My husband and I both have cell phones. And both of us have phone chargers. And that means lots of obnoxious cords. You never know when one of us may be moving phone cords around, to give our phones an extra charge while we’re chatting away……… or trying to charge our phones up before running errands or something. Needless to say, those phone cords seem to be everywhere…..and are generally in the way and hanging all over the floor.
(Okay, and how about when you’re in a hotel or visiting family/friends. There’s never a perfect place to rest your phone while it’s charging.)
I was looking around on the internet for a solution and found this. But I read some reviews and some were saying that the platform was unstable. So I thought a holder that was more cup shape would work much better. But then I wasn’t sure how I was going to sew some plastic into a cup shape. And that’s when I decided to use what I have and cut an old baby lotion bottle into the shape I needed.
It made the perfect little holder for my cell phone while it’s being charged.
Holder for Charging Cell Phone
And no more phone hanging down from the outlet while in this room or that room……..the cord and phone are now up off the ground, and tucked away into the little holder, while the phone drinks up a full charge.
And of course I couldn’t just leave the poor little holder alone……I had to Mod Podge some fabric right onto it for some kick. Hey, when my cell phone is happy, then I’m happy.
If you look closely, you can see that the orange print is fabric. There are edges of fabric along the bottom and then one line down the back where the fabric met up. But hardly noticeable while in use. (For a few more options……you could also spray paint it, then stencil it or use vinyl cut outs over the paint. That would be cute too.)
And my favorite part, is that I didn’t have to buy a thing. The entire holder was made from things I had on hand.
And turns out, it’s pretty useful. And not one bit of an eyesore.
Would you like to make your own Cell Phone Holder?
First of all, take a look around your house? Do you have any old plastic bottles that are just about empty? A lotion bottle, a mustard bottle, a hairspray or shampoo bottle? Whatever you choose, find one that’s more flattened rather than a circular bottle. The flattened shape will keep the bottle closer to the wall and out of the way once a cell phone is placed inside.
Now, measure your cell phone against the bottle, to be sure the bottle isn’t too big or too small.
I found that this bottle of baby lotion was the perfect size for my iphone. So I washed this out with hot water and let it air dry.
Then I held my phone up to the bottle, starting at the bottom…..and decided how high I wanted the front of the holder to be. Then I made a line with a pen across the front at that point. Then I turned the bottle around and continued the line to the back but curved the back upwards.
I cut the bottle out with some kitchen scissors but a box cutter (or exacto knife) would work too. I just have more control with scissors…….so I used them for this part. I cut along the line until I was left with my phone holder shape.
Then, I drew a curved box shape on the upper back of the bottle. Then I cut it out. (What worked best for me was using a box cutter/exacto knife with a cutting board underneath. This helped my control a ton.) Then I used sand paper to smooth out all of the edges.
Like I mentioned above……you could now try spray painting and adding vinyl or stenciling it to finish your look. Do whatever is best for you.
But here’s how I added the fabric:
First, you want to sand the surface of the whole thing. This will really help to rough it up so that the Mod Podge will stick really well in the next steps. Also, I didn’t want that blue ink to show through from the other side, so I sanded most of the lettering off too. Worked great.
Then, I cut a piece of fabric that was big enough to wrap around the phone holder and was also an inch or two taller on the top and bottom.
Then, I turned the phone holder with the front facing me, and applied a generous layer of Mod Podge to the front.
Next, place the fabric right on top, centering it where it needs to go.
Then, apply more Mod Podge around the side of the container and continue to lay the fabric down right against it, pulling tightly as you wrap. Also, be sure to pull the fabric down around the curve of the bottom of your bottle, if needs be. This will help keep the fabric flat and smooth. Use plenty of Mod Podge to aide you in this process.
When you get to the back, overlap one of the edges over the other. Make sure the fabric is smooth all the way around the bottle……and then cut a straight line up the back of the container, trimming off the excess fabric.
Then trim around the entire container, cutting off the fabric nice and close to the edge. Now, apply a nice thick layer of Mod Podge over all of the fabric. Be sure and seal around all of the edges of fabric with the Mod Podge, ensuring that the fabric won’t peel off.
Lastly, cut an oval shape (or whatever shape applies to you) to fit the bottom of the bottle. Place a layer of Mod Podge on the bottom of the bottom, place the oval shape on the bottom, then apply another coat of the Mod Podge. Now set it upside down on something tall and slender and that your container can fit on top of, so that it can dry without touching anything. (That’s a single flower vase that I’m using.)
