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DIY: Turn a book into a sleek charging phone dock

Grab an old hardcover and DIY it into a stealthy, old-meets-new charging dock.

Sharon Profis Vice President of Content, CNET Studios
As the Vice President of CNET Studios, Sharon leads the video, social, editorial design, and branded content teams. Before this role, Sharon led content development and launched new verticals for CNET, including Wellness, Money, and How To. A tech expert herself, she's reviewed and covered countless products, hosted hundreds of videos, and appeared on shows like Good Morning America, CBS Mornings, and the Today Show. An industry expert, Sharon is a recurring Best of Beauty Awards judge for Allure. Sharon is an avid chef and hosts the cooking segment 'Farm to Fork' on PBS nationwide. She's developed and published hundreds of recipes.
Credentials
  • Webby Award ("How To, Explainer, and DIY Video"); Folio Changemaker Award, 2020
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Sharon Profis
2 min read

Sharon Vaknin/CNET

Remember when it was taboo to write in books? Well, a college career of in-book highlighting and two e-readers later, I'm ready to admit that I have absolutely no guilt about writing in books. Or tearing them apart, for that matter.

So when I was looking for inspiration for a DIY charging dock and found myself staring at a shelf of books, I knew I had the answer.

With this guide, you'll turn a hardcover book into a charging station for your Android or iPhone. And, if you have an Android phone that's equipped with NFC, I'll also show you how to make your DIY dock automate tasks with NFC tags.

You'll need:

  • a box cutter with a fresh blade
  • a hardcover book
  • your phone's USB charging cord
  • an NFC tag (optional, for those who have NFC-enabled phones)

To tackle this project, watch the video for step-by-step instructions, and check out the tips, after the clip.

Watch this: DIY: NFC-enabled Phonedock

A few tips:

  • Please, please be careful with the project. We don't want any amputated fingers and blood-ridden charging docks. That being said, proceed at your own risk, and leave this DIY to the adults.
    • Sharon Vaknin/CNET
  • Although the video shows instructions for an Android charging dock, the same process can be repeated for the iPhone. Simply cut the hole and the tunnel to the width of the dock connector.
  • If you wish, you can secure the cord to the cover of the book with a hot glue gun. This will make docking your phone a lot easier.

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