vAt some point, we all have had to deal with the ugly aspect of electronic devices, i.e. the ‘hard to hide’ wires! This problem is made further worse if the electrical outlets are situated at some distance from where you want to mount your TV on a wall.
Some people pull furniture in a bid to hide to wires, while others try to paint the cables so that they can be camouflaged with the background wall. You can do whatever suits you but did you know there is a whole part of the internet that is on a mission to help other people deal with this issue?! So, this is exactly what we will do with this article. Below, you will find some of the most creative and fun ways to hide, conceal or camouflage the ugly wires that have been bugging you ever since their installation.
Use Decorative Cable Clips
How many times have you attempted to hide your cables only to fail at the end? Several times, you say? Then maybe it is time to invest in decorative objects and wall stickers. You can find several such objects and wall stickers on the internet that will help you achieve the desired ‘concealing’ effects. The same goes for cable clips. The internet is riddled with such clips to help you conceal your wires.
If you want to achieve a pole effect with your wires, you can buy leaves and bird’s clips. You can stick leaves’ cable clips on the entire length of the cable and put a bird clip at the end so that your cable mimics a perch. You can buy the said cable clips here.
If you do not want to spend money, just know that the concealing possibilities are endless! You can use wall stickers or you can bring out your inner artist by painting branches and birds to conceal your ugly cables. You can even turn your cables into full-blown art pieces!
Conceal with Crown Moldings
Crown moldings are the decorative pieces that people fit into the top edges of their walls or the place where the wall meets the ceiling. From there, the crown molding runs along the length of the wall. Since they are raised in appearance and hollow in the centers, you can fit all your cables inside them especially your Ethernet or coaxial cable.
Photo by J. Hirsch Interior Design, LLC
Crown moldings are a great solution since they not only conceal the cables but also are children-proof. Many of the houses come with crown molding, so it should not be an issue for you to loosen them up to fit your cables inside. However, if you rent a place that lacks crown moldings, you can always try other concealing methods from this article!
Invest Your Efforts into Wall Panels
Fake wall panels are great for people who are willing to invest time and efforts into hiding cables because this step is not so easily achieved. Although fake panels demand time, they add personality to your entire space and are easily customizable. Additionally, you can achieve the desired look without butchering your walls since the wall panels are held together in place through Velcro or hook-and-loop fasteners.
To achieve this look, you can follow this step-by-step guide on Houzz. Although the instructions are specifically for hiding wires in your workspace, once you get the hang of the required steps, you can easily use the how-to guide to hide all the unpleasant cables near your TV and other electronic devices.
Braid Cables with Chunky Yarn
It can be frustrating if the cables snake through the entire floor of the room because no matter how much you try to conceal the wires, everything fails to work! Additionally, the wires being on the floor makes it quite difficult to hide and can present a challenge to individuals. In such cases, you need to let your creative side take hold of you.
If you have a couple of wires strewn across the floor, get some chunky yarns, wrap them around your cables and then braid them for a beautiful effect. You can stick with a single color theme with the yarns but if you like you can get multiple colored yarns for the braiding purposes.
As easy as it sounds, you will need a couple of items to secure the cables and protect them so that no one unintentionally steps on them. That said, you can also try the same technique with jute rope if you do not want to try out the braided yarn version.
Use Command Hooks to Control the Cables
Command hooks are small hooks with a sticky back. The adhesive side allows them to stick to any surface and they maintain that position until someone removes them. You can combine command hooks to control how your cables snake around your furniture.
If you have any telephone set or a lamp resting on a small table, its wires and cables will be in full view for everyone to see. This not only gives an unpleasant appearance but can also cause someone to trip and fall. To have much more control over the wires, you need to get some command hooks and stick them along the sections of the table that faces away. Additionally, you can place command hooks on the legs of the table.
Once you have all the command hooks in place, you need to run the wires through the hooks so that the wires stay put.
Use Rain Gutters to Tidy Your Workspace
Now, let us talk about the excessive cables that riddle your workspace. Most of the people leave them be since they are usually under the desk, tucked away from the vision of many people. However, excessive wires can easily become tangled which can cause them to dislodge from the electric outlets, thus cutting your electricity supply. Because of this, you need to invest in rain gutters as they are one of the best wire management options.
Since the rain gutters are hollow in the middle, you can place power strips and other smaller electronic items to de-clutter your desk. For instance, you can put your phone charges, office-related accessories, and/or modems to clean up your table.
The simple way of using rain gutters is by suspending them from the small hooks that you can attach to the underside of your table. Once you are done with that, you will no longer have to worry about the wires’ mess underneath your desk!
The Bottom Line
For many people, the exposed cables and wires are a nuisance and for good reason! They not only ruin the overall appeal of your workspace but can also prove to be an electrical hazard in dire cases. So, something needs to be done about this, and by something we mean that you should try the few organizational tips that we mentioned above. They are not only easy to experiment with but can also conceal those pesky wires and cables of yours. Also, they can be a fun DIY project to try out.
So, make your life clutter free by hiding those cables because at the end of the day you will appreciate the nice and clean look of the tidied up place!
