What's inside
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A wall-mounted mail sorter with keyhole-shaped slots gives each person a place for letters, outgoing mail, and keys without taking much entryway space. The build below uses a plywood back, hardwood dividers, and a separate rail for hooks. It suits a beginner who can make straight cuts and drill accurately; the keyhole-shaped openings take a little more care than simple rectangular pockets.
Contents
Size and layout
The finished sorter is about 24 inches wide, 16 inches tall, and 4 inches deep. It has three mail bays, each roughly 7 inches wide, plus a 3-inch-wide key area. Adjust the width to fit your wall, but keep mail bays at least 6 inches wide and 2 inches deep so standard envelopes do not catch on the sides.
Each keyhole slot has a wide lower opening for the key head and a narrower neck above it. A typical house key head is about ¾ inch wide; a key ring may be wider. Measure the keys you intend to hang before cutting. Make the lower opening about 1 inch wide and the neck ⅜ to ½ inch wide. The neck must be narrower than the key head, but wide enough for the key’s blade or ring to pass through.
Materials and tools
Use ½-inch plywood for the back and ¾-inch stock for the shelves and dividers. A 2-by-4-foot sheet of plywood is enough for the back and most parts. Choose straight, dry pine for a budget build, or poplar or maple for a harder-wearing finish. Pine is fine indoors, though its edges dent more easily.
You will need a saw, drill, square, tape measure, clamps, sandpaper, and a jigsaw or coping saw. A 1-inch Forstner or spade bit makes the round bottoms of the keyholes; a jigsaw connects the cuts. A Forstner bit set is useful for clean, flat-bottomed openings, but a sharp spade bit works if you drill slowly and support the plywood underneath.
Cut list and layout
Cut the back to 24 by 16 inches. Cut a bottom shelf 24 by 4 inches, two side walls 4 by 6 inches, and two dividers 4 by 6 inches. These make three mail bays. Cut a key panel about 4 by 6 inches, then fit it beside the bays; trim the overall back or adjust the bay widths to suit your layout. A simpler option is to make the key panel part of the back and attach a narrow front rail below it to hold hooks.
Before cutting, mark the shelf and divider positions on the back. Keep the bay openings clear of the screw locations and leave at least ½ inch of material around each keyhole. Dry-fit the pieces and check that a full-size envelope can slide into every bay without rubbing.
Cut the keyhole slots
Mark the keyhole centers in a vertical row on the key panel, leaving at least 1½ inches between openings. Drill a round hole at the bottom of each slot. Clamp the panel to a sacrificial board to reduce tear-out, and keep the drill square to the face. Draw the narrower neck upward from the round opening, then cut along the lines with a jigsaw. A coping saw gives more control if the panel is not mounted yet.
Test each slot with the actual key. If the head will not pass into the round opening, enlarge it slightly; if the neck is too wide, the key may slide out. Sand the edges smooth, but do not round them enough to change the fit. Keyhole slots cut into thin plywood can split under a hard tug. Use ¾-inch stock for the key panel if you expect heavy use, or add a second layer behind the slot area.
Assemble the sorter
Sand the inside faces before assembly, especially the bay corners. Apply a thin bead of wood glue to the shelf and divider joints, then clamp the parts square against the back. Predrill the plywood to prevent splits and fasten from the back with 1¼-inch screws. Keep screws at least ⅜ inch from edges. If a screw breaks through a divider or shelf, remove it and patch the hole rather than leaving a sharp point where mail can snag.
Attach the key panel with glue and screws, or fit it as a removable piece with screws alone. Add a ¾-inch-tall front lip to the mail shelf if letters tend to slide out when the door closes. Check the assembly for square by measuring both diagonals; they should be within about ⅛ inch of each other.
Mounting options
| Mounting method | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Two screws into studs | Permanent installation and a loaded sorter | Stud spacing may not match the sorter’s width |
| French cleat | Easy removal and leveling | Uses extra wood and adds about ¾ inch of depth |
| Hollow-wall anchors | Locations without a usable stud | Capacity depends on the wall and anchor; avoid overloading |
For a straightforward mount, locate studs and drive two 2½-inch screws through the back into them. If stud spacing does not line up, attach a French cleat across the back and screw its matching half into the studs. Do not rely on small nails or adhesive strips for a sorter carrying mail and keys. If using hollow-wall anchors, choose ones rated for the expected load and follow their installation instructions.
Finish and final checks
Ease sharp edges with 120-grit sandpaper, then sand visible surfaces to 180 grit. Apply paint, water-based polyurethane, or a wipe-on oil according to its label. Paint hides plywood edges well; clear finishes show the layers, so cover them with edge banding if appearance matters. Let the finish cure fully before loading the sorter, or envelopes may stick to tacky surfaces.
Hang the sorter, load each bay with a few letters, and pull keys out of their slots several times. Check that the mail does not catch on screw heads or rough cuts and that the wall fasteners remain firm. If keys slip free, narrow the slot neck with a thin glued-on strip rather than remaking the whole panel.