Hiding Ugly Wiring

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Wiring, extension leads and  plugs. We can’t do without them but they don’t look good.  Use our simple method of covering a box in fabric and transform this

Into this

Here is how we did it. Double click on any of the photos for a better, bigger view of them.

Collect together the materials you will need. These are a box with lid to cover, fabric, scissors to cut the fabric and a glue gun or other glue. If you don’t have a sewing machine or overlocker choose a fabric that does not fray.

Your will also need a hacksaw or strong scissors and a tape measure.

Choose a box that has handles in the side for holding it and use the hacksaw or strong scissors to cut a channel from the top of the box to the handle.

The channel is so you can pass the wires from the top through to the handle.

You now need to take some measurements.

Measure the width of the lid. Include the length of the edge of the lid at both sides. Click on the photo to enlarge it and see where the tape measure is.  This is measurement A.

Measure across the length of the lid and again include length of the edge on both sides. This is measurement B.

Turn the lid over and measure the inside of the edge.  This is Measurement C.

Cut out the fabric for your lid. The width will be A+C+C. The length will be B+C+C. This will give you a piece of fabric big enough to completely cover the outside of the lid plus the lip on the inside.

Measure around the whole width of the box. If your box, like mine, is wider around the top than the bottom, measure around the widest part. This is measurement D.

Measure the height of the box. This is measurement E.

Cut out your fabric for the box.  The length will be D plus 5cm. The height will be E plus 9cm.

If you have a sewing machine or overlocker either zigzag or overlock the edges of both pieces to stop them fraying. If you don’t have access to a sewing machine pick a fabric that does not fray.

Iron both pieces of fabric to ensure there are no creases.

Place your lid onto the wrong side of the lid fabric. Make sure the lid is correctly placed onto the fabric so you have sufficient fabric on all side to cover the lid and the inside lid.

Fold over the fabric to cover the inside of the lid and use glue to stick it into place. Before sticking a corner play around with the fabric to work out the neatest  way to attach it.  You will not see the inside of the lid so make sure it is the outside that looks neat.

A close up of the inside on the corner. As the corner is curved I had to make a small pleat on the outside of the lid.

The outside of the corner. A small pleat has been used to hide the excess fabric.

When cutting out the fabric for  the box we allowed a 6cm hem at the bottom and 3cm at the top. Draw a line on the fabric 6cm from the bottom edge on the wrong side. Use chalk or something that cannot be seem from the right side.  Line the bottom of the box up to this line.

Using the line you have drawn as a guide start sticking the fabric to the box.  I found it easiest to start in the middle of the longer side to the box. Don’t start at one of the corners

Keep working around the box sticking your fabric to it.  My box is wider at the top than the bottom so I concentrated on making sure I stuck the fabric tightly to the widest part at the top of the box.  If your box is like this don’t worry at this stage that you will have excess fabric at the bottom.  Once the top is secured push the excess fabric into a pleat to hide it and stick it to the box and to itself with glue. When you get back to the beginning if you raw edge looks neat simply stick it to the fabric. If not use glue to stick the fabric to itself to make a hem before sticking it to the box.

Start sticking the fabric to the bottom of the box.

A close up of a corner.  You will not see the bottom of the box so just make sure it is secure and level.

Fold the excess fabric over the top of the box and stick it into place.

Work around the whole of the top edge sticking the fabric to the box.

Use scissors to cut the fabric through the channel we cut.

Glue the fabric around the channel and the finger hole. You may need to snip the fabric around the finger holes to be able to stick it down.

Put the lid on and you have the finished covered box!

Use it to hide away unsightly wires, plugs, extension leads and in this case the router.  The cables coming out one side have been hidden in a cable tidy purchased on Amazon.