Weeks

Home Hardware

Few things are worse then a wadded mess of cables and cords peering out from behind your desk or entertainment unit. Fortunately, with a few minutes and some supplies that you may already have around the house, you can tame your cable clutter once and for all.

Binder Clips - These are also known as Banker’s Clips or Foldover Clips and are for more than just holding papers together. They work very well for bundling your cables together. The handle is perfect for mounting the clips to the back of your desk or entertainment unit to ensure they stay put. Be sure to use the appropriate sized clip for the amount of cords you are working with. Binder clips are inexpensive and are not permanent so you can easily reconfigure your setup without having to start from scratch.

Zip Ties - Also known as Cable Ties, were designed for just this purpose, bundling cables. They come in a variety of styles, including reusable cable ties which can be reconfigured without having to cut the tie. Zip ties are inexpensive and can be purchased at your local hardware store. Zip ties are best used in situations where you require a permanent or semi-perminant solution. Warning: If working with single use zip ties be sure to turn off the power to your devices before cutting the zip ties from your bundled cables.

Twist Ties - Though primarily used to secure garbage or bread bags, they also work well as a cable fastener. They are simple to use and reconfigure, inexpensive and chances are you already have some laying around the house.

Velcro strips - By far the most versatile solution on this list, even the most sophisticated of data centres swear by it. To fasten cables together get a 1 meter length of strip velcro, place the adhesive sides together starting from one end slowly making your way to the opposite end. Once the strips have bonded to each other cut to the appropriate length for your cables and start bundling. Strip velcro is also great for attaching cable to a surface such as the back of your desk or entertainment unit. Velcro is inexpensive, easy to work with, and our favourite solution when working with cabling.

While you’re at it, use a label maker or a piece of masking tape to label the source of each cable. This will make your life a lot easier in the event you want to reconfigure your setup.

Who says you need a fancy cable management system that costs upwards of $50.00? With a little time and a few products you probably already having laying around the house, you can transform that wadded mess of cords into an organized bundle that is easy to hide.