How To: Wall Hook Leash Holder

I really wanted something cute to hang Lolly's leashes on because they were living in a pile on the floor next to the door. To my dismay, there aren't that many cute ones out there for sale!

There are several available on Amazon, but I just wasn't finding what I wanted. A few of the options out there:


That last one seriously scares me.

Then I saw this tutorial online and decided to make my own!

Here is what I started with--its kind of cute, but the seashell on it is a little bit amorphous and weird so I didn't feel bad about the next part...


...which is ripping it off by wedging a screwdriver under it and pulling! Then I took all the hardware off and put it aside so I could put it back on later once I re-surfaced the plaque.



Then I spray-painted it black.

And took some fine grit sandpaper to the edges to distress it a little bit and let that pretty blue paint show through. Problems though...First, it wasn't shiny enough for me, and second, you could still see where I pulled off the seashell. What to do, what to do?


Modge Podge to the rescue! Oh yes, high gloss is so pretty! I cut out a piece of black cardstock (or you could use scrapbook paper, or any paper you have that is smooth without any tooth) that was the exact size as the inner square.


I then spread some Modge Podge on the back of the black paper square and placed it over the inner square, and then covered the whole thing in Modge Podge to make it uniformly shiny and protected.


Now for the fun part (ok the other part was fun too!)


I picked this metallic-effect silver polymer clay so that my design would pop out from the black background. As you may have noticed, the blog I got the idea from put a photograph in the middle rather than going this route.


I made a cute little dog bone, and then spelled out "Woof!" and baked it in my oven according to the package directions. I thought about putting "Lolly's Leash" but then was afraid of getting jinxed. Yes seriously.

A little bit of super glue, and let it dry...then return all the hardware to the holes they came out of.


This is a neat trick for hanging things on the wall for people like me who are not good at math! Take a piece of tape and put it across both holes. Poke through the tape in the locations where the nails will go. You can now remove the tape, and you have the distance you need to space your nails on the wall. No measuring tape necessary! Just stick the tape to the wall, eye it where you like it, then put the nails in through the holes you poked.


Et Voila! The prima donna with her new lease holder!


This project was seriously the cheapest, easiest, quickest one I have done yet. It cost me about $10 and took only a few hours, even accounting for the time for the paint and decoupage to dry! It is such a huge improvement because now the leashes are not on the floor where they catch pet hair and are hard to find. Whoop whoop!