Happy New Year y’all! Who’s making resolutions? We’re mulling ours over today (you know Sherry loves a list…). But let’s get to the subject at hand. Being last minute “elves” for Santa. See, Clara’s play fridge wasn’t the only homemade gift that she opened this year. Because the weekend before Christmas we decided to make her a little latch board of her very own. And now we’ve finally gotten our act together to share the tutorial with you. So oh snap (pun intended), here it is.
We first learned about latch boards when Clara’s cousin Elsa got one a year ago – she’s a year older – and we heard how much she loved it (they basically tap into kids’ innate need to turn, twist and flip just about anything that’s shiny). So it’s pretty much been a waiting game until we jumped aboard the S. S. Latch and hooked Clara up (we wanted to wait until we thought she could master it without getting frustrated and wanting to throw it through a window).
Now that she’s adept at other stacking/twisting games, we decided the time was right to DIY one so we hit up our favorite local place when it comes to handware and hinges. They’re basically a warehouse full of hundreds of old skeleton keys, latches, knobs, and other random things. In other words: the adult version of a candy store for people like us.
We came home with quite an assortment of things and eagerly spread them out to see how everything might fit together. Well, eagerly as soon as Clara was napping.
Eventually we landed on this arrangement. We didn’t use everything we bought (we returned some of it) since some of it started to feel redundant. Plus, we wanted to keep it at a manageable size. Basically you’re seeing some hinges, a bunch of window latches, some door bolts, and a couple of decorative carabiners attached to simple drawer pulls.
The wood piece shown above was just a scrap piece of plywood that we were using to temporarily figure out our desired board size. The actual board itself needed to be thicker (to screw the latches into, so the screws wouldn’t come out the bottom and scratch the floor), so I found some spare 1×4″ and 1×3″ boards in the basement that I could jig together with my Kreg. Nothing like using whatcha got. We also liked that it would look sort of weathered and authentic that way, like the top of our console table, thanks to using the same method. But of course you could get a single board cut down to your desired size at Home Depot to avoid needing a jig at all for this project. I was just using what I had.
I waited to cut them to the same length until everything was all jigged together so I’d be sure to get an even edge. Then I just flicked on my table saw and made one quick cut down a line I made once we determined the desired size.
Here’s the final 12″ x 12″ square piece of board that I whipped together. Oh yeah, and I sanded down the edges and corners to make them a bit rounder / safer for small hands.
To spice it up a bit, we decided to give it a little stain and paint treatment. Definitely not necessary, but kid-projects like these are our favorites, so we like to have fun with them. I taped off the edges with painter’s tape and then used some leftover Dark Mahogany stain to give some color to the top (I also beat up the top a bit beforehand to make it look a little weathered).
Once my stain dried, I peeled off the tape and primed the edges very carefully. Once the primer was dry, I repeated that step with a coat of paint just to give the edge a little slice of color. We used Benjamin Moore’s Citron, which is one of the colors leftover from book projects last January (it’s also the same color we used on the back of our giant chalkboard). I think Sherry and I both liked the combo of nearly-neon grellow + stained wood on that project so much that we subconsciously wanted to repeat it – this time so the grellow was actually visible instead of hidden on the back.
You can see from this pic that after I edged with a brush I rolled over with a small foam roller just to make sure my paint was evenly spread. It’s pretty easy with a roller to not mess up your edge on a piece like this.
Once the paint was dry Sherry slapped on a quick coat of Acrylacq polyurethane to give it some added durability (it’s low-VOC and non-toxic so we love using it on the kid stuff that we make). After the topcoat of sealer had set overnight, it was finally time to attach the latches. Mind you, it was 40 hours before Christmas morning at this point. Oh, and don’t mind the missing hinges. We decided to ditch two small ones and get one bigger one, which we hadn’t picked up yet (time crunch = my middle name).
Thank goodness Lowe’s was open the next day (Christmas Eve), which meant we were able to attach the last piece just in time to get it wrapped for “Santa to deliver it” the next morning.
All-in-all, it cost us about $35. So, unfortunately, it was more than some of the store bought versions. Most of the expense came from the two decorative carabiners (the red star and the pink amoeba looking thing were $9 total) and the locking window latch in the top left (it was $4). Had we ditched those or found less expensive versions we could’ve come closer to this version’s price tag. But the carabiners actually seem to be Clara’s favorite part, so I’m glad we “splurged” on them.
