Hidden Key Storage
/How do you keep your keys organized in your home? To be quite honest, I used to lose my keys all the time because I didn't have a proper place for them to live. I've seen all types of systems, but I think I like the hanging system the best. Keys in a bowl have a tendency to get tangled up with other stuff, which makes them easy targets to get lost in a junk pile. Do you agree?
This photo is of the wall you see when you enter my home. Lovely art, no? But wait... just keep your eye on the lower artwork.
Ahhhhh....! While I love hanging my keys as an organization system, I don't love seeing them in plain sight, especially when the front entry is the first impression of the home. (Well, maybe the front yard is, but let's not go there right now.) Because I don't like to see my keys when I come through the door, I sought to find a way to keep them hidden. Did you know that framed key holders are kind of expensive and ugly? Yeah... Here's how I made my own key storage.
This is a relatively simple project. You start with a picture frame that has some depth on the back side, much like a shadow frame in reverse. I wanted to use a piano hinge, but the shortest one I could find was 18" long and my frame was only 16-3/4"H. So, I looked to the smaller hinges and used two of them to install the frame.
The keys are hung on cup hooks. It's embarrassing that my hooks don't match, but these are what I had around the house and it seems to be impossible to find black cup hooks anymore. Once I find them, I'm changing these over immediately. Then I labeled the hooks with my label maker. This way, if a set ever goes missing, I'll know which keys to look for.
Not to stop with the keys, I also made use of the back of the frame. (You know how I love to use the backs of doors to add more organization systems.) I had some metal sheet scraps from my another project so I pieced a couple together, applied some plain Con-Tact paper over them (these were also some scraps I had around the house), and hung it on the back. I probably wouldn't have bothered to do this extra step if I had to go out and buy the materials for it, but since I had them in the house, I thought, "Why not?" This magnetic board is great for holding any receipts of items that need to be returned, bus tickets, or tickets to upcoming events. One day, this board will probably look more attractive as well as the magnets, but for now, this will do.
So, that's the tour! What do you think of my organization system? I love when my friends are surprised when we grab our keys. I never fail to hear, "Oh! That's a good idea!" from them.
Total time: Maybe about 30-45 minutes to frame the print, hang up the frame, install the cup hooks, label the hooks, and make the magnetic board.
Total cost: Ribba frame from Ikea that we got half off for $4.50 (reg. $9.99); one pair of hinges from Rona that we got for 10% off for $2.78 (reg. $3.08); art print was less than a $1 as we paid a small donation for about ten prints, which makes this nearly free; the cup hooks and magnetic board were all things I had around the house. This all totals out to $8.71. If we hadn't gotten things on sale or didn't have various items around the house, this probably would have cost us about $20, not including the print.