Once it’s dry, use a box cutter/exacto knife to cut out the square-ish opening. You’ll probably need to apply more Mod Podge around the opening and allow it to dry again.
Now, don’t worry if your edges aren’t smooth and have little pieces of fabric sticking off. Use your box cutter/exacto knife and run the blade right along the edge of the phone holder all the way around, to remove any stray threads or chunks of dried Mod Podge.
And that’s it. Your phone holder is ready for use.
**Use at your own risk. There are many controversial comments down below……a large amount supporting both sides. Bottom line: if you’re worried about electrical/outlet issues, attach a hook right next to the outlet, to hang your holder from while it’s plugged in. Or use the holder for other purposes. :)
Now, don’t you feel like a smart re-purposer? (Is that a word?) Well, don’t stop here! Try your hand at some of these re-purposing projects next:
Turn an old men’s shirt and tie into a little man’s tote:
Transform a bunch of old t-shirts into an adorable ruffled heart dress:
Or, if you’ve got a bunch of old jeans laying around, we’ve go 35 clever projects for you to make:
Comments are closed.
Hi, I’m Ashley—the DIY-enthusiast behind this crazy blog!
To the blog administrator: Since you are such a crafty person and you illustrate your blog so nicely. I am wondering if you could make a version of this the way that one of the person missi @ 15.1.1.1 who commented, suggest this be made. I think this is a wonderful idea that takes no extra effort just a bit more precise cutting and that would end the debate on the issue of it getting too warm. Thanks, this is a great Idea!
Love this idea. I think I’ll decorate with a few different colors of electrical tape.
Thanks so much for the tutorial. Just finished making one for my son-in-law for Christmas. Turned out super nice. What a great idea!
STICK PIN it to the wall if you are that concerned. :)
I like the command hook idea myself
I believe you could use nail polish remover with acetone (or acetone) to remove the print from the lotion bottle if you like the color or don’t want the print to “bleed” through.
I’ve made a plain version of these, which I posted on my blog (with what I hope is a proper link back here) They came out great. I love them. Thanks. And they don’t get even a little bit warm when in use, so I’m a happy bunny! sumoftheirstories
Awesome idea! As for the heating, why not poke holes in it?
I didn’t read all comments, but this could also be done and hung from radio dial in your car.
I love it. Just wht I need for my iPhone, brilliant idea. Thank y so much. Have made one for myself and one for my boyfriend. We love it.
i made it and its handy
This is pure genius. I am going to make many using my b&b body wash bottles.
Thanks for sharing the useful information
I made this today and used Duck Tape instead of fabric. I had camo on hand which my son loves. Thanks for the fabulous idea!!
nanti aq nak buat la / I am going to make it
Was laughing at the talk regarding ‘potentially hazardous’ above.
For everyone that is “concerned” about “plastic” being so close to an outlet (or even touching the prongs of the charger), I offer two small points of common sense, and an alternative mounting suggestion.
1. Do you have any child-proofing outlet covers? (You know, the PLASTIC ones that plug into the outlet?)
If so, aren’t you concerned that they too will “melt”?
2. If your iPhone charger plug gets hot enough to melt this, then it had to have been hot enough to melt itself, and you have bigger issues, IMHO.
Suggestion:
If you’re THAT worried about the ‘potential hazard’ of this project, then suspend this holder from one of those aforementioned (that means previously) child-proof outlet covers (idea: instead of cutting a large square, cut two small slots for the child-proof prongs to slide through), and plug that into the bottom outlet. Then plug your charger into the top outlet. Sure it takes up both slots, but now you don’t have to worry that this will burn down your house.
…Unless you use some sort of conductive coating (gold leaf paint, for instance), a metal bottle/can instead of a plastic one, or fabric that has metallic threads in it (conductive cloth is becoming more readily available).
Plasti-dip (tool-dip to some) is a rubber-like alternative (spray or brush-on) coating you may consider as well. If it works on tools and entire cars, it would probably hold up to the abuse of an iPhone junkie.
Great idea! Thanks for sharing!
This is soooo cool, my phone is the one that is always dangling down from the outlet. I will be making this awesome phone caddy this weekend.
Thank you so much for this wonderful handy tip! Serious problem with me; poor cellphone always in the way. Definitely gonna make me one. Brilliant idea.
