DIY Key Organizer

How to make your own key holder

I made a creative key holder for our entryway hall and I am loving it! It is totally personalized and unique for us, not to mention very functional and useful.

This project started in frustration.

Frustration with myself mostly.

I was getting so tired of always losing my keys. My different keychains just had to many places they could be: in the small key bowl, in my coat pockets, in my purse, dropped somewhere on any and all flat surface, at the bottom of a bag….

I decided that I wanted a very special, designated spot for our keys so that I would never displace them again.

I thought about the best spot where a key holder should be placed and where to put the key hooks. Placing the keys in the entryway on the wall next to the front door was the obvious best choice. I always enter with keys in hand, being able to place them in their own spot right there and then simply made the most sense.

Minimising the risk of me wandering inside and mindlessly dropping the keys off in the wrong spot, so to speak.

I also wanted my homemade key holder to look nice on the wall. In the entryway it is after all one of the first things you see and although functionality was important, beauty definitely is too.

Especially since my last organizing project in this hallway turned out so pretty. This project had to match my under the stairs storage area and look at least as good.

Thats why I decided to come up with my version of a DIY photo key holder. I like that there are personal pictures of us on the key organizer and that I can change them out from time to time if the mood strikes me.

Making this key holder for our wall took a bit of preparation.

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I didn’t have any childhood pictures of Mr. Bird so I enlisted the help of his mother and went through a whole bunch of their photo albums in search of the right one. I think that proud little boy on his balance bike shaped like a poodle puppy is so cute. I love it.

How to make a Key Holder for the Wall

Making this DIY key organizer was not complicated. It just required precision and patience. Two qualities I do not possess. Which is why I am so happy that that little boy in the picture grew up to be a perfectionist DIY-er with outstanding qualities like patience and precision mindedness in spades.

In the end I came up with the idea and did all the prep work. Then I stood next to the guy while he measured, marked, drilled and assembled. And then I finished it all off with the finishing touches.

Materials to make this DIY Key Organizer

A piece of wood (like plywood or MDF) in the right size

Hooks to hang your key chains

Bulldog clips

Picture hangers

Small self tapping screws

Tools to make a key holder for your wall

Scratch Awl Tool

Cordless Drill

Small screwdriver

Steps to make this personalized key chain holder

Gather your materials including the images you want to use

Check to see if all your screws are short enough so they won’t come out at the back/front

Attach the picture hangers on the back first

On the front lay out all the clips, images, hooks and keychains to determine placement and spacing

Carefully measure and mark where every clip and hook needs to go

Make a little hole with the scratch awl so your drill won’t slip

Predrill all holes

Attach the bulldog clips with a small screwdriver. I used a permanent marker to make that screw black so it was less visible.

Check to see if your hooks are not too long for the board. Mine were so I used a hand metal saw to cut the screw thread in half (which was much easier and quicker than I anticipated).

Assemble and style. And Enjoy!

If you like this DIY Key Organizer than don’t forget to pin it to your favorite board on Pinterest!