Monday, September 5, 2011

iPhone / iPod Charging Dock


This project is a little more intense than most, but well worth it in the end.  I will show you how to make your very own iPhone Charging Dock that will take the place of that ugly white cord lying across your nightstand.

What You’ll Need:
Hardback book
iPhone / iPod charger
Drill
Razor blade

First, you'll want to use the head of your iPhone charger to measure the appropriate cut-out from the cover of your book.  I did this by measuring the length I needed and then drilling a hole on either end. 
Then, use a razor blade to cut between the holes, creating a rectangle that your charger can fit through.  This rectangle will need to be deep enough that your charger can sit flush with the top of the book.
(major props to my husband for helping with the drilling and cutting)



Once you've cut out the space for the charger, you will need to cut a tunnel out of the pages for the cord to lay in.
Now, if you'd like you can glue the pages of the book together...or if you've cut accurately enough or plan to remove the charger when traveling, you may not want to glue all the pages together.
 Now place the book on your nightstand (or wherever you charge your iPhone/iPod) and enjoy! No one will ever suspect that beautiful novel by your bed is actually a charging dock for your iPhone! Plus, no more cords falling behind your furniture when no phone is plugged in to hold it in place.


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51 comments:

  1. Awesome! I just bought an alice in wonderland book cover shell ... to do this project...it actually holds a jigsaw puzzle but hope it works the same way.

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  2. i found your blog via pinterest, & this is adorable! major props :-)

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    1. Thank you! So glad you like this project!

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    2. I also found your blog on pinterest. Thanks for sharing your clever idea, I love it.

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  4. This is so awesome! Im going to have to give this a try this weekend!! Thanks for the tutorial!

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  7. Holy Genius!! THis was so clever!

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  10. I linked to this on my Facebook page :) Found you via Beckie's FB page.

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  11. Excellent and not too difficult for anyone, thanks for link.

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  12. that is totally adorable.

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  13. This is ingenius! My daughter has decided she 'needs' one now for her night stand!! hehe

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  16. Just pinned this on Pinterest! What a great idea!

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  17. What a wonderful idea and a great tutorial, thank you for sharing.

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  18. That is so adorable and genius!!

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  19. I made this today but every time I take my phone off charge the charger comes out. Did you have this problem?

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    1. No, mine stays put...maybe you cut the hole in the book cover too large?

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  20. Brilliant, thanks for sharing. Need to make one for my brother.

    delishvida.blogspot.com

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  21. This is.... AWESOME! Great idea for a gift, too!

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  23. This is brilliant! Thanks for the detailed tutorial!

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  25. This is amazing. Ive been looking for a tutorial for this for weeks. Your the best.

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  26. That is so cool!! Thanks for the photos. They really help with the instructions.

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  29. Thanks for the tutorial! I just picked up a few hardbacks at a library sale for 25cents each and used one to make this. I recessed a place about 1/4" deep, large enough for my phone and case to sit in and also added a micro USB to charge my blackberry or nook. Depending on how it looks, I may cover my book with fabric to match my bedroom decor. Thanks again for the tutorial.

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  30. Hi, what size did you use on the drill?

    regards

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    1. I'm not sure since my husband did that part...I don't think it should matter as long as it's about the same size as your charger. If you make the hole too big, the charger won't stay in place.

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  31. I have been trying to find out how to do this. On youtube ... everywhere
    You are a genius thank you so much !

    Aly

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  32. Did you not have any problems with it leaning backwards or forwards? Seems like this would be bad for the connectors. ?

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  33. Thank you so much for the tutorial...I'm really hoping I can do this for my sis for Christmas this year! She loves old books and her iphone :-) Hopefully she won't find it first :-)

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  34. This is Brilliant!!!

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  35. what a brilliant idea ! I am definitely going to try this one ....

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  36. This is so cool! Such a simple thing to do. Very creative. Thanks for sharing :)

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  37. awesome idea--thanks!

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  38. I used to have a docking station for my iphone. It came with a little plastic insert to ensure that the phone stayed upright and wouldn't lean backwards or forwards. I never used the insert and I ended up bending/breaking the tip of the charger, rendering the docking station useless. I would suggest adding some sort of support to keep the iphone nice and straight when charging!

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    1. Yes you are right - especially with the new iPhone which has the smaller connector. A small book behind it on an angle looks great!

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  39. Hi Guys

    Thanks for this post. I was disappointed that Apple decided not to release a dock but I'm much happier with my home made one - it looks great!

    I made mine for the iPhone 5 (lightning) cord and it worked just as well. I didn't use the drill - just a heavy duty razor blade (about double thickness of the thin normal size).

    My big tip is to make the hole in the top smaller than the size of the connector so your squeeze it right in to hold firmly. I also added another hole for the headphone port on the bottom to link to my Swissphone handset which I have on the bedside table (http://www.top3.com.au/categories/travel-and-work-and-play/mobile-accessories/epure-handsets/20406193).

    Best of luck with your own versions!

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  40. Designing your own iPhone case is a lot more than just copying a photo or drawing. You have different textures and finishes at your disposal as well. For example, you can use a phone plate that looks like it isn't even there at all. This creates the illusion that your phone and its cover are the same thing. Those who are into art will have fun mixing and matching different accessories that will make their case really stand out.

    e_cell

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  42. Fantastic idea. Seriously I never ever seen this type of creative idea. I will surely try this. A bit hard task but will try.

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  43. But, if it gets knocked over, won't it snap the charger or damage the phone?

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  44. Amazing Idea! I'm going to make this as a gift for all of my teachers! Inexpensive yet very unique :-)

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  45. I wonder if this idea could be modified to make a docking station for multiple devices on one book. I don't have any Apple devices, but I do have the following:
    Sony MP3 Player, Cell phone, 2 Kindle e-readers.

    As I upgrade my cell phone about every two years, I would not want to glue the pages together. I might fasten the book closed with a velcro strap... would have to investigate how that idea might work.

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