How to Build an Entryway Organizer for Mail, Keys, Wallets and Coats

(Read with House Hunters sterile RoboLady voice) We enter our perfect-for-entertaining open floor plan with high ceilings, hardwoods throughout and an updated kitchen for better resale (end HH voice). Mail, keys, wallets and coats are dang EVERYWHERE, or gone forever. Clutter is the proverbial endless butt itch. Like a complaining toddler with a broken off-switch. The never-ending “project” that nags at your well-worn psyche until you’re ClutterBlind. Your wide-eyed guests who stop dead in their tracks at the threshold tell all without saying a word.

Disorganization is clutter’s never-disciplined little brother who creates a new home for every reachable item in your home. Car keys? Haven’t seen ’em in weeks. The spam ‘n’ rice supply are beginning to dwindle. Wallet? Not numbing my right glute and inflicting spinal misalignment like it should be. Probably saturated with toddler saliva, stuffed deeply in a plastic bin of Pebble’s plunder from Toys”Own”Us.

Snail mail everywhere. Neatly ordered au contraire.

Folded pieces of pressed tree pulp covered in black ink and monetary demands. Your mail likely lays its letterhead on your kitchen countertop. And your coffee table. And your desk. And your DIY farmhouse table. And your stylish wingback chair. And the floor. Just to name a few – on a good day.

The solution.

What if your keys, wallet and purse had a designed space that all agreed to utilize for more than 2 days? What if you created an organized mail system that took up zero counter or table space? Perhaps the bonus of a cute little chalkboard for weekly calendar, your wifi password for guests, household updates and notes? All designed with a rustic chic aesthetic to compliment your home’s design flair? Say no more. I created an entryway piece that perfectly fits the mould. Here’s how to make it:

How to build a custom mail, keys, wallet, coat, life organizer.

Materials

1. (1) – 4’x8′ sheet of ¼ inch plywood for $13.98.
2. (1) – 2’x4′ sheet of ½ inch plywood for $13.82.
3. (1) – 2’x4′ sheet of ¾ inch plywood for $18.69.
4. (1) – 1x6x8 for $8.07.
5. (1) – 2x2x8 for $2.21.
6. (4) – 1x2x8 for $1.37 a piece, totaling $5.48.
7. (2) packs – 3 heavy duty black hooks, to hang coats, backpacks, clutches & keys. $7.97 per pack, totaling $15.94. (6) hooks in all. We used (5).
8. 1-1/4″ brad nails at $4.02 for 1,000.
9. Deck screws 3″ long, 73 for $6.93.
10. Wood glue. 8 ounces Gorilla brand for $3.97.
11. White caulk for $2.98 per tube. To fill the cracks.
12. (Optional) Heirloom White color matched paint for whitewashing.
13. (Optional) 1 quart of chalkboard paint.

Tools

1. Cordless drill with clutch. Here’s the Rigid drill/driver kit I love.
2. Impact driver. The torque needed to put deck screws through wood into studs without predrilling.
3. Miter saw (or) hand saw with guide. (My fave: Dewalt 12″ double-bevel sliding miter. Best for the price: Ryobi 10″ sliding miter).
4. Table saw (or) circular saw. (Linked the table saw I currently use & love).
5. Compressor & brad nail gun with nails (above). (Mine at home. Keep an eye out for compressor plus nail gun deals to save money–we bought ours on a black friday sale).
6. Orbital sander.
7. Caulk gun.
8. Stud finder.
9. Level. 12” length is a great start for shorter projects. It’s magnetic & attaches to any metal you’re working on for a hands-free approach.
10. Measuring tape. (Mini-version for ease of use, 12 ft max length. Up to a 26+ ft measuring tape to for rooms, framing, joists, etc).
11. Pencil.  

Budget

1. Total materials cost = $96.09.
2. I built mine using mostly scrap / opened materials for = $29.49.

Step 1. Hit up Depot.

• After you inventory your garage or shed, be creative! If you have some scrap or leftover plywood fragments, use them for this build.
• The black hooks we chose are strong – they’re rated at 35 pounds, but seem rock solid under the pressure of our backpacks and bags. Any hooks will do. Consider the style of finishes in your house. Black contrasted well with our piece’s whitewashed wood.
• How will you hang the entry piece? We used 3″ long deck screws directly into studs. Screws are less noticeable when placed on the inside top of mailboxes, directly underneath the mailboxes, and slightly hidden up under the shelf. If you opt for picture hanging hardware instead, make sure it’s heavy duty. Attach your hardware into more than just the ¼” plywood.
• Heirloom White paint. Our all time favorite furniture off-white paint color. The perfect blend of antique style, far from bright white and definitely NOT a creamy tan. What we imagine bright white looks like after 50 years of natural aging. Note: this is a color match from Rust-Oleum’s Heirloom White spray paint. No need to bring in a sample – the paint associates can simply match the digital code.
• Chalkboard paint. $9.97 for a quart at Depot. Rust-Oleum also carries a dry erase kit for a homemade whiteboard look for $19.98. Or consider thrifting an old chalkboard or whiteboard and cutting it to fit your piece. Note for painting: the smoother your ¼” plywood surface, the better. Unsanded, rough or textured ply will hinder your piece of chalk or marker from writing effortlessly.

Step 2. Cut list.

