Do you sometimes wish you didn’t need to have so many keys? Well, I do. Too bad the house doors don’t open with finger print scans. Maybe in a couple of decades we won’t need to carry around that many keys any longer…

Did you ever have trouble finding the right key? I’m quite certain you did. How about forgetting the keys inside? Yes, that happens to all of us sooner or later in life.

We’ve got you a few ideas to help you get along with keys better 😉 Here’s the first one. About the other one we’ll write a post a bit later.

Key storage

With all those keys a family needs, you should without a doubt, have a place to store the keys and keep them in order, too. The keys should be in a handy place so that  you can easily just grab them on your way out. Better yet, you should have them in sight, so it’s easier to remember to take them with. It’s harder to forget your keys if you see them while putting your coat on.

It’s like a constant reminder right in front of your eyes without having to think about it. That works pretty great for the bigger kids, too. So you don’t need to constantly remind them or have sticky notes here and there.

 

To easily sort out the keys we did this simple ‘Keys’ sign from a pallet board and added tiny nails to hang all the keys. A real easy and quick project! We have this sign behind a sliding door which you need to open to get your coat and shoes, so can’t really miss it on the way out.

To make a pallet wood sign with key hooks you need a few supplies and a little time, an hour is more than enough.

Here’s how to make your own version

1. Measure and cut the board to suitable length. I cut mine so that it fits neatly behind the door. It’s about 20 inches long. If you don’t have access to reclaimed wood, you could get a new board and stain it to get the weathered look.

2. Plan how you’ll place the writing on the sign. To lightly sketch the writing you could use a pencil.

3. Get out the acrylic paint and a little brush and write as you planned. Our home is rather modern Scandinavian style with a rustic twist, so I chose to write ‘Keys’ in plain and simple font. This matches our style. If you like more romantic style you can write script type letters.

4. Tap in the nails like this, with a little angle. This way your keys will stay on the hooks and you’ll be able to hit the nail a little deeper into the board. These nails are half way in, so they can easily hold the weight of the keys. Pick nails that don’t have sharp edge heads or use a little sandpaper that is meant for metal on the heads. We don’t want you to get cuts on your fingers when using these key hooks.

5. Use screws or nails to hang the board on the wall. I used two nails with narrow heads to hang the board so they can barely be seen.

There you go! Your new rustic key holder is ready. That was quick and very simple to make.

This makes such a big difference handling all those car keys, house keys, keys for work and so on. Before this we just had the keys in a box or just laying on the shelve. This is so much easier and I love it that I can see right away if my keys are in place or not.

Go ahead and get your keys organized with your DIY key holder! Add your own style with your kind of writing. Happy crafting!