How To Hide Wall Mounted TV Cords Above a Fireplace Without an Electrician

How to hide wall mounted TV cords above a fireplace, on fireplace walls or brick walls without the need of an electrician, power tools, or carpentry skills.

I have been receive a lot of questions about the TV in my living room – specifically wanting to know how I hid the cords and wires hanging down from it since the TV is mounted above a fireplace mantel.

In a perfect world, I would answer that there were electrical and cable outlets on the wall behind the TV, but since my house was built in 1993 – flat screen TV’s mounted on walls were not something builders included in their design.

We could have drilled a hole in the wall ourselves and threaded the cords/wires like I did for this wall mounted TV, but that kind of installation would not work with a brick fireplace.

Living room showing How to Hide-Flat screen TV-Cords and wires on a fireplace wall.

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What did I do?  My easy fix is one that lessens the eyesore of exposed wires.  I came up with a cord concealer idea by covering the tv wires with a sleeve of fabric in the same color as the wall instead of the running the wire behind the drywall.

If you have a piece of furniture under your TV and not a fireplace, then you may be interested in a way to hide the tv cables and cords in the furniture under a wall mounted television.

How to cover-Wall mounted TV-cords and wires

How To Hide Wall Mounted TV Cords Above a Fireplace Without an Electrician

Next to my fireplace is a cabinet that houses the cable box and all the devices we have hooked up to the TV. All the cords coming from the TV are threaded through the back of this cabinet.

If this fabric cover idea won’t work for your space, then head to the end of this post for another option to hide wires or cover the cords dangling from a wall mounted TV.

Cable-Ties

supplies needed:

  • Fabric – enough to cover the length of the cords
  • Velcro – sticky back
  • Cable ties
  • Scissors
  • Optional: wire and a picture hanging hook

Time needed: 30 minutes

Tutorial: How to Cover and Hide Wall Mounted Flat Screen TV Cords Without Power Tools

  1. Band Cords Together


    Bundle the cords together using cable zip ties as shown in the photo below.

    Covering TV cords with fabric

  2. Cable Tie Placement


    Place a cable tie about every 6 inches along the length of the cords.

    how to band TV cords to make a cover to hide them.

  3. How to Make a Fabric TV Cord Cover


    Figure out how long and wide your sleeve of fabric should be to cover the cords.  The fabric should wrap around the bundled cords/wires loosely.  Cut the fabric to size and hem the raw edges with fabric glue or if you have a sewing machine, finish the raw edges with sewn hems.

    first step in making a fabric TV cord cover to hide unsightly cords and wires.

  4. Add Sticky Back Velcro


    Place your fabric right side down – peel the two sides of the Velcro apart.  Attach one side of Velcro along each long edge of the fabric:  On the left edge of the fabric place the Velcro on top of the fabric.  On the right edge – the Velcro goes on the underside of the fabric edge.

    How to attach Velcro to make a TV cord hiding cover.

  5. Wrap Cover Around Cords


    When the cover is wrapped loosely around all of the cords it makes a nice and neat sleeve of fabric.  The Velcro along the edges will keep the cover closed while it is around the cords.

    Velcro TV cord Cover

  6. Arrange Seam To Back


    Make sure that the seam of the cover is hidden and facing the wall.

    how to hide TV cords n a wall mounted TV

How to Make Hanger for the Covered Cords

Once the cords are covered in the fabric sleeve that runs off the mantel or console under the TV, you can let them hang or hide them behind a piece of furniture that is next to the wall-mounted TV.

How to make a wire hook to hold TV cords to hide them.

To do this, I made a hook out of wire and wrapped it around the end of the bundled wires. I then ran the covered wires behind a cabinet next to the mantel where there was an electrical outlet on the wall.

Wire-hook to hold TV cords

Next, use a stud finder to find a stud on the wall and attach a picture hanging hook or a large screws on the wall behind the cabinet and above an electrical outlet. Hook the wire loop on the cords over the hook.

This keeps the cords/wires from hanging down directly from the edge of the mantel. You can also use cord clips that have adhesive strips to hang the bundle of covered wires on the wall.

If there isn’t a wall outlet next to the fireplace, then you will need to use an extension cord or power strip to plug the cords into.

Finished TV Cord Cover

How to hide electrical cords on a wall mounted TV

If you look closely you can see the TV cord hiding cover on the left side of the mantel.

