Family Organization Door | Pretty Handy Girl

Family Organization Door | Pretty Handy Girl

It’s hard to stay organized when you are a DIY blogger, Mom, wife, cook, cleaner, taxi driver, and a student (taking evening classes for the general contractor exam.) I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve dropped a few balls in this massive juggling act. But, I strive to improve and part of that effort involved hanging a Family Organization Center Door next to the refrigerator.  Did you know there was such a thing? Ha, me either until I saw this half window door at our local Habitat ReStore.

Family Organization Door | Pretty Handy Girl

A vision of a place to plan meals, keep track of chores and keep reminders became clear in my head when I first saw it. Want to see how I took this old door and turned it into a family organization center? Hang around for a few minutes to find out.

Materials:
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Optional:

Instructions:

After finding a door for your organization center, you may need to trim down the sides to fit your space. I had to trim an inch off each side of my door to fit on the side of our refrigerator cabinet. Use a circular saw to trim the door. Using a Kreg Rip Cut will help keep the saw straight.

Family Organization Door | Pretty Handy Girl

For extra stability, you may want to add a caster on the bottom of the door (opposite the hinge side). This is not necessary, but will add extra support.

Family Organization Door | Pretty Handy Girl

Cut scraps of coax cable to fit into the tops of the windows.

Family Organization Door | Pretty Handy Girl

Working on the back side of the door, press the cable onto the glass up against the mullion (window grid) at the top of each divided light. Staple the coax cable to the window mullion. This provides some tension to shove papers under the cable and hold them against the glass.

Family Organization Door | Pretty Handy Girl

You can barely see the cables at the top of each window, but they hold the paper behind the windows.

Family Organization Door | Pretty Handy Girl

Hanging the Door with a Rockwell JawStand:

Working alone is tough, especially when hanging a door or holding something heavy. The kind folks at Rockwell sent me their JawStand to try. Hanging the door was the perfect opportunity to test the JawStand and have that extra set of hands.

Family Organization Door | Pretty Handy Girl

Directly out of the box, the JawStand is compact and in two separate sections.

Family Organization Door | Pretty Handy Girl

Start by rotating all three legs to open them (tripod style.)

Family Organization Door | Pretty Handy Girl

Next, slide the clamp column into the tripod base.

Family Organization Door | Pretty Handy Girl

Turn the clamp adjustment knob to loosen the clamp jaws.

Family Organization Door | Pretty Handy Girl

Slide the JawStand onto the door.

Family Organization Door | Pretty Handy Girl

Level and plumb the door. Make adjustments and then tighten the clamping jaws on the JawStand.

Family Organization Door | Pretty Handy Girl

Securing the Gate Hinges:

Figure out the location the hinges will attach to the wall and the door. Locate a stud to mount the door onto. Mark the holes in the hinge with pencil.

Family Organization Door | Pretty Handy Girl

Pre-drill a small hole. Then use the socket wrench to secure the lag screw through the hinge and into the wall stud.

Family Organization Door | Pretty Handy Girl

Line the door up with the hinges. Pre-drill small holes through the holes in the gate hinge. Secure the hinge to the door with 1″ lag screws.

Family Organization Door | Pretty Handy Girl

Repeat the same steps to hang the door from the second gate hinge.

Family Organization Door | Pretty Handy Girl

When the door is securely hung, loosen the JawStand clamps and release the door. I can honestly say, hanging this door by myself would not have been possible without the JawStand, unless I had a second adult to hold it instead.

Family Organization Door | Pretty Handy Girl

Test the door to make sure you can open it enough to access the papers behind the glass occasionally.

Family Organization Door | Pretty Handy Girl

Slip your menu planner, chore lists, artwork or reminders in between the cable pieces and the glass.

Family Organization Door | Pretty Handy Girl

And enjoy being organized! (I created the menu planner with images from The Graphics Fairy. Stay tuned for a downloadable version.) Who else loves Taco Tuesday and Pizza Friday? Not to be outdone by breakfast for dinner!

Family Organization Door | Pretty Handy Girl

The boys can easily see their chores for each day and check off when they are done. The glass creates the perfect dry erase surface.

Family Organization Door | Pretty Handy Girl

At the bottom of the door, I added some sheet metal that was transformed with Modern Masters copper paint and patina solution. We use it as a magnetic board. I’ll show you that copper painting process soon.

Family Organization Door | Pretty Handy Girl

Family Organization Door | Pretty Handy Girl

If you have a sharp eye, you may have noticed that I covered the original door knob and dead bolt holes with another piece of sheet metal and a face plate.

Family Organization Door | Pretty Handy Girl

I’m curious what you think about our family organization center door?

Family Organization Door | Pretty Handy Girl

Is it wacky or genius?

PHGFancySign

Disclosure: Rockwell sent me the JawStand for a product review. This is NOT a sponsored post. I was not paid to blog about the JawStand, nor was I told what to write about the JawStand.  I will always disclose to you when you are reading a sponsored post or if a product was sent to me at no cost.

 

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See how Pretty Handy Girl took an old door and turned it into a family organization center | DIY command center | DIY family organization center #prettyhandygirl #DIY #familycommandcenter #familyorganizationcenter

12 replies
  1. Lynette
    Lynette says:

    Love the idea..would change alittle to include either a corkboard in one window or maybe a chalkboard. It would work great for a craft space or home office too. Who doesn’t need help keeping organized! Keep up the great ideas.

    Reply
  2. Debbie
    Debbie says:

    I love this idea and you make it look so easy. The jaw stand appears to have worked great for you. I love your blog. You always have the best ideas.

    Reply
  3. Colleen Taylor
    Colleen Taylor says:

    Everything about this is Sheer Genius! Wow, I’m so impressed with this idea & that Jaw Stand, what a piece of equipment to own! There are so many ways a person could use this idea of yours! Your plate doth overfloweth without a doubt! Great tutorial & post. Thanks so much! X

    Reply
  4. Lucy Schmidt
    Lucy Schmidt says:

    Ha! The doorknob plate was what my eye caught first, probably because I love those old ones. I love the idea and would probably one add one thing: a glass or old doorknob so I could hang a purse or totebag or backpack from. The coax cable idea is brilliant, as is the JawStand. Who couldn’t use an “extra hand” when a real one isn’t available? Looking forward to the patina tutorial. Good luck with the contractor’s exam.

    Reply
  5. Christina
    Christina says:

    This is positively BRILLIANT! I had no idea there was such a thing as the Jaw Stand! That is one awesome tool! I hope they let you keep it!!!
    The coax cable as a clip is also brilliant!
    I missed the door knob cover until the last photos. Gorgeous. Love the paint job.
    You truly knocked it out of the park with this one. There are SO many possibilities and variations… my head is spinning. Love this! Thanks so much!!!

    Reply

Trackbacks & Pingbacks

  1. […] Family Organization Center Door […]

  2. […] and patina on exterior roof surfaces to fake the look. You may have seen the copper panel on our family organization center door. Today I want to show you how to create Inexpensive Copper Metal and Patina using Metal […]

  3. […] Family Organization Center Door […]

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