Update: As for if it’s too heavy for Clara, if there have been any pinched fingers, or if we’re teaching her how to bust locks, thankfully she has dragged it around for a week and doesn’t seem to have any issues (it’s about the same weight as her wooden Melissa & Doug puzzles) and there haven’t been any pinched fingers (we tried to picked things with smooth edges). The board is also full of external latches/hinges (nothing like the internal medicine cabinet locks or door locks that we use to keep Clara safe). We’ve actually heard from a few teachers who have these in their classrooms and say kids love them and they help with fine motor skills :)
And if you want to see for yourself, here’s a short clip of Clara opening her latch board on Christmas morning.
I think we got the reaction we wanted. What parent wouldn’t like an “Oh wow, man”?
Is anyone else out there making latch boards? Or just tooling around in an old hardware store like a kid in a candy store?
Kml says
Cute. My husband made something similar for my kids when they were young.
We also had an “i can do it” board that my aunts made for us when i was a child. It had things like buttons, snaps, zippers, velcro and the top of an old sneaker for practicing lacing. I loved it and I think my sister still has it (35 years later) for her own kids to play with.
YoungHouseLove says
That sounds really fun! Clara loves saying “I did it all by myself.”
xo
s
Stacy says
My daughters into the whole “I did it” thing too! She yells it even when she gets help. She has a stuffed animal with similar features that were on your “I can do it” board – a shoe for lacing, zippers and buttons :)
Sharon says
What?! This is a genius idea. My child that is the same age would LOVE this.
Katie says
Look at all that hair! I think I need a young house life post on your strategy for growing out Clara’s ‘do. Our kiddo is much younger but has lots of hair, and I keep trimming it as it grows into a sort of mullet-thing, but can’t quite visualize how she’s ever going to get enough length for some pigtails!
YoungHouseLove says
Hah! I just trimmed off her mullet a few times and it’s sloooowly coming in. I don’t trim anything anymore, just swoop it to the side to get it out of her face. Hope we’ll have pigtails by next year!
xo
s
Maggie says
My little guy received one for Christmas too from his Uncle Nate. I love the star and the flower idea!
YoungHouseLove says
Sounds so cute!
xo
s
liz @ btb says
My 11 month old NEEDS on of these! He’s absolutely OBSESSED with latches, doors, knobs, etc. I’ll definitely be making one of these this weekend!
Heather W says
Love this idea and I can’t believe you didn’t title your post “The little Latch Girl” hahaha. So creative of you all once again!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, missed that one!
xo
s
Cara says
Such a cute idea!
Jen says
Glad someone else gave you the cleavage alert… I was wondering if it was on purpose. :) To the topic on hand, my dad made me one of these when I was little and I had totally forgotten about it. This is a great project for my DIY husband. Love a good manipulative toy!
Christina @ Floridays Mom says
Colin actually has a latch board by Melissa and Doug, it was handed down from friends of ours (not even sure if its still on the market) but WE LOVE IT! I love that its not your ordinary toy, but works on those fine motor skills. Of course all our friends tease us that we’re basically teaching our son to get thru all the locks we have in place to keep him out of things. Ha! Maybe true..but we (and he) still love it! Yours turned out super cute!
Kathleen Patterson says
I am studying to be an Occupational Therapist and this is something I have always thought was a great tool to use for children. It is such a great tool for them to practice their motor skills!! Great job!!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Kathleen!
xo
s
NayNay says
Clara’s reaction is so precious! And also, I think it’s funny you referred to the pink thing as an amoeba while I was thinking it just looked like a flower. Ha!
Tara says
She’s SO polite, asking “please” – so cute!
Gabriella @ Our Life In Action says
So cute!!! I love the “Oh wow man” reaction.
My little guy was all about the surprise….everytime he opened a gift, we would ask “What is it?” and he would say “can’t tell ya, it’s a surprise”. :-)
Lisa says
Very Montessori! I LOVE it! My 6 year old attended a Montessori school from 2.5 to 5.5 and now our 3 year old is on the same path! They LOVE their school and I love it too, especially for younger children. Is Clara currently in a Montessori setting?
YoungHouseLove says
She just goes to a local preschool but a lot of their teachings remind me of Montessori (I went there until 6th grade).
xo
s
Megan says
I love this project and almost had my dad do somethng similar for my daughter but we have some of those locks on the inside of our exterior doors (the hotel style chain lock) and did not want to teach our already smart, figure things out on her own, daughter ways to leave our house. We haven’t figured out a home security system yet (besides the locks and a large dog) so we don’t have alarms on our doors in case we’re ever doing something away from our daughter, which doesn’t happen but could as she grows more independent. Great project though!!! I think it would work great for fine motor and as a teacher myself, I’ve seen plenty of similar items in rooms for kiddos of all ages to work on their hand-eye skills.
