LEGO Figures Make Perfect Cable Holders
Who knew that LEGO designed their figures' hands perfectly to hold Apple lightning and other types of cables? Stick a LEGO brick on your desk, attach LEGO figure(s), and, voilà, an ingenious cord-catching solution.
You can also hold keys, your phone, and just about anything else with a LEGO brick and a little bit of sugru, as we've seen before. But now you can add an army of LEGO figures to prevent your cables from getting lost.
And then...
How to Build a LEGO Organizer For Your Keys and Everyday Items
Even though I have a "spot" for my keys and wallet, I still end up misplacing them. The LEGO organizer is a fun and convenient place to store all of your everyday carry things. A standard LEGO base plate is stuck to a wall, while bricks and plates attached to everyday items make them attachable to the mat—never to go missing again. Here's how to make your own.
This fun and colourful project is a great way to keep things organized and show your love for LEGO. LEGO purists beware: modifying the pieces are essential to make this work.
Step 1
LEGO Pieces:
·Base: base plate
·Key fob: 2x3 bricks (or any 2x brick)
·Wallet + phone back: 4x6 plate
·Key name markers: 1x2 plate
Tools + Materials:
·Rotary tool with cutting wheel
·Sandpaper (100 grit)
·2-part epoxy
·Drill and small bits ( 2mm [5/64"] )
·2-sided tape (or other heavy duty dual adhesion)
Step 2
Using a 2mm (5/64") bit, openings were drilled through the side and top of each 2x bricks. Once initial openings were made, the drill was directed to a 45 degree angle and the openings were reamed to connect the two openings. This opening was large enough for my key loops—ream with a larger bit if you need more room. Any plastic burrs from drilling were removed with a sharp hobby knife. Key loops were then threaded though each brick opening and keys added.
Step 3
Instead of labeling the keys, have them color-coded with a corresponding nameplate. This method allows the bricks and keys to be changed easily. Then all you need is a new name plate. On masking tape, scribble what your keys open and place it on the corresponding color brick.
Step 4
For the phone and wallet, a 4x6 plate. The pip crowns on the topside of the plate don't serve a purpose when attaching them to a flat surface and add to the thickness, so a rotary tool with a flat cutting wheel to remove them was used. The plate was then sanded smooth with 100 grit sandpaper. 2-part epoxy was mixed and smeared over the sanded top of the LEGO plates. The plates were then attached to the phone and wallet, then clamped in place and left to set overnight.
Pro-tip: With most 2-part epoxies, less is more. Too much epoxy applied may leak into openings created when removing the plate crowns and prevent the bottom of the plate from connecting with the mat. If you accidentally use too much glue, the spillover can be removed with a sharp hobby knife, as dried epoxy is brittle and can be chipped off once set. (Remember you can always use a phone case instead so you don't damage your phone).
Step 5
Using a strong double-sided tape to adhere the base plate to the wall is recommended. If you're planning to load up your base plate with lots of items, then you might need a stronger solution to stick your base plate to the wall. Consider mechanical fasteners. After applying the tape, the backing was removed and the base plate was pushed against the wall to ensure a strong bond.
Step 6
All that's left now is to populate your base plate with your everyday carry items, like your wallet, phone, and keys. You can expand with more key fobs or larger objects as the need arises.