How to Make a Funky Houses Key Holder

 Unleash your creative personal style with this funky houses key holder. 

Supplies:

• Paint stir sticks
• Dowel rod 1/8" x 6"
• Acrylic paints
• Adhesive
• Funky Houses patterns
• Sawtooth picture hanger

Equipment:

Proxxon Bandsaw MBS/E OR Proxxon Scroll Saw DS 460

Proxxon Delta Sander OZI/E

Bench Drill Press TBM 115

Instructions for making the Funky Houses Key Holder:

1. Mount the patterns for the house shapes on a paint stir stick. Cover one side of the blank with painter's tape. Mist the back side of the pattern with spray adhesive, and mount on the taped paint stir stick.  The painter's tape makes removal of the pattern easy without leaving any sticky residue.
   
   
   
2. Cut the shapes using either the bandsaw or the scroll saw.
   
   
   
3. Cut a 3/8" x ~8" strip from one of the paint stirs. Cut this strip into appropriate lengths for the roofs of the houses.
4. Cut a 7" strip from a paint stir or other scrap lumber for mounting the houses.
5. Cut the dowel rod into six 1" lengths for the key pegs.
6. Sand the edges using the Delta sander.  I have my sander mounted in the Precision Vice FMZ, so that both hands are free.
   
   
   
7. Paint the houses, mounting strip, and roofs using your favorite acrylic paints. I used FolkArt Antique Wax for the houses and mounting strip and a black acrylic for the roofs. I left the key pegs natural.
   
   
   
8. While these are drying, fashion the doors and windows for the houses. I 3D printed mine, but other options include cutting them from vinyl or cardstock, or drawing them on the houses with permanent marker or paint. Window and door patterns are included in the downloadable PDF.
9. Use the bench drill press to drill holes ~3/8" from the bottom of the houses for the key pegs. Use a strip of waste wood under the house shapes to help prevent tearout.
   
   
   
10. Now, to assemble the key holder. First, glue the doors and windows in place. Then, glue on the roofs. Next, glue in the key pegs.
11. Attach the sawtooth picture hanger to the back of the mounting strip.
    
    
    
12. Arrange the houses on the mounting strip and glue in place.

As an option, you could eliminate the key pegs, and have a neat funky houses décor piece.

Carole

How to Make a Useful Key Holder from Reclaimed Wood

 This key holder used to be a rack for cheese knives, but it had outlived its usefulness, and was falling apart. So, I decided to reclaim parts of it and refashion it into a key holder.

I used these Proxxon tools:

• Proxxon Bandsaw MBS/E
• Proxxon MICRO Woodturning Lathe DB 250
• Proxxon Delta Sander OZI/E

Here's how I made the Reclaimed Wood Key Holder:

1. I started with this fallen-apart cheese knife rack. The top piece was just glued on, and had fallen off.
   
   
   
2. I used the bandsaw to cut away the bottom piece, but saved it for a future project.
3. I used a 5/8" dowel rod to turn pegs to hold the keys.
4. I used a center finder to mark the center of the dowel rod.
   
   
    
5. I mounted the unmarked end of the dowel in the three jaw chuck, and centered the marked end at the tail stock.
   
   
   
6. I turned four different pegs, and sanded each while still mounted on the lathe.
   
   
   
7. Next, I used FolkArt UltraDye to color each peg. The UltraDye produces a vibrant color while still allowing the wood grain to show through.
   
   
   
8. Then, I sanded the two reclaimed wood pieces using the Delta sander.
   
   
   
9. These two piece were then glued together.
   
   
   
10. While the glue was drying, I again used the center finder to mark the centers at the bottom of the pegs, and screwed in a hook for holding the keys.
11. Now I have a functional key holder made from reclaimed wood.
    

Carole