DIY Wood Key Holder Tutorial

Learn how to make a DIY wood key holder that’s a perfect beginner woodworking project.

Learn how to make a DIY wood key holder

A few days ago, my friend texted me and asked if I could make her a key rack that she could hang on her wall to keep her keys away from her toddler. Her little girl is now old enough to reach the countertops, and keys have become a fun new toy for her (especially the car alarm button).

She also asked if I could include a spot for her husband’s wallet, which he’s always losing. A challenge? Count me in. A week later, I ended up with this the masterpiece. When I hung it up in my apartment to get some pictures of it, I liked it so much that I decided I had to make one for myself!

I think I’m going to add a little holder for envelopes for mine, though. That way we can ditch the bulletin board we have that’s usually half empty anyway. If you want to make a hanging wooden key holder, check out the supplies I used and steps I took below!

And here’s how I made my DIY wood key holder!

(Remember to wear a mask and eye protection while sanding and working with wood, and wear an appropriate mask while working with paints, stains, and finishes. Follow the directions and warnings from your particular brand. Do not use any tools without proper training, precautions, and supervision from a professional. Read my full terms of use here.)

Step 1: Cut and stain wood

First I cut my two pieces and sanded them. As a reminder, my key rack measurements were 19 inches by 7.5 inches (it was a piece of 1×8) and 8 inches by 2.5 inches. You can adjust these sizes as necessary.

Stained each of these pieces in Minwax English Chestnut and finished them with two coats of Minwax Polyurethane in Semigloss. I also attached the d-ring hardware on the back before doing any work to the front.

Step 2: Add the shelf piece

Next I attached the shelf using Liquid Nails and two clamps. Since this shelf will probably only hold a wallet, I felt that glue would be enough. If you’re doing a larger shelf or want it to be sturdier, you can hammer a few nails into the shelf through the back of the key rack.

Step 3: Add hooks and pot clip

Once that dried, screwed in three screw hooks. I also added a flower Pot Clip for a little planter. The hooks were cold and the pot clip was silver, so I spray painted them all in Rust-Oleum Oil-Rubbed Bronze so they’d all match. (Obviously did this before I attached them to the key rack.)

Step 4: Add flower pot

Just for fun, I wanted to add a little flower pot. This is a tiny pot from Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft. I wanted something lightweight, so I put a faux succulent bloom in it. This fits perfectly yin the pot clip.

For the pot color, I spray painted it using Colonial Ivory, taped off the lip using Frog Tape, and spray painted the lip and the inside using Metallic Gold. When it dried, I slid it onto the Pot Clip, and hung the key holder using two nails.

For more easy woodworking projects, check out my DIY raised pet feeder, simple hairpin leg plant stand, and DIY printer/Cricut machine storage stands!

Here is the final key holder…

Didn’t it turn out awesome? You can use the tiny hooks for stuff other than keys, too. They’re pretty versatile. And if you wanted to, you could remove the flower from the pot and use that for storage, too—maybe pens? Or just more hooks.

And here’s the one I made for myself! I swapped the faux succulent and pot for a little area that I can put mail and other stuff like stamps and a notepad. I just used a large drawer pull for this. We’ve been using this for several years now, and it’s still super helpful! You can see it here—

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