Hide Messy TV Cord Eyesores With A Seamless DIY Fix

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Electronics are a big part of modern life. Along with our mobile phones, tablets, and computers, Nielsen Media Research reported in 2022 that the average American home has 2.3 television sets. Each of those TVs has a power cord plus others for cable and satellite signals, external speakers, DVD players, and the like. There are plenty of clever ways to hide and organize cords, however, and one method conceals them almost completely. You can do this job yourself in just an hour or two with a few tools and supplies, some of which you might already have on hand. 

The most important tool you'll need for this fix is a cord hider, such as ECHOGEAR's TV Cord Hider or the Sanus 5-Piece Flat Screen TV Kit. In some cases, these products may come with a hole saw attachment to cut the correctly sized hole in your walls. A plastic grommet goes in that hole, through which cables can be passed from your TV into the wall. Another hole and grommet go close to the cable's source end, putting all the mess behind the scenes and leaving your living room, bedroom, or office free of messy TV cord eyesores.

The exact supplies you'll need for this job depend on the kit you buy. While some might include a cutting tool, you may have to buy and attach a hole saw to a drill in order to mount your grommets. You'll also need a drill, a stud finder with pipe and live wire detection, a measuring tape, a roll of painter's tape, and a cable puller. Take your chosen kit to a hardware store to get what you need to mount it; this could mean screws, drill and screwdriver bits, and/or drywall anchors. 

To begin, check the wall for wires and beams with the stud finder and mark a clear path of travel with the painter's tape. Attach the cutting tool to your drill and make the two holes, applying gentle but steady pressure. Then, feed the fish tape into the wall through one hole and thread it toward the other. Pull the tape through the second hole and connect your TV cords to the loop at the end. You can wrap the cable end around the loop and secure it with a bit of painter's tape; this helps keep it attached while you're pulling it back through the wall. Leave a few inches of cable sticking out of each hole and insert the loose ends into the back of each grommet before fitting them in the holes. Gently pull the wire ends out a bit to make sure they're secure, then fasten the plastic pieces to the wall.