DIY Charging Station or Mail Organizer

3 Materials
$5
1 Day
Medium
Do you have an area in your home that is the drop zone? Everyone drops the mail, their papers, phones, tablets etc.... We sure do, and we needed some help. That's why we decided to use some reclaimed flooring and make our own Rustic Charging Station and Mail Organizer. This is a great area to tackle in the New Year! I hope you find this post helpful!
Step 1: Decide on your materials. We used reclaimed flooring, this required ripping the tongue and groove off. This left us with 1x2 boards. You could purchase 1x2 lumber or you could use another size board. This is all up to you, I am just sharing what we did. I will give the overall measurement in the cut list.
Tools to make this job easier--A table saw for ripping boards and for making a groove for the dividers. A Mitre saw- for cutting the boards to lengthA Drill- for drilling holes in the bottomA Nailer- for assembly or a hammer and finish nails.Wood GlueA Tape Measure
Cut List--Front- 2-11 1/2" 1x2's Total measurement is 3 1/2" high by 11 1/2" wide
Cut List--Back- 3--11 1/2" 1x2's -- Total measurement is 5 1/2" high by 11 1/2" wide
Cut List--Sides--4 1x2's 5 1/2" high in back, angling down to 3 1/2" in front--Total measurement is 3 1/2" wide 5 1/2" at back angling down to 3 1/2" in front
Cut List--Bottom- 2-1x2's 10" long--Total Measurement- 10" x 3 1/2"
Cut List--Inside Divider Pieces--For these, my husband used a table saw and just ripped some boards to a 1/4" thickness. There are two 10" long 1/4" thick boards glued together to make the side to side divider. For the middle divider on the front compartment it is a 1/4" thick piece 2" wide. At the tallest point, it is 3 1/2" and it angles down to 3".Step 1 Assembly Start by gluing and clamping your back, side and bottom pieces together if you are using 1x2's. Leave until fully dried, which may take overnight. We left the front pieces separate because we liked the rustic look of a little gap.Step 2: Using a Mitre Saw to cut the angles for your side pieces.Step 3: Once your pieces are dry and your angles are cut, start by gluing your sides to the back. Finish this with a nailer or a brad nailer. Two or three nails for each side.Step 4: Leave a gap at the bottom for the cords, then glue and nail your bottom in place. Again, clamps or an extra set of hands really helps here.Special Notes for the Bottom: We made two of these--one we made years ago, and one recently. On the newer one we made, we made a change that we felt was necessary was for the bottom to be raised. This gave us more room for the cords underneath. This is where either a shim or an extra set of hands is helpful for nailing the bottom in place.Step 5: Put the front on last, using glue and a nailer. Again, we left these pieces separate because we liked the rustic look.Step 6: Using a 5/8" drill bit, drill the holes in the bottom for cords.Step 7: Place some felt pads on the bottom for a little extra lift and for ease of moving on the counter.Step 8: Add a cute little label holder for the front. Enjoy your newly organized counter!Below is a Video of the Assembly of the Charging Station
If this project seems too complicated for your skill level, I understand. Try keeping your eyes peeled for ready made mail organizers. Simply drill holes in the bottom for the cords and add felt pads for a bit of lift.
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The Everyday Farmhouse
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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