I have been pretty happy with this TV cord cover. It works for my needs.  I sometimes place pretty objects in front of  it and other times I leave the space bare since the fabric blends into the wall.

Flat screen TV mounted on wall above a fireplace.

When you don’t have the budget to hire an electrician or the skills needed to drill a hole in the wall with power tools, this TV cord hiding cover works very well.

Two More DIY Options to Hide Cords

  1. TV Cord Covers for WallsIf the fabric cover doesn’t work for your space, you can also use pre-made cord covers sold at electronic and home improvement stores.
how to place trim molding to hide TV wires.

2. If you have woodworking skills, you can add decorative trim molding to the wall behind the TV or even arrange empty picture frames on the wall to run the wires behind.

Place the moulding or picture frames as shown above, mark their placement on the wall and remove. Then run the wires so they will be hidden behind the frames. Use cord clips to attach the wires to the wall.

Next, paint the molding/frames the color of the woodwork in the room or the color of your walls and hang them back up. Once you paint the wall and trim the same color it will look like a raised paneling

For a more detailed tutorial on how to do this see this post:

Find out how I transformed the brick fireplace in the photo above to a stone fireplace for $150 in these posts:

Living room with wall mounted TV over a fireplace with the hanging TV cords hidden by a DIY cover.

More Hiding Cord and Wire Ideas

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60 Comments

  1. I really like the way you used the old tv cabinets. You find them cheap and you get the look of built ins. Looks great.

  2. Is the fabric safe to be around the wires like that? won’t cause a fire?

    1. Diane Henkler says:

      Hi – I covered the cords like this for over 10 years with no problem. Everything was in excellent shape and the fabric is not near the plugs and outlets. If you are worried about fire, you can use two PVC pipes to run the cords through. A long one along the mantel and a shorter one to go up behind the TV. You will see the cords where these two pipes meet, but just a little and you could place something in front of it to hide it.

  3. Very useful post! Thanks for taking use “behind “ the scenes.

    1. Diane Henkler says:

      Hi Sophie – Thanks

  4. Patricia Vaughn says:

    This is an excellent idea, easy to do and very pretty! Thanks 100 times Diane!

  5. A. Dawkins says:

    It’s flat *PANEL*. A flat SCREEN TV only has the screen flat, not the whole panel. They have big backs.

    But this is a great idea

    1. Semantics. They don’t even make TVs anymore with the “big backs”. If you say you own a flat screen in 2016, most people understand you mean a LCD or LED TV…

  6. Could you please let me know the name of the paint color? I love it!
    Thank you!

    1. Diane Henkler says:

      On the walls is Natural Choice. On the fireplace and cabinets is Alabaster. Both are Sherwin Williams.

  7. This is just perfect for what I need. So happy to have found this post. Thank you!

  8. Very nice!! I live in a apt. so I can’t put holes in the walls, so this option really helps me out. Plus I love decorating so this alternative is nice to know for future reference!

  9. Julie Feltner says:

    where did you get the corner cabinets? I’ve been wanting to do this to my house! Please let me know!!!

    1. Diane Henkler says:

      Hi Julie – I bought the corner cabinets 20 years ago at a local furniture store. They are made by Hardin Furniture in NC.

  10. Okay this does not pertain at all to the cords although I love how you hid them! But your white cabinets that you have on the sides of the fireplace were they white when you bought them or did you refinish them? The reason I am asking is I have the exact same cabinet but it is in a really ugly light birch color and I have wanted to redo it for years but have been too scared to and because of it being so extremely heavy I haven’t wanted to move it. However I have no clue what the best method to redo this thing would be. I have been scared that if I paint it it’s just going to chip. Could you by any chance email me and let me know what steps you took if you did refinish them. I would greatly appreciate it, thank you so much.

    1. Diane Henkler says:

      Hi Kristen – I painted the cabinets a few years ago. I wrote a post about it for the Glidden website My Colortopia. Here is the link: http://mycolortopia.com/blog/color/my-evolving-family-room#hPLiOPKeAq50sIk1.97

      They have held up great – no chipping, peeling or cracking. The key is the primer. Use a good gripping primer and you will be good to go. You also may want to read over a few of my painted furniture posts. Not the chalk paint ones, but the pieces where I used primer and latex. You can find them under the Painted Furniture tab on my blog. Here is one that covers the steps on how-to paint a piece of furniture: https://inmyownstyle.com/2012/08/how-to-paint-an-old-wood-chest-of-drawers.html

  11. This is exactly what I have been looking for to cover the ugly TV cables on my TV! It is on an adjustable wall mount in my bedroom and the cables look ugly. Thanks!!