1. (1) – ¼” ply @ 30″x42″ – backing of the mail piece
2. (3) – ¼” ply @ 9 ¾”x12″ – mailbox backing
3. (3) – ½” ply @ 10″x12″ – mailbox fronts
4. (3) – ½” ply @ 1-5/8″x12″ – mailbox bottoms
5. (6) offset rectangles – ¾” ply @ 9 ¾” length, 3″ side, 1″ side, mitered at an angle – sides of each mailbox. Offsetting allows a wider mouthed box that tapers.
6. (2) – 1x6x42″ – shelf & shelf backing
7. (2) – 2×2 cut to fit** – 45º shelf support pieces
8. (2) – 1x2x15 ¾” – vertical chalkboard trim
9. (2) – 1×2 cut to fit** – horizontal chalkboard trim, approx. 39″ long
10. (1) – 1x2x42″ – chalkboard header trim
11. (6) – 1x2x12″ – horizontal pieces, attached to the backs of mailboxes
12. (6) – 1×2 cut to fit** – vertical pieces, attached to the backs of mailboxes, approx. 7″ long

Note: if you’re going to apply chalkboard paint, do it right now. No taping necessary. Just mark off where the trim pieces will be installed as a guideline and paint just beyond that boundary. The 1×2 trim offer a 1 ½” grace area for painting.  

Step 3. Install 1×2 trim.

• Break out that compressor and brad nail gun, and start compressing. Load in your 1 ¼” brad nails.
• Dry fit your (5) pieces of chalkboard trim by placing them on the ¼” plywood. Minor gaps are no big deal, but horizontal pieces that are too long should be cut to fit.
• Holding a single trim piece in place at a time, flip the ply over, add a bead of glue to the trim and brad nail it in from the backside. Repeat for all (5) chalkboard trim 1x2s. The header trim piece can be nailed top down.

Step 4. Build & sand your mailboxes.

• Checking the cut list above for proper piece placement, glue and brad nail the ½” ply mailbox fronts onto the ¾” ply offset rectangular sides. You should have enough pieces to make (3) mailboxes.
• Glue & nail the ¼” ply backs each mailbox. Followed by the ½” ply bottoms.
• Now attach the1x2 back pieces to each mailbox. Horizontal pieces at the top and bottom first, followed by the cut-to-fit vertical pieces. These function as both spacers AND structural support for installation with screws. The spacers enable the mailbox opening to be unobstructed by the bottom of the chalkboard trim directly above.  
• Bust out your orbital sander and soften ALL sharp edges on the mailboxes AND chalkboard trim.

Step 5. Attach mailboxes to plywood backing.

• Glue & nail the (3) mailboxes you just built to the largest ¼” ply piece, directly underneath the bottom chalkboard trim 1×2 piece. Nail from the backside. Consider measuring and drawing a diagram on the back of the ply to ensure your semi-blind nailing is accurate.

Step 6. Build the shelf.

• Glue & nail the (2) 1x6s together at a 90º angle.
• Measure and cut your 2x2s to fit as supporting arms at 45º angles. I squared off the outward facing ends of these 2x2s for aesthetic and install purposes.
• Glue & nail your 2x2s to connect the 1×6 shelf pieces.

Note 1: apply caulk! Always apply your paintable caulk BEFORE painting since the pigment is never identical to your paint. Fill in the cracks where the chalkboard trim pieces touch, the trim touch the ¼” ply backing, and anywhere else you see a clear break between wood pieces.  

Note 2: right now is primo for whitewashing your mail piece and shelf. Painting difficulty dramatically increases once the shelf hooks are installed, and once everything is attached to the wall. It’s always safe to start with a 50% paint to 50% water blend. Second coats are the norm depending on preference. Here’s our how-to on whitewashing our herringbone headboard and whitewashing our diy barn door.

Step 7. Attach the entire mail / chalkboard piece to the wall.

• If you chose picture hangers, have at it.
• I needed tiny humans to be able to do pull-ups on it. Screw flimsy functional wall art. And actually screw it.
• Dry fit the entire piece on the wall and lightly mark the corners with a pencil.
• Use your stud finder to locate studs within your designated area and mark with a pencil. Mark below the area where the shelf will be as well.
• Borrow an extra human (not tiny) or two to hold your piece in place. Choose the most inconspicuous areas to apply screws. If you have a stud or two behind your mailboxes, apply screws through the upper horizontal 1×2 back piece for dual support. The (4) screws we used made this baby rock solid.

Step 8. Attach the shelf to the wall.

• Place the shelf up against the bottom of the ¼” ply of the mail piece.
• Apply at least 2 screws into studs through wall-touching 1×6 piece, about 1″ below the crease where both 1x6s meet. You want the screws hidden, but you DON’T want the screws in between the 1×6 boards or so close to the edge that they crack your wood.
• Apply a very thin bead of caulking where the shelf meets the ¼” ply above for a seamless look.

Step 9. Install shelf hooks.

• We waited to install the hooks until after the shelf was on the wall. Why? The length of the hook screws. They stick out the back of the hooks about 1 ¼”. With a ¾” thick shelf 1×6, your screw is going to pierce the drywall about ½”. If you install the hooks first, you’ll be hammering the entire shelf piece into the wall with (10) protruding screws. Note: these DO NOT offer structural integrity. Always screw into studs OR use appropriate strength drywall anchors.
• We added (5) equidistant hooks to the shelf. Roughly dry fit a few hooks to assess for best aesthetics. Measure, mark the holes with a pencil, and predrill holes with a bit the exact size of the screw shaft, NOT the size of the threads of the screw. It needs something to bite into to hold properly. Phillips drive screw heads shouldn’t exist. They’re easily stripped, require quite a bit more finesse, and rarely allow no-predrilling. Use your cordless drill with clutch, or phillips head screwdriver. Long live stars & squares!

Now organize it!

(To the tune of “A Whole New World”).

I can show you your home.
Ordered, structured, how splendid.
Tell me, hot mess, now when did
You last organize your life?

You can open your mail.
Taken letter by letter.
Timely paying your debtor(s),
With this rustic countervail.

A whole new space.
Your decluttered point of view.
No one will lose their key
In toy debris
Or adolescent scheming.