No matter where or when I travel, I forget something. I could plan out what to pack to the last delightful detail, but something will always slip through the cracks. Usually, it's my phone charger or headphones.
Toting our phones everywhere we go means we're often also trying to tote along its necessary addendums — chargers, headphones, cases, etc. — and risking leaving them in the car or at the office when you really need them in the here and now.
But if we found a solution for stylish and efficient makeup storage, we could find one for cord organization too! Behold, this little gold pouch of untold power and convenience. Okay that title is a little lengthy, but the DIY don't lie! Check out the steps below and enjoy having a life without the stress of an unintentionally uncharged phone!
Prep It:
Leather 5-inch zipper Sewing machine (a needle and thread will work too, but it will be *much* easier with a sewing machine) Fabric scissors Cutting mat Pencil Razor Leather hole punch Screw back stud Narrow nose pliers Roses Are Gold BeautyMarks
Do It!:
- Lay out your leather with the exterior facing down and sketch out your shape, using a pencil and ruler. Refer to the diagram above for the measurements of each side of the fabric!
- Cut out your shape and fold your large piece into fourths, then mark with a pencil where the folds are. This will be helpful when you need to create the different pockets and compartments!
- Fold the end without the thin strap up into the halfway mark, making the fold that will eventually become a pocket. Place the zipper along the top of this fold and mark where the actual zipper starts and ends, so you can cut out an opening for it in the leather.
- Unfold the leather again and use a razor to cut a long, thin rectangle around where you marked the zipper would be. Place the zipper underneath that new cut-out, so the zipper and pull are showing through to the colored side of your leather, then use a sewing machine to sew into place.
- Once the zipper is snug and sewn in, fold that fourth back up to the halfway point and sew around the three open edges, creating a pouch.
- Lay your leather out again and start planning where you'd like the cords to be. We created ours with two straps for chargers and headphones, but depending on what you need to organize, you can customize the design! When you've decided the placement of the cords (keeping in mind not to place them on any folds), use the ruler and mark where the straps will be cut.
- Use your razor to cut the two slices to make a strap. They should be one inch apart and about 1.5 inches long. We placed ours in line with the long closure strap, but again, the design of yours should fit your organizational needs best!
- Place the cords through the straps, and fold the organizer up — fold the pocket right into the middle section, and then that section right again! When fully folded, the top should be the reverse side of the middle section.
- Use a pencil to mark an X at the bottom of this top section, then unfold and use the razor to make an incision on the mark. Push the stud through the incision, and using the pliers, get it screwed securely in place, with the stud side facing out towards the front.
- Fold the organizer back up again and fold the long, thin strap down, marking where it hits the stud. Punch a hole in the strap with the leather hole punch, then fasten your organizer closed!
- To bring some fashion into the mix with all this fantastic function, apply the magnolia design from the Roses are Gold BeautyMarks to the front of your organizer. Applying BeautyMarks to leather is the same as applying them to skin, just use some water and gentle pressure!
- Well look at what you've got now — a brand new cord organizer! Enjoy never losing your charger or headphones again!