  12. Annettedeza says:

    What a great idea! I have been looking at these ugly black cords for months, wondering how I can cover them up. Now my problem is solved. Thank you!!

  13. Wow…. ive been trying to get some ideas to hide the horrible looking dangling wires but came up with nothing easy.
    n then I read ur blog. Thnx a ton

  14. Is that a faux fireplace? If so, do you have a DIY tutorial for it? It’s gorgeous.

  15. Do you have an idea for hiding the Tv. cord that goes down the corner of the wall, then across to the elec. outlet? T.v. is up in corner of room and the cord runs down the corner.

    1. Diane Henkler says:

      Hi Barb – Have you looked into the metal strips made to hide cords that you can paint the same color as the walls? They are two parts to the strips. One part gets screwed to the wall, then the cords get placed in. A second part slides over this to hide the cord and since it can be painted the same color as the wall – it blends in. You can find them in the lamp and lighting aisles at the home improvement or lighting store. You could also do something similar with wood molding.

  16. Where did you get those great cabinets on the side! Love the whole look

    1. Diane Henkler says:

      Hi Esther –

      I bought them over 20 years ago. They are made by Hooker. They were hard to find, but the only thing that would really work for the space besides built-ins. They were a medium oak before I painted them.

  17. Angel Taylor says:

    Hello love this. Where did you find the sleeve of fabric?

    1. Diane Henkler says:

      I made the sleeves with white cotton fabric. You can sew them into tubes/sleeves or use fabric glue.

  18. Thank you so much for this post! We have the exact same challenge – TV mounted above the fireplace on a brick wall. I’m going to put my husband in charge of bundling the wires and I’ll find/make the fabric sleeve. Problem solved!

    1. Wondering if you or anyone came up with a good solution for the BRICK Fireplace? My Dad put an 80″ TV above the Mantle. It’s huge and takes up the entire mantle & covers ALL the brick.

      Therefore there is no room for the DVD player, DVR/Satellite Box, etc. and the wires have to come from TV down to a low shelf.

      Any suggestions? She has a window on each side of Mantle so a tall bookshelf is not an option. Thanks!!

      1. Diane Henkler says:

        Hi Jennifer –

        If the fireplace has wood under the mantel, you can add decorative molding on or around it. Create a design with the molding to look like a panel or just vertical design elements on the mantel. Paint it all the same color as the mantel. You can then run the wires behind the molding to hide them. If it is just a mantel shelf, build an entire mantel with wood so you can run the wires behind it.

  19. Thanks! This is the perfect solution for me. I was not looking forward to some hardcore fix of running wires/cables into or behind my fireplace!

  20. That is a very nice tips.

  21. Omg!! Thank you for this, my cables look terrible!! I never comment on blogs but felt it was a must!! Hopefully I can hide mine as well as you have!

  22. Nice job of hiding wires. When first looking at picture you have to look for the fabric cover and it looks fine. Blends in nicely.

  23. That’s a nice tips there! I would like to follow and apply it on my flatscreen tv wire!

  24. Now that’s clever. Why didn’t I think of that. aaahhh that’s why I read blogs for clever ideas.
    Thanks for sharing.

  25. Martha/Marty says:

    That is a wonderful solution! I don’t have a television on my mantel, but I do have some tiny white lights that required an extension cord – so it’s a small cord. There’s only a small space where it could show because of the bookcase beside the mantel, but I painted it the same color as the wall, and it disappeared. It’s visible – just like your cover – but not noticeable. That wouldn’t likely work for a bundle of cords, but it would probably work in lots of situations with lamp cords.

  26. I have used the “gathered” sleeve look in several areas to hide cords, but hadn’t thought of using velcro to cover something bigger. I can’t stand exposed cords either, so this is a great idea!

  27. Diane | An Extraordinary Day says:

    Now that is really clever!!!!

  28. Ashlyn@Pinecone says:

    Diane,
    You are brilliant as always ; )!!
    xo
    Happy weekending!

  29. Another great idea, Diane! You are amazing. You keep coming up with new ideas and you are so wonderful at explaining them — your instructions are easy to follow and the photos really help. Do you ever get tired?!? I look forward each day to 8pm when your blog will appear in my inbox — what will Diane think of next? :-) Thank you!

