How to color code keys in 2 minutes with nail polish!

How jingly is your key ring? Do you have a TON of keys that you carry around with you? Are you ALWAYS getting them confused and end up trying multiple keys for each door? I am. Which is why, a few years ago, I realized that I needed to figure out how to color code keys.

When we first moved into our current home, I was given a lovely bunch of color-coded keys to be able to tell them apart, and I made copies of them in a place with lots of colored keys to choose from. Since then, pretty much all the locks have had to be changed for one reason or another, and I haven’t been able to get different coloured keys anymore.

Disaster!

But, because I’m one of those people who likes color and quickness when it comes to opening doors, I now use one of the easiest and fastest and least expensive life hacks ever.

Because, if you want to know how to color code keys, all you need is this:

NAIL POLISH! Chances are, you already have one or two colors and, if you don’t, I’m sure someone you know does. I’m a fan of nice bright toenails, so I have a pretty good collection. (More than this.)

If you don’t have any nail polish, just buy the cheapest kind you can find. I’m talking the crappy €1 bin stuff. We’re definitely not breaking the bank here!

You might want to use a glitter nail polish, because any imperfections in application get covered up much better, as you can see in this post on customizing keys with nail polish.

See now nicely that green key stands out from the others? Such a perfect trick! So, grab your identical keys and some nail polish, and let’s get started! I promise that it’ll be super easy!

How to color code keys

1. Shake the nail polish well. Unscrew the top. (I bet I didn’t need to tell you that part.)

2. Hold the serrated end of the key while you paint the wide part. If you want to paint both sides at once without having to wait for each one to dry, clamp a clothespin onto the unpainted part of the key and prop it up as seen above.

I put a piece of cereal box underneath my work because a) I tend to make messes all the time and b) I love using cereal boxes for pretty much everything. (Don’t believe me? Check out some of the ways I use cereal boxes!)

3. Give your key two or three coats of nail polish, letting it dry completely between coats. (Tip: the cheaper and crappier your nail polish, the more coats you’ll need.)

4. Admire your pretty and colorful personalized key!

5. Pop the colorful key onto your favorite keychain (preferably colorful as well, like this gorgeous tagua keychain I bought in Colombia).

6. Open a bunch of doors without fumbling in your keyring each time!

Told you it would be easy!

Seeing as you have your nail polish out already, why not make one or two of these funky painted melon seed necklaces? Gorgeous and super original!

Or, if you have a bunch of keys that you don’t need anymore, check out my friend Vicky’s collection of creative ideas for upcycling old keys, instead of just throwing them away!

And because knowing how to color code keys will eventually come very much in handy, make sure you Pin this so that you’ll have it when you need it!