How to Mount a TV With No Cords Showing — A Beginner's Complete Guide

Here's exactly how to mount a TV with cords hidden inside the wall — tools, step by step process, and the one critical thing to know.

HOME DIY & DECOR

8/11/20266 min read

The Dresser That Was Doing Too Much

Our bedroom TV was sitting on top of our dresser. Which meant our dresser — a piece of furniture that should be holding cute décor — was instead holding a TV, a tangle of cords, and whatever got set down next to it in passing.

It was functional. It was not pretty. And every time I looked at it I thought about how much better that space could look if the TV was on the wall and the dresser could actually be a dresser.

The push finally came when my dad was getting rid of a TV that already had a mount — because in this house we do not say no to a hand-me-down, ever. We grabbed it, looked at that blank wall above the dresser, and decided it was time.

Here is exactly how we did it, what was harder than expected, and the one thing you absolutely need to know before you cut into the wall.

Is This Project Right for You?

Before we get into the how, a quick honest note on who this project is and is not for.

Homeowners: this is a straightforward weekend project. Go for it.

Renters: this involves cutting two holes in the wall. Unless your landlord has specifically approved it or you are committed to patching and painting those holes before you move out, this is not a renter-friendly project. The cord cover raceway method — where you run a channel along the surface of the wall — is a much better option for renters and requires zero cutting.

What You Need — The Complete Supply List

The good news: this project requires fewer tools and supplies than most people expect.

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For mounting the TV:

TV wall mount — make sure it is rated for your TV size and weight
Stud finder — non-negotiable, you are putting a heavy TV on this wall
Level — because a crooked TV bothers you every single day
Drill and screws — for securing the mount to the studs

For hiding the cords:

Oscillating multi-tool — for cutting the holes in the drywall cleanly
Electrical box x2 — one for the top hole, one for the bottom. Try to find one without a back so the plug will fit through - if you can't you will need to remove the back with a saw.
Brush wall plates x2 — these cover the boxes and give you a clean finished look with an opening to feed cords through
Fish Tape - for feeding the wire through the wall

One important note on tools: You will need two people for this project — specifically for lifting the TV onto the mount once it is on the wall. Recruit a helper before you start. A TV going up alone is a recipe for a dropped TV and a bad day.

Step 1 — Find Your Studs and Plan Your Placement

Before anything else goes on the wall, find your studs with a stud finder and mark them lightly with a pencil. Your TV mount needs to be secured into studs — not just drywall — to hold the weight safely. This is not optional.

Once you know where your studs are, decide on your TV height. A common mistake is mounting the TV too high. The center of the screen should be roughly at eye level when you are sitting in your normal viewing position — not standing. Sit on your bed, look straight ahead, and mark that height on the wall before you commit to anything.

Step 2 — The Critical Thing to Know If Your Wall Backs Up to a Bathroom

Our bedroom wall shares a wall with our hallway bathroom. If your TV wall is an exterior wall or backs up to another bedroom or closet, you can skip this section. If it backs up to a bathroom — read this carefully.

Water pipes run through bathroom walls. You cannot see them. You do not know exactly where they are. And if you cut into one you have created a significantly more expensive and more stressful problem than a TV mount.

Here is what we did and what I would recommend:

Start with the smallest cut possible. Begin with a half inch hole where you plan to place your lower electrical box. Look inside with a flashlight before you go any further. If you do not see anything alarming, expand to an inch. Do not go bigger than necessary — ever.

Cut slowly and deliberately. An oscillating multi-tool gives you much more control than a drill or a jab saw for this exact reason. You can feel resistance if you are getting close to something and stop before you cut through it.

If you are not confident — stop. There is no shame in calling a licensed electrician to advise on this specific step. The rest of the project is genuinely DIY-able but navigating pipes in a wall is the one moment where professional input is worth considering.

We got through it fine — but it was the most nerve-wracking part of the whole project and I want to be honest about that.

Step 3 — Mount the TV Bracket on the Wall

With your stud locations marked and your height decided, it is time to mount the bracket.

Hold the mount against the wall at your planned height and use your level to make sure it is perfectly straight — do not eyeball this. Mark your screw holes with a pencil. Pre-drill into the studs. Then secure the mount to the wall with the provided screws, checking level again after each screw.

Give it a firm tug before you put a TV on it. It should feel completely solid. If there is any wobble, check that your screws are actually in the stud and not just drywall.

Step 4 — Cut Your Two Holes

This is where the oscillating multi-tool comes in.

You need two holes — one near the top of the wall where the cords will exit behind the TV, and one near the bottom of the wall (or near your baseboard) where the cords will come out to be plugged in.

Pro tip that saved us a lot of time: trace your electrical box directly onto the wall where you want each hole before you cut. The box becomes your template — you cut exactly the right size opening on the first try rather than cutting and adjusting.

Cut slowly, especially if you have any concern about what might be on the other side of the wall. The oscillating multi-tool lets you work in short controlled passes rather than plunging straight through. Once your holes are cute, install the electrical boxes into both holes by pressing them in and tightening the built-in clips that secure them to the drywall.

Step 5 — Install the Brush Wall Plates

The brush wall plates are what take this from "holes in the wall" to "this looks intentional and finished."

Press each plate over its electrical box and secure it in place. The brush opening in the center is where your cords feed through — it keeps the opening looking neat while accommodating different cord sizes. Once both plates are on, your wall should look clean and professional with just the cord ends visible at the bottom ready to plug in.

Step 6 — Hang the TV

This is the step that requires your second person.

Lift the TV together and hook it onto the wall mount. Most mounts have a hanging bracket on the back of the TV that clicks or slides onto the mount on the wall. Follow your specific mount's instructions — they vary by brand and style.

Once it is on and secure, connect your cords — HDMI into the TV and whatever devices you are connecting, power cable plugged into the outlet at the bottom.

Step back. Look at it.

Step 7 — Feed the Cords Through the Wall

Here is the step that sounds straightforward and is slightly less straightforward in practice — especially if your wall has obstacles inside it.

You are feeding your cables in through the top hole and fishing them down through the wall cavity to come out the bottom hole. In a clear open wall cavity this is easy. In a wall with fire blocking, insulation, or pipes nearby it requires patience and sometimes creativity.

What helped us: use a fish tape to guide the cords through when they get stuck. Push from the top, have your second person watch the bottom hole and guide the cord out when it appears.

This was the most genuinely challenging part of our project — navigating around the pipes in our bathroom wall meant we could not take a straight path and getting the plug end to fit through the opening took several attempts. It is doable. It just requires patience and two pairs of hands.

The Result

The room feels bigger. The wall feels intentional. The dresser — which had been buried under TV chaos for years — is suddenly a piece of furniture again with actual surface space for things I want there.

We are not done decorating yet. There are still plans for the dresser top and the wall space around the TV. But even before any of that happens, the room already feels more like a real designed space and less like a place where furniture just got put down and never moved.

That shift happened because of one project, one afternoon, and a TV mount that was technically a hand-me-down.