How to Make Keychains – Create Your First Custom Design

How to Make Keychains with Simple, Easy-to-Find Materials.

Craft Your Own Style: A Beginner’s Guide to Making Keychains

Keychains are more than just functional objects that keep our keys organized; they are tiny expressions of personality, perfect as gifts, souvenirs, or a fun little side hustle. The best part? Making your own is surprisingly easy, affordable, and incredibly rewarding.

Whether you’re a seasoned crafter or a complete beginner, there’s a keychain-making method for you. Let’s dive into the basics and explore a few popular techniques to get you started on your creative journey.

Getting Started: The Universal Essentials

Before you choose your method, you’ll need a few common components:

Keyrings: The metal ring that holds everything together. They come in various sizes, from small split rings to large carabiner-style clips.
Jump Rings: Small, circular metal rings that are essential for attaching charms or findings to your keyring. You’ll need pliers to open and close them securely.
Pliers: Two pairs are helpful—chain-nose pliers for gripping and round-nose pliers for bending loops. At a minimum, a pair of jewelry-making pliers will do.
Lobster Clasps: Optional, but great for making keychains that can be easily clipped onto bags or zippers.

With these basics in hand, you can explore these fun and accessible techniques.

Method 2: Shrink Plastic Keychains (Unleash Your Inner Artist)

This technique lets you draw any design you can imagine. It’s magical and fun for all ages.

What You’ll Need:

Shrink plastic paper (frosted or clear)
Permanent markers, colored pencils, or acrylic paint pens
Scissors or a hole punch
An oven
Parchment paper
Keyring and jump rings

Steps:

Design & Draw: Sketch your design on the rough side of the shrink plastic. Pro Tip: Draw your design 2-3 times larger than you want the final keychain to be, as it will shrink significantly.

Cut It Out: Carefully cut out your design.

Punch a Hole: Use a standard hole punch to create a hole for the jump ring. Crucial Step: The hole will also shrink, so make sure it’s large enough and positioned where you want it.

Bake: Preheat your oven according to the plastic’s instructions (usually around 325°F / 160°C). Place your designs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 1-3 minutes. You’ll watch them curl up and then flatten back out—it’s fascinating!

Cool & Flatten: Remove them from the oven once they’ve flattened and let them cool completely. They will be hard and durable.

Assemble: Attach a jump ring through the hole and connect it to your keyring.