Happy New Year! Who’s making resolutions? We’re still mulling ours over (Sherry loves a list), but for now we want to share a project we finished just before the holidays: a homemade latch board for Clara. It wasn’t the only DIY gift she opened this year—her play fridge was another—but the latch board was a fun last-minute project and we finally put together a simple tutorial and recap.
We first noticed latch boards when Clara’s cousin Elsa received one a year earlier. Kids are naturally drawn to turning, twisting, and flipping shiny things, and latch boards tap directly into that impulse. We waited until Clara seemed ready—old enough to enjoy the challenge without getting frustrated—then set out to build one ourselves.
We shopped at our favorite local hardware shop, a kind of warehouse filled with old keys, latches, knobs, and miscellaneous hardware. It’s basically an adult candy store for DIY lovers. We picked out a variety of hinges, window latches, door bolts, and a couple of decorative carabiners, along with drawer pulls to attach some of the smaller pieces. We ended up returning a few items that felt redundant and kept the layout compact and manageable.
The board we planned to use had to be thicker than the scrap plywood we initially laid things out on so screws wouldn’t come through the bottom and scratch the floor. I dug through the basement and found spare 1×4″ and 1×3″ boards, then joined them using a Kreg jig. You could certainly buy a single board cut to size at a home center, but I like using what we already had for a slightly weathered, authentic look that matched other pieces in our home.
After joining the boards I waited to cut them to final length until everything was secured so I could make a precise edge. One quick pass on the table saw produced a clean 12″ x 12″ square. I sanded the edges and corners to round them slightly for safer handling by small hands.
To give the board a little personality we stained the top and painted the edges. This step isn’t necessary, but it’s a fun touch. I taped the edges with painter’s tape and applied a Dark Mahogany stain to the top, distressing it a bit beforehand to create a weathered appearance. Once the stain dried I removed the tape, primed the edges, and followed with a coat of Benjamin Moore Citron—a bright, nearly-neon yellow-green we’d used on other projects. I rolled the paint with a small foam roller after brushing to ensure an even finish and protect the crisp painted edge.
When the paint was dry, Sherry applied a coat of low-VOC Acrylacq polyurethane for added durability and a safer finish for a child’s toy. After the sealer cured overnight we began attaching latches and other hardware. We were cutting it close—about 40 hours before Christmas morning—but we finished in time. A last hinge purchase on Christmas Eve wrapped up the assembly so we could get it wrapped for Santa to “deliver.”
The project cost around $35. That’s more than some store-bought versions, largely because of two decorative carabiners that cost about $9 total and a locking window latch that was $4. We could have reduced the cost with simpler hardware, but the carabiners turned out to be Clara’s favorite elements, so the splurge was worth it to us.
Update: After a week of use, the board didn’t seem too heavy for Clara—its weight is similar to her wooden puzzles—and we haven’t had any pinched fingers. We selected hardware with smooth edges and used only external latches and hinges, unlike internal cabinet locks. Several teachers who use latch boards in classrooms have told us they’re great for developing fine motor skills, and Clara seems to enjoy it a lot.
We captured a short clip of Clara opening her latch board on Christmas morning; she gave exactly the reaction we hoped for: pure delight. What parent wouldn’t love that “Oh wow, man” moment?
Are you making latch boards or wandering through antique hardware stores looking for inspiration? It’s an addictive project and a great way to reuse small bits of interesting hardware while making something playful and useful for little hands.