Keep Cables Organized With An Upcycle That Won't Cost You Anything

Cables and charging cords are so necessary for 21st-century life, but so unsightly; you most likely have several spots in your home that have taken on the look of a spilled bowl of spaghetti. Beyond the untidy appearance of free-range cords, they're tripping risks that can do a number on family members and electronics alike. If, say, your less eco-conscious partner brings home a fast food cup with a plastic straw, you can save the straw for bundling wayward cords. (Recycle the cup, of course.)

Give a straw a few turns in a pencil sharpener and you have a corkscrew shape perfect for wrapping around cables to hold them together. This is among the many smart ways to repurpose drinking straws in your home and garden, and it tackles both an organization problem and a safety one. You can purchase similar products like this 20-foot Tsurpcao Spiral Cable Wrap for a manageable $6.99 at Amazon. Why buy, though, when you can reduce waste? Instead, twist an upcycled, free, and handmade version around cord clutter to help organize your home in an eco-friendly manner.

Not only can these springy spirals hold groups of cords together, but they can also stand in as protectors or ties for single cords. If you've purged plastic straws from your life, you can also turn paper straws into twisties. The material may not provide as strong a hold as a plastic straw, but it could keep a group of thin cords in line.

It can be immensely satisfying to turn a plastic straw pencil-style in a sharpener and watch the coil emerge, but it can be hard to get a consistent width this way. Here's a quick trick to spiralizing a plastic straw that hardly requires turning the pencil sharpener at all. Place one end of the straw in the sharpener, and turn the straw a few times to get the cut started. Once you have enough of a tab to hold onto, pull the straw through the sharpener for a twist in seconds. As you're twisting the straw strip around your collection of cords, you might only need a few inches of the straw to keep them together. Cut off the excess for another purpose; smaller cuts can hold a looped charger cord for storage or portability.

If you live in an area that has banned single-use plastics and find that coils made from paper straws don't hold up, don't rush to purchase a manufactured version. The thin plastic materials that make up these products won't last long, and they may even break and contribute to our microplastic problem. If your home is cluttered with loose cords, opt for a sturdier product that's still cheap. Some durable hair ties rely on the same form. These SISYOUP Spiral Hair Ties will do the trick for longer than any single-use straw. If you want to avoid plastics in any form, metal bun pins like TTSAM Spiral Hair Pins can stand in. They're not as large or flexible as other options, but they're an ideal size for reining in one long cord.