Haley says
I fell in love when I saw this this morning and just got home from HD whe I got a free scrap of wood and spent $54 on stain, sanding blocks, and tons of different latches! I can’t wait to get started. It’s perfect for my baby’s first birthday at the end of the month! Wish me luck, I love reading about DIY projects but this will be my first attempt!
YoungHouseLove says
Wahooo! That sounds like so much fun! Lots of luck! Send us pics :)
xo
s
Christine says
I don’t know what it is, but I’ve watched that little video three times! I wish all reality tv were so sweet. Great idea for a toy. I wouldn’t be surprised if Clara kept this on her desk as an adult or something!
Kim S. says
That is a really cute gift Santa gave her. My kids are older 14, 16, 18, so no more fun Santa gifts. But one thing I learned over time is that some things (especially hand-made possible keep sake gifts) are nice to come from Mom & Dad, maybe even dated and signed on the back. Just a thought.
Michelle DuPuis says
“…pink amoeba looking thing” Ha! Looks like a flower to me.
YoungHouseLove says
Silly John, that totally is a flower!
xo
s
ang says
just pinned this to my ‘hypothetical child’ board on pinterest. lol
…and i showed my husband- who exclaimed, “WOW! can i make one now?!”
success.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, that’s so sweet!
xo
s
Liz says
Sorry, I don’t have kids, but I just don’t get it. Isn’t it frustrating to open a lock or latch… and then nothing happens?
YoungHouseLove says
Twist ties and tic-tac containers mesmerize Clara- I think kids just like to see how things work (open close, slide up slide down, etc). Even if things don’t pop out or music doesn’t chime, just “working” to close and open or flip and slide something seems to be exciting to them. I mean, the girl thinks baths are the most exciting thing on the planet, so kids have some pretty funny ideas of a good time ;)
xo
s
Suzanne says
Awww that’s such a cute idea for Clara! Funny story – I just pulled up this post and my doorbell rang. Low and behold it was the UPS man delivering your book! I can’t wait to crack it open. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Wahoo! Hope it helps!
xo
s
Kim says
What a nifty idea! I love Clara’s reaction. She’s so precocious. When did she start picking up surfer dude lingo? ;-)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, we had no idea where that came from! She likes the movie The Cat In The Hat and I think the brother says that at one point. Ha!
xo
s
Kathy says
Afraid of pinched fingers? Isn’t that what you parents call a “learning experience?” :)
Krystin says
I don’t have kids yet, but when I do I think making cool toys for them will awesome! I will probably have more fun making them then the kids will have playing with them :)
Juliet says
Genius. That is all.
Juliet says
Hey, did you guys catch Clara on film when she saw her kitchen?
YoungHouseLove says
We did! Can’t wait to share it!
xo
s
Chris P says
Awesome!!!
Tabbitha @ Turnip Tootsie says
Clara you are an absolute cutie pie!!! Sherry and John you have one smart little lady on your hands!
<3
Tabbi
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Tabbi! She cracks us up.
xo
s
Reyna N. says
This is awesome! Now I know what I am going to give my niece for her 2nd Birthday that is coming up in February! Thanks for sharing! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Of course! Good luck!
xo
s
Elise says
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00251G48E/ref=aw_d_detail?pd=1
Saw these on Pinterest and thought of John and his chalk aversion.
YoungHouseLove says
Fun!
xo
s
Kristy says
Awww, I love the video, so cute!!!
Unrelated, but have you seen West Elm’s new ceramic worm?! Hahaha, not joking!! I feel like they made it just for the Petersiks.. if only it was riding a bicycle or wiggling across a map for John. :)
http://www.westelm.com/products/ceramic-inch-worm-d492/?pkey=cdecorative-objects&cm_src=decorative-objects||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_–_-
YoungHouseLove says
Ahhhhhhhhhhh! He’s amazing!!
xo
s
Sara says
Watch out with those latches. My then 2-year old fell on a latch puzzle from Melissa and Doug that required 4 stitches in her head. It was in the trash immediately. Looks great though!
