diff --git a/widgets/base.lua b/widgets/base.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0431d03
--- /dev/null
+++ b/widgets/base.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+
+--[[
+                                                  
+     Licensed under GNU General Public License v2 
+      * (c) 2014, Luke Bonham                     
+                                                  
+--]]
+
+local newtimer     = require("lain.helpers").newtimer
+local wibox        = require("wibox")
+
+local io           = io
+local setmetatable = setmetatable
+
+-- Basic template for simple widgets 
+-- lain.widgets.base
+local base = {}
+
+local function worker(args)
+    local args     = args or {}
+    local timeout  = args.timeout or 5
+    local cmd      = args.cmd or ""
+    local settings = args.settings or function() end
+
+    base.widget = wibox.widget.textbox('')
+
+    function update()
+        output = io.popen(cmd):read("*all")
+        widget = base.widget
+        settings()
+    end
+
+    newtimer(cmd, timeout, update)
+    return base.widget
+end
+
+return setmetatable(base, { __call = function(_, ...) return worker(...) end })