So I tried this with a baby powder bottle…only empty one I had. I’d like to give as a prize for a baby shower I am having this weekend. Used dark pink fabric & you can still see the word but I am in hopes tht when it dries i will be ok because it is cute & CHEAP seeing how I’m not working.Thank you for sharig your idea.
you can use tons of things past expiration dates. a lot of bottles dont even bother to put the expire date on the bottles at all. expirations apply to things you eat and drink and anything else pretty much is still good. companies spread rumors so people buy more stuff
Listen, this is a great little invention. I especially could use this when I’m at the airport or visiting someone else. The colors are great and it “just works.” Thanks for the detailed instructions! Awesome job.
Gaynel
If you do not have material around, and you don’t have glue, you can also use contact paper, pre decorated, pre glued. Just a thought enjoy!!
Hi! This idea is great, so I linked it on my recycle-upcycle blog! Feel free to stop by and check it out!
Have a nice day!
This a wonderful idea and plans for making this.
Love this i made a bigger one from the big lotion bottles so my tablet and ipod etc can fit :-D
Wonderful idea. One holder coming up soon
Clearly, you are a genius! Wonderful idea!!!
I think the idea is cute. Instead of hanging it on the outlet, what about using the command hooks? Like the ones used for hanging decorations for christmas and pictures on walls without messing up the wall?? Sounds practical to me, and it’ll still be off of the floor/ out of the way of hazards.
OMG – did you see this made it onto Huffington Post??
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/18/craft-of-the-day-cell-phone-holder_n_1894558.html
Congrats – i Made one, and while it was hard to cut the center hold, i love it. And i made it with craft paper not, fabric..
I love this am I’m definitely making one! I do have two cats that love to chew on any cord they can find, so I’ll try to make some sort of top to protect it. Can’t wait!
Wow that was odd. I just wrote an incredibly long comment but after I clicked
submit my comment didn’t appear. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again.
Anyway, just wanted to say superb blog!
This is a good idea! Might use for school project.
Awesome! Thanks for your effort and sharing – such a neat idea!
Nora
Very brillient…I made my own…thank u
Well, this is just BRILLIANT!! And now I know what the proper use for Mod Podge is. (Here I thought you crafty ladies were all just standing around in a room sniffing fumes…hehee!!) I understand people’s concern about the whole “electrical” aspect of it…my husband is a computer engineer who works in the lighting industry. He’d know right away if this would cause any sort of danger at all. I should ask him. Personally, I don’t think it’s going to be a problem…and obviously, the whole situation could be solved by just attaching the hanger NEXT to the outlet instead of hanging it over the plug. Problem solved. Or you could attach a cute little decorative “knob” on your faceplate that would be out of the way of anything else you’d be plugging in there, but would hold the cell phone charger just fine.
Well, I’m headed off to make one of these pronto. I can’t stand the cables hanging everywhere, and I can never remember where I put my darn phone anyway! The hardest decision is going to be deciding what fabric to use! :-) Thanks for posting this!
Side Note: People in general, meaning, average people, really don’t understand anything. MOST people. MOST. These types of people will always worry and not believe basic things, even after they have been explained. The plastic won’t melt. The others that have talked about baby safety plugs are right. They get plugged into the supposedly “dangerous” outlet. The weight is no issue either, as other chargers that are huge black blocks that get plugged into outlets are way heavier than an iPhone.
I digress.. :D
This is a fantastic idea and I absolutely need to make a few of these for my son, husband, aunt.. :) And I LOVE the idea of the patterned duct tapes! Yey!
Hi..
Thank you for making the only actual tutorial that I’ve been able to find. Other ‘tutorials’ haven’a actually explained how to do things, but you did so, very clearly…
Thanks..
Love the idea of using the COMMAND brand named hooks to wall mount this genius idea. Maybe using strong adhesive vinyl, contact or book covering rolls would help waterproof and easy to clean concern. JUST A THOUGHT!!!!! :)
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I love this!!!! Solves SOOO many problems (;
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awesome
Loved it! I have taken the liberty of posting this on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/thelittlegreenpage – an online community to spread eco-awareness. Trust this is fine with you. Thanks, Pravin Amudan.
BRILLIANT IDEA! GREAT CRAFTING! and EXCELLENT TUTORIAL! but PLEASE PLEASE also take her advice, put a hook next to the outlet to hang your new phone holder. It is definitely NOT WORTH THE RISK to hang it on the outlet. Just fore-go finding out if it’s dangerous or not. Better things in life to do.
Made it!! Loving it!! Going to make many more for friends!! Why didn’t i keep the old bottles?? You are too good!!