  30. Umm..why did I not think of that myself! Fantastic idea! I didn’t even notice the white fabric in the first picture until I saw the others. It is hidden well!

  31. I read a lot of blogs for inspiration. But some of the projects are very intimidating. What I love about your blog is that is full of little things that ANYONE can do, and in the end all of those little projects make a huge impact. THANKS!

  32. Euna Sansoucie Ridenour says:

    What a smart idea!!! I am thrilled and amazed! Since it’s the same color, you don’t see it!!! In everything, give thanks, GrandmaSoucie

  33. Thanks for the great idea. I have been going crazy looking at cords above my mantle in my bedroom and this should be a perfect fix.

  34. What I need is an idea to disguise the tangle of cords and cable box behind my TV cabinet, not really all that visible, but can be seen when you enter the room if your eye travels down that way, plus I know it’s there. Any suggestions?

    1. Hi Madeline – Maybe you could add a piece of wood molding stained or painted the same color as the cabinet to the side of the cabinet or on the wall that is visible when you walk into the room. Measure the height of the cabinet for the length of molding needed. For the width -measure the space between your wall and cabinet and make sure that the molding is this wide so it will fit in. Add a hook to the back side on one end of the molding. Hang another hook on the wall and then hook the fitted molding over the wall hook. You may have to play around to get it to align to fit just right, but I think it would seamlessly hide the view behind the cabinet.

      1. Thanks, Diane, excellent idea but I’m just going to modify it a bit, but you got me thinking on the right track. I’m just going to make a U shaped, three sided box, stain to match cabinet and place over the cable box and tangle. Thanks for helping me think “out of the box” (pun intended!)

  35. What I need is an idea to disguise the tangle of cords and cable box behind my TV cabinet, not really all that visible, but can be seen when you enter the room if your eye travels down that way, plus I know it’s there. Any suggestions?

  36. Fabulous and so creative! Thanks for sharing your tip, Diane! :)

    xoxo laurie

  37. Ha, I made the same exact thing a few months ago! Great minds think alike. It looks great! For anyone who plans to try thi, If you have the paint swatch from when you painted your room, remember to take it with you when you pick out fabric :)

  38. Our tv is above our fireplace but the cords are in the wall. And I still hate it. I hate the big black box over my mantle. It makes decorating the mantle more of a challenge. I would much prefer my little tv in the cabinet that I could close the doors on.

  39. Kristie Barnett, TheDecorologist says:

    GENIUS, Diane! Thank you for sharing that life-changing tip :)

    1. Thanks Kristie – I did it a few years ago. Thanks to a few readers who asked about it – I realized it would be a good post.

  40. Diane,
    You come up withe the best ideas! Perfect for your fireplace wall. We recently had this dilemma with a new flat screen in the bedroom. It is mounted on a wall, high, opposite our bed. We had a “flat “there, my favorite TV, but it went on “kind of a fritz,” called the cable co. and they managed to get the TV working again. Long story . . . eventually we had to get a cable box, mount it behind the TV because there was no place for it to sit. Box blocked the TV vents and fried the TV. Bought a new TV . . . Closet behind that wall. Hubby made a shelf, velcroed the box to this removable shelf should we need to access and made a hole through tthe wall for the wires using the insert for a cam light. Getting the picture? Works like a charm! Electric eye on TV to use remote for off/on. So . . . I have him on DIY projects now too. Hope this made sense. No brick wall to deal with so this was possible!
    I need to take pictures . . .
    Love, Lynne

    1. Hi Lynne – Sounds like a charm to have a closet with a shelf on the wall behind – perfect. I can understand why you have hubby on DIY projects now.

  41. Michele Webb says:

    This is just GENIUS!!! I have been sitting in my living room staring at the bundle of wires hanging from the open shelves that house my dvd player and cable box, HATING THEM since May when we remodeled! My hubby is an electrician, so he tells me all the time, “I’ll do something about it soon!” Yeah, just like the wires that were hanging down on over the floor, that I finally attached to the baseboard molding with 3M hooks! Looks much better, and the dogs aren’t tripping on them anymore! I will be looking for coordinating fabric tomorrow! Can’t wait to fix it and see how long it takes him to notice I did it!!

    1. Thanks Michele –

      Just like the mechanic whose own car doesn’t run – you have your very own electrician and end up doing the the work. :) When I make any changes in my house my daughters and I take bets on how long it takes my husband to notice. It is usually about 2 weeks.