YoungHouseLove says
Eeks! Thanks for the tip.
xo
s
Suzanne says
This is so fun! My grandfather made latch boxes for both my brothers – essentially a large cube with doors on all sides, and each door closed with a different latch and there was a fun handle on top so we could carry it around the house. Definitely something we enjoyed for years!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so cool!
xo
s
Jenn @ Home Style Report says
That a such a cute and fitting idea for a Clara toy!
While I hope it doesn’t happen, I’m envisioning the board being pulled/swug around by the chain…only because it’s something I would have done. Either way, it rocks!
Brandi says
Have you ever considered a Montessori school for Clara some day?! I am a biased Montessori teacher, but so many of the things that you do with her and that she enjoys playing with fit very well in the Montessori curriculum.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, I actually went to a Montessori school until 6th grade and loved it! We’re not sure private school is in the budget, but I have so much love for Montessori and try to work in activities that seem to fit into the curriculum :)
xo
s
Kate says
Brilliant idea! I’d never heard of these before, but it might be just the trick for our friends who have kids. I love toys that teach kids problem solving skills and help them to learn and have fun while doing it! Oh wow man!
Gretchen@Boxy Colonial says
Very nice! On one hand, it’s disappointing when you can’t get a DIY project to come in cheaper than the store version; on the other hand, the DIY version is generally way cooler (as in this case). Usually when I see that I’m starting to spend more than I expected, I just stop saving the receipts ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Hahah! I’ll have to remember that method ;)
xo
s
Kim says
I’m so envious! Clara’s handmade toys remind me so much of the awesome (and super expensive) toys the girls next door had when we were growing up in the 70s. Mind you, we had plenty of toys at our house – books and Barbies and all things Mattel and Fisher Price – but it was the better than HearthSong stuff next door that my sisters and I gravitated to. Oh, the fond memories you are unknowingly building! I just know Clara (and the future beans) will be handing these durable and made with love toys down for generations to come!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks so much Kim, that’s so sweet!
xo
s
Kris says
I wish I had thought of this when my girls were young – awesome idea! I guess I’ll just keep in it the back of my head for twenty years down the road (at least I hope it’s that long!) when we’ll hopefully have some very spoiled grandkids!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I love it!
xo
s
Paula Koziol says
A few years ago my sweet husband built something like this (a box rather than a board) after my father had a stroke. The nurses in the hospital were so impressed; they encouraged my hubby to make/sell them. He never did, but I still to this day adore him for his sweet gesture!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so cool! What an amazing idea.
xo
s
Krystal Hurst says
I made this from Pinterest for my Little Man last year. He could care less about it, but I love it because I worked REALLY hard on it! :) It also was surprising how expensive some of the locks were.
shanna says
Excellent idea! I love the Latch Board. I have never heard of it before. Cool and cute too!
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Belle says
Totes (I’m trying to make that happen again) appreciate Clara’s pyjamas AND latchboard sticking with your tonal red to pink to blonde theme!
YoungHouseLove says
Hahah!
xo
s
Valerie says
Omg – what a fantastic idea! I have a 10 month old baby girl and will have to file it away for a future project. You guys are just so inspiring especially for a non DIYer! You make it look so easy!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Valerie! Have fun!
xo
s
eileen marie says
I almost teared up watching Sherry being so gentle with Clara! Awww. And as for paying more to DIY than store bought: to this day, the things I treasure most are the ones that my parents made for me.
Your parent readers think of everything! I never thought this would lead to Clara being a master lock-picker! LOL. I think she’s too young (although very bright from the look of things) to make that association!
(Totally thought the iPhone at the end of the video was mine!)
YoungHouseLove says
Hahh! That’s my “make sure the post is up” alarm.
xo
s
Maryanne says
LOVE it! My grandson would have been in all his glory with this at age 2-3, but now at age 4, I guarantee that he would hunt down papas screwdriver & be unscrewing all those locks & latches LOL! Awesome homemade gift from the heart :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, what an amazing little DIY expert you have on your hands!
xo
s
Alex Gelsinger says
This is so cool. Ill have to save this idea and make one for my niece. Shes just turning 2 so itll be awhile before Ill make it.
Eve says
I have to wonder if Dexter Morgan had a latch board to help him figure out how to get into the houses of his “dark passenger” friends:-). Just kidding, but had to throw in a Dexter reference when I saw the door latch!
Chrystina says
This is an incredible idea. I kind of really want to share it with the world. Consider it done. (and by done I mean my Facebook page) Oh, and I agree about the “Oh wow, man!” – pretty much the best response ever.
Allison says
She is speaking so well! Love hearing her little voice :)