If I had a dollar for every time I asked my fiancé if he knew where my keys were, I’d probably have at minimum, a $50 bill in my pocket. But, in all honesty, I’m so bored of traditional key holders. So, I decided to try something new and create a magnetic one from epoxy resin and wood! Even better, I partnered with my incredible friends at DAP Products to help make this resin and wood key holder come to life!

DIY Resin & Wood Key Holder

Want to watch this tutorial on YouTube? Check it out below & make sure to subscribe to my channel!

One of the things I love about this project is that it is a far cry from the traditional key holder. It’s sleek, it’s unique… and I can’t think of another word to describe it that rhymes with those words. So, I’ll just stick to the fact that it’s really cool looking.

This was my first time working with deep-pour epoxy and it couldn’t have been easier! Ready to see how I made this project? Let’s do it.

What You’ll Need

Tools
Miter Saw
Table Saw
Drill
Sander/Sandpaper
DAP Rapid Fuse All Purpose Adhesive
DAP Kwik Seal Plus
MAS Deep Pour Epoxy
(use “DIYHUNTRESS” for 10% off + free shipping)
Metallic Pigment (Resin Tint)
Heat Gun or Torch
¾” Forstner Bit
Drill Bits (Pilot Holes)
Respirator

Materials
Small Maple Burl
(1) ¾” Melamine Shelf Board
Tyvek Tape
(6) 3-Pack Neodymium Magnet
Wood Finish
(2) D-Ring Hooks
Drywall Screws
Painter’s Tape

The Steps:

1. First step was to choose & trim my lumber to size. I had this awesome maple burl laying around my shop and just cut two edges to create straight edges for my mold.

2. Once my lumber was cut to size, I created the measurements for my melamine mold. I used a melamine shelf for my mold to save money (it was only around $8)!

3. Next, I cut my melamine to size. I needed a bottom piece and four side pieces. Two of the sides were the same size as the mold and the other two were 1 ½” longer. I also made sure to cut the walls so they were taller than the wood piece I was using, that way there’s no overflow.

4. Once the pieces for the mold were cut, I applied Tyvek tape to all of the faces that will be touching resin.

5. Next, I attached the walls of the resin mold to the bottom by pre-drilling holes and attaching with drywall screws.

6. Once the mold was assembled, I used DAP Kwik Seal Plus to seal all of the edges of the mold. This will stop any resin from leaking through the cracks of the mold.

7. After sealing the mold, I set it aside to dry. While it dried, I prepped the burl for resin by sanding the edges that would be exposed to the pour.

8. Next, I attached the burl to the mold using clamps to hold it down. This will prevent the mold from floating up when the epoxy resin is poured.

9. Now I was ready for my pour! I followed the instructions on my MAS Deep Pour Epoxy to measure and mix the resin. I also added a black metallic pigment.

10. Once the mixture was ready, I slowly poured the resin into the mold.

11. Once the resin was poured, I used a torch to get rid of the air bubbles by just hovering it over the airspace of the resin.

12. The epoxy resin I used had a 24 hour cure time, so after 24 hours, I took the mold back into my shop and began to de-mold it by removing the screws and using a hammer and chisel to pry any stuck parts away from one another.

13. Once the piece was de-molded, I trimmed it on my miter saw, making sure to use painters tape on the edges to avoid any tear out. I also made sure to wear a respirator anytime I kicked up epoxy dust, as it is known to be toxic to the lungs.

14. After trimming the piece to size, I sanded it down. I first used 80 grit sandpaper on my belt sander, and then gradually worked my way to 120, 320, and then 400 grit.

15. Once I was happy with my sanding, I flipped my piece over and began to mark where I wanted to put my magnets and drilled openings.

16. Once the openings were drilled, I used DAP Rapid Fuse All Purpose Adhesive to attach the magnets to the wood. These were some seriously strong magnets and the Rapid Fuse totally killed it! These puppies aren’t going anywhere.

I opted for 6 holes in my piece and ended up having to stack the magnets three magnets deep in each opening for them to be strong enough to hold my keys.

17. Once everything was in place, I sealed the piece using a penetrating wood finish from my friends at Maker Brand.

18. Last step was to attach my picture hanging hooks!

Now I won’t have to ask where my keys are anymore!

One thing I did notice with this project is that it’s best suited for lighter key rings. I only have my house key, car key, and keychain on my ring, so it’s the perfect storage solution! My fiancé, however, has a billion and one keys on his, so we’re going to have to store them elsewhere for now (sorry, BT)!

In any event, I am so happy with the way this piece turned out! I’m even happy with it just existing as a piece of epoxy resin wood art!

Want to save this project for later? Make sure to Pin It!

Now that I’m addicted to pouring resin, I can’t wait to create some bigger projects! Get ready for some more hybrids as the weather gets warmer!

But, for now, until next time…

This post is sponsored by DAP Products, Inc. All tastes in art work and product opinions are my own. For my full disclosure policy, click here.