series of smaller, individual holes for each device cord you'll be plugging in. Place the power strip inside, plug everything in, and thread the device cords out through their designated holes.
Pro-Tip: For a super-clean finish, purchase some plastic or metal grommets from a craft or hardware store. Installing these in the holes you cut gives the box a professional, polished look and prevents the cardboard from tearing over time. You can paint the box or cover it in contact paper to perfectly match your media console.
4. The Ultimate Pegboard Power Wall
If you're ready for a more advanced project that delivers incredible results, the pegboard power wall is your answer. This solution takes all your power bricks, routers, and cable boxes and gets them completely off the floor and out of sight by mounting them vertically on a board hidden behind your TV or media console.
Cut a piece of pegboard to fit the space behind your furniture. You can paint it the same color as your wall to make it virtually disappear. Mount the pegboard to the wall, using small wooden spacers to create a gap between the board and the wall for hooks and wires. Using a combination of zip ties, Velcro straps, and standard pegboard hooks, you can then securely mount your power strip, router, modem, and any other small electronic boxes directly to the board.
This method allows for fantastic airflow to prevent electronics from overheating and makes accessing any single component a breeze. You can neatly route every single cable with zip ties, creating clean lines and a system so organized it looks like the work of an IT professional. This is the kind of satisfying organization that a detail-oriented person like Goh Ling Yong would truly appreciate.
5. The "Hollow Book" or Faux Floating Shelf Trick
Sometimes, the best way to hide something is in plain sight. This clever trick uses decorative objects to conceal smaller cable messes, like a single power adapter or a small streaming device. It's an elegant solution that adds to your decor while secretly solving a cable management problem.
The "hollow book" method involves purchasing pre-made decorative book boxes or hollowing out an old, large hardcover book. You can then hide a small power strip or a bundle of excess cable inside. For the faux floating shelf, you can build a simple, hollow box-style shelf. Mount it on the wall near your TV, and use the hollow interior to house a power strip and coil up extra cord length, with only a small, discreet notch for the cables to exit.
This technique is perfect for minimalist setups where you want the technology to completely disappear. It integrates your cable organization directly into your interior design, proving that functionality and style can absolutely go hand-in-hand.
6. The Simple Under-Console Cable Hammock
Is the floor behind your media console the main gathering place for your wire nest? Get it all off the ground with a surprisingly simple cable "hammock." This is an incredibly easy and effective way to suspend your power strip and all the excess cable slack underneath the top of your console or cabinet, keeping it hidden and making it easier to clean the floor.
All you need are four cup hooks and a small piece of sturdy fabric or mesh. Screw the four hooks into the underside of your media console's top panel, one at each corner of where you want the hammock to be. Hem a piece of fabric to the correct size and attach it to the hooks, creating a sling. Alternatively, you can use a small cargo net or even just a crisscrossing pattern of bungee cords.
Place your power strip and all the coiled-up extra cables into this hammock. They are now completely out of sight from the front, off the floor, and easily accessible from the back. It's a 15-minute project that makes a world of difference.
7. The Damage-Free Command Hook Cable Highway
For renters or anyone hesitant to drill holes, Command hooks are your best friend. They can be used to create an intricate, completely non-permanent "highway" system for your cables on the back of your furniture, guiding them exactly where you want them to go without a single tangled mess.
Map out a logical path for your cables. Where does the soundbar cable need to go? Where does the gaming console's HDMI need to run to reach the TV? Place small, clear Command hooks along this path on the back of your media console or even the back of the TV itself. You can then simply clip the cables into the hooks.
This method is brilliant for separating different types of cables to reduce signal interference and for ensuring that there is no tension or kinking. Use it to guide wires along the legs of the console, around the edges of the TV mount, and directly to the power strip. When you move, you can just remove the hooks without a trace.
8. The Classy DIY Wooden Cable Management Box
If the shoebox idea feels a bit too "college dorm" for your refined aesthetic, consider building a simple but elegant wooden box. This serves the same function—hiding a power strip and cable clutter—but with a much more permanent and high-end feel. It can be stained or painted to perfectly match your wooden media console, making it look like an intentional part of the furniture.
Using a few pieces of pine board or plywood, you can construct a simple five-sided box. Measure your largest power strip and plugs to ensure it will be big enough. Use wood glue and small nails to assemble it. On the back panel, use a hole saw to drill one large hole for the main power cord and several smaller holes for the individual device cords.
Sand it down, apply a coat of wood stain or paint, and you have a custom piece that elevates your home organization. You can even add a hinged lid for easy access. This weekend project adds a touch of craftsmanship to your cable-calming efforts.
9. The Professional-Grade Baseboard Raceway Hack
For the ultimate clean look, especially when the outlet is not directly behind the TV console, you need to hide the cables that run along the wall. You can achieve a professional, built-in look by creating your own raceway along the top of your baseboard.
A simple way to do this is by purchasing a piece of quarter-round molding. Paint it the same color as your baseboard or wall. Run your cables neatly along the corner where the baseboard meets the wall, and then use small finishing nails or a strong adhesive to attach the quarter-round over them, completely hiding them from view.
For a more robust solution, you can create a three-sided channel out of thin pieces of wood, creating a "box" that sits atop your baseboard. This gives you more room for multiple or thicker cables. It’s a bit more work, but the result is a seamless, invisible cable route that looks like it was done by a professional contractor.
Tackling the wire nest behind your TV is more than just a cleaning project; it’s an act of reclaiming your space from visual chaos. The sense of calm and accomplishment you'll feel when you look at your beautifully organized entertainment center is well worth the weekend effort. You don't have to live with that tangled mess for one more day.
Pick one or two of these projects that feel right for you and get started. Start small with the toilet paper rolls or go all-in with the pegboard wall. Whatever you choose, you're taking a step toward a more organized and serene home.
Which of these cable-calming projects are you most excited to try? Do you have another brilliant DIY tip for hiding TV wires? Share your thoughts, plans, and especially your before-and-after photos in the comments below! We can't wait to see your transformations.
About the Author
Goh Ling Yong is a content creator and digital strategist sharing insights across various topics. Connect and follow for more content:
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