Somewhere to put your keys

Do you have trouble finding a good place to put your keys when you get home? Would you like to give your hallway a touch of colour and do some diy?
Here's something you can easily make in just a few hours. So the next time you have a free afternoon and it's raining outside, have a go at making your own arty key holder!

What you need:

wood panel (this one is 60x25cm, and 1cm thick)
acrylic paints (red, blue, yellow and white, or any other colour)
paint brush and a cup of water
some finishing varnish (either in a pot or in a spray can)
pencil and ruler
metal screw-in hooks
hammer and nails
two hooks for the back of the panel




What to do:

1. Place the wood panel on a table covered in newspaper. Prepare three paper plates with the acrylic colours and place a cup of water on the table. Paint the panel in anyway you like.
We made this with my four year old sun so the panel is painted by him. He said it is an autumnal landscape.
If you are making this with children you can let them paint whatever they like, just make sure they are careful not to put their hands near their face, and cover their clothes with an apron, or make them wear an old t-shirt.
One idea could be to paint the background white and let it dry, then put hand prints of all the members of the family, by using the paint as finger paint.
Once you have painted the panel allow it to dry.

2. Prepare the number of hooks you wish to have on your key holder.
With a ruler measure out even spaces of 5 cm along the bottom edge of the pannel and make a light mark with the pencil.
Insert the metal hooks where you have put each mark. It can help to create a dip in which to insert the hook before trying to screw it in. you can do this by tapping a nail with the hammer where you have put the mark, without actually hammering the nail in.

3. On the back of the pannel measure out three even spaces and mark with the pencil. Using the hammer and nail fix the hooks at the back.

4. Apply a layer of varnish to coloured side of the panel to protect the paint. You can use varnish in a pot, in which case you will need to paint it all over using a brush.
Or you can spray lacquer finish for acrylics. Make sure you only use spray lacquer outdoors. Keep the can about 30 cm from the panel. To make sure you cover the whole panel start from one corner and move in parellel lines from left to right, then do the same thing from top to bottom.
Allow the panel to dry.

5. Hang the panel on the wall in your halway. You will need to place two nails on the wall, using a pencil to mark the exact spot. make sure the panel is horizontal by using a ruler, or a level if you have one. And there you go! You have an artistic key holder!