Happy New Year, everyone! Are you making resolutions? We were busy mulling ours over (Sherry always loves a list), but today we want to share a project we finished just before the holidays: a homemade latch board for our daughter, Clara. It wasn’t the only DIY gift she opened—her play fridge was another—but this latch board was a last-minute labor of love that we’re excited to finally share.
We first discovered latch boards when Clara’s cousin Elsa received one a year earlier. Kids seem to have a natural urge to turn, twist, latch and flip anything shiny, so a latch board made perfect sense. We waited until Clara had developed enough fine motor skill and patience so she wouldn’t get frustrated. When the timing felt right, we gathered parts and made one of our own.
For hardware and unique pieces we headed to our favorite local shop that’s basically a treasure trove of screws, hinges, knobs and vintage latches—a grown-up candy store for DIYers. We came home with a variety of pieces and laid them out to see what fit together best. We were careful to keep the final board manageable in both size and number of components, leaving out redundant items and focusing on a mix of hinges, window latches, door bolts and a couple of decorative carabiners attached to simple drawer pulls.
The prototype we used to plan the layout was a scrap of plywood. For the final board we chose thicker lumber so screws wouldn’t poke through and so the board would be sturdy for tiny hands. I found spare 1×4″ and 1×3″ boards in the basement and joined them with a jig I already had. If you prefer, a single board cut to size at a hardware store will work fine and eliminates the need for a jig. I waited to trim everything to length until the boards were assembled so the edge would be even, then made a single clean rip on the table saw to size the square.
The finished piece was a 12″ x 12″ square, sanded to soften edges and corners for safety. To give the board a little personality, we added a simple stain-and-paint treatment. After taping the edges, I applied a dark mahogany stain to the top and roughed it up slightly beforehand for a weathered look. After the stain dried I primed and painted the edges using a bright citron color leftover from another project. A small foam roller helped keep the paint even and preserved the crisp edge.
Once the paint cured, Sherry applied a quick coat of low-VOC Acrylacq polyurethane to protect the finish. After the sealer set overnight, it was time to attach the latches and hardware. We finished the last piece the day before Christmas, grabbed a missing hinge on Christmas Eve, and wrapped the board for Santa to deliver the next morning.
Overall the project cost about $35. Most of the expense came from decorative carabiners and a locking window latch—items you could swap for less expensive options if you prefer. In our case the carabiners ended up being Clara’s favorite pieces, so the extra cost felt worth it.
Some readers ask whether the board is too heavy for a toddler or whether it poses a pinching risk. After a week of play Clara carried it around without trouble and we haven’t observed any pinched fingers. We selected pieces with smooth edges and focused on external latches and hinges rather than internal locks. Several teachers have told us latch boards work well in classrooms because they engage kids and support development of fine motor skills, which is exactly what we hoped for.
We captured Clara’s reaction when she opened the board on Christmas morning and she loved it—exactly the “Oh wow” moment we hoped for. If you’re tempted to make a latch board yourself, consider visiting a local hardware store to hunt for interesting parts, choose a sturdy board at a size that works for your space, and pick a mix of hardware that provides variety without overwhelming the child. It’s a fun DIY that provides a hands-on way to practice coordination and problem solving.
Are you making latch boards or exploring old hardware shops like a kid in a candy store? We’d love to hear about your favorite finds and creative combinations for latch board designs.