How to create your own coiled iPhone charging cord

Apple's official iPhone and iPad charging cords are nothing special. Like any straight wires, they have a tendency to tangle in a bag and they don't look particularly neat laying across your desk or nightstand. But there's a way to give your official power cords some added style and functionality with just a pen, some tape, and a blowdryer.

Here's your starting point. It's functional, but ugly and a bit of a pain to wrap up and take with you if you're in a hurry.

Take any old pen you have lying around and wrap the cord around it, taping each end so it remains coiled without you holding it.

Now, take a hairdryer and apply heat. This can be a bit tricky depending on the hairdryer you're using, but in general a good 90 seconds on each side should be sufficient. Don't melt the cord -- if you get it too hot, there's a good chance you'll melt the insides together and the cord may be rendered useless. I take no responsibility for you overcooking your fancy Apple cord.

Let the cord cool down and then unwrap it from the pen. You now have a self-coiling cord!