Some posts contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy for more information!
We have a problem in our family, mostly with my husband. But sometimes with me. And sometimes, we blame it on the kids. Or the dog we don’t have…
I’m talking about losing our keys. Good heavens, it’s an ever evolving problem. Sometimes they’re in my coat pocket. Others, in my one of my many purse pockets, on the bottom of the purse, or under my son’s bed. What is it with kids and keys anyway?
My husband was notorious for losing his. Every morning, it was a scramble. Finally, he got a big lanyard to put them on but it wasn’t enough! He still loses them.
So, I decided to find a way to keep our keys close to the door, easy to find, out of reach of little hands, and something cute to boot. And this is what I came up with-a DIY Note Station and Key Holder. Here’s what you need to make your own:
1 wood plaque, any size that you need to fit your space. Mine is about 18″ long and 12″ high
small frame
cork board
3 key hooks
small command strips
stencil or vinyl in pattern of choice
spray paint or acrylic paint
While at The Wood Connection, I picked one of their basic wood pieces that had a nice rounded edge to it. They also had some chevron vinyl that fit it perfectly. You could use any kind of board and background design though. I’ve seen stencils and wood pieces at craft stores like Michaels and Joann’s. Ours isn’t too big because we don’t have the space for anything bigger but you could make it as big as you need!
Later, I stumbled upon a cute little cork board in Target’s dollar section. And then found a blank square frame from my Michael’s stash.
It was destiny, folks. And so easy to do.
I used two spray paint colors because there was no way I was painting it by hand. No way. Spray paint is so simple. First, I sprayed the board with the green. Then, I added the chevron vinyl. That made my day! I started out trying to use painter’s tape and line things up, but that ended in epic failure. This was round two. Once the vinyl was on securely, I used the white spray paint and then eagerly waited for the paint to dry.
I waited three months. Three months! This project was painted last year. It’s been staring at me ever since, haunting me with its plainness.
I finally went back to it and added the extra touches. Because I knew I’d want to change pictures and I may want to change the cork board, I chose to use Command Strips to hold down the fort. They have some great poster strips that worked perfectly and were in Target’s dollar section too. Score!
After painting the frame with chalkboard paint, so I could change the messages, I added my picture, and then adhered with the command strips. I also adhered the cute little cork board with command strips. Now, they come off easily and nothing will be permanent!
The final touch were the hooks. This was a process. I wanted something cute and fun, so I went looking for drawer knobs. They come in so many varieties and styles! Unfortunately, it was hard to find knobs that the keys would fit on, and the screw itself was too long. I even asked the folks at Lowe’s if we could find something shorter (I found some star knobs that would have worked but were too long). After looking around for a bit, I found some little “robe hangers” and I knew my quest was over.
And here’s where it got fun. I got to use my hubby’s drill! Man, did I feel powerful. I need to whip it out more often! Once the hangers were attached, it was ready for placement. And here it is! Once again, I pulled out my trusty Command Strips to hand it up. It is hanging proudly next to our back door, where we can easily keep our keys in sight.
Sigh. We’ll see how long it takes for my littles to figure out how to push the chair up to it and grab our keys. But that’s a solution for another day. Maybe glue the chairs down? Or how about the kids?
