How to Make a Small Entryway Wall Organizer (with Magnets!)

As renters, we take what we can get, and what we often get are miniscule (or non-existent) entryways and a lack of built-in storage. This multi-faceted organizer has a variety of ways to hang your stuff — coats, bags, and umbrellas — so they are at your fingertips as you head out the door, and stay tidy when you come back in. As a neat bonus, it also has a magnetized area for keys. You can learn how to make one yourself, right after the jump!

• 1/2″ thick wood or MDF panels
• S hooks
• Rare earth magnets (slightly smaller than your 1/2″ drill bit below)
• Bungee-style elastic cord
• L brackets (two sets) with small screws
• Spray paint

• Table saw (optional— otherwise have cuts made at the hardware store)
• Drill
• 1/2″ Forstner Bit
• Wood Glue
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Scissors

1. Measure and cut all the pieces needed for the organizer. In this case, I cut four pieces of MDF: 1) one 12″ x 24″ front panel; two 12″ x 4″ sides; and 3) a top shelf about 4″ x 23″ (that’s the length of the front panel, minus the width of the two 1/2″ sides).

2. Plot out the front of the organizer, marking hole and elastic cord placement.

Tip: Take care to place the holes low enough so you can slip the S hooks in without a problem. You can eyeball this in advance pretty easily.

3. Using the Forstner bit, drill holes for each of the hooks.

4. Glue each of the boards in place with wood glue, and leave to dry completely. It should look like this, with two sides and a shallow shelf on top:

5. If you are worried about the strength of the shelf, or want to use it for heavy items, finish it off with some nails coming in from the sides, or L brackets.

6. Support each of the sides of the organizer with L brackets secured to the back of the front panel.

Tip: Use very short screws so as to not go through the MDF panels.

7. Using the same Forstner bit, and starting from the back on the front panel, drill partially through the MDF to create shallow holes (roughly 2-4) for the magnets. Go as deep as you can without drilling through to the other side.

Tip: To make sure you don’t drill too deep, place you fingertip on the other side of the hole, so you can just feel the point of the drill bit as it gets close.

8. Once those shallow holes are drilled and clear of sawdust, place a little bit of glue on each of the magnets and place in the holes. Let the glue dry.

9. Spray paint the entire organizer, using multiple light coats until it is completely covered. Let dry.

10. Feed two lengths of bungee cord through the holes on each side of the organizer and knot in the back. You can set them up as two parallel lines, or as a large X. It’s totally up to you.

Tip: Stretch the cord as much as possible so it can firmly hold your mail, tickets, and bills (or whatever else it is you want to display). Also make sure the knots are large enough so they won’t slide through the holes!

11. To hang, drill several L brackets into the wall (using anchors if necessary). Place the organizer on top, and drill from the bottom to secure.

12. Slip S hooks into holes and you are ready to hang scarves, bags and umbrellas!

Resources: Wallpaper is ‘Knots” by Terrence Payne for Hygge & West.

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