How To Make Keychains With Thread
Introduction
Making your own crafts is a fun way to express your creative side and have something useful to show for your efforts. This guide teaches you how to make keychains with thread using simple instructions and inexpensive materials. You can customize and decorate your thread keychain with whatever beads and charms you like to add a personalized touch. These easy-to-make keychains are a fun project to do by yourself or as a group activity for school, church, or birthday parties. Handmade items such as these keychains make for thoughtful small gifts for friends and loved ones.
Keychains are multi-functional items that serve many purposes. In addition to keeping your keys together, they can be used as zipper pulls, pet collar decorations, phone charms, decorative items for backpacks and purses, and much more.
Step By Step Instructions
Luckily, you don’t need to have a high degree of natural artistic or creative talent in order to make keychains with thread. In just a few steps, you’ll have a cute and functional keychain to help you stay organized with a dash of personal flair.
Preparing the materials
- Gather materials: Get your thread or embroidery floss, beads of any material you like, and a standard metal keyring. All of these can be bought cheaply at a craft supply store or large supermarkets such as Wal-Mart.
- Cut the thread to desired length: For people prone to losing their keys, a longer keychain is a good idea to make it more noticeable and harder to misplace. Shorter keychains are good for people who dislike having too much bulk in their pockets or purse.
Stringing the beads
- Arrange the beads in the desired pattern: Choose how you want to arrange your beads before you thread them to save the time and effort of taking them off and doing them again.
- Thread beads onto the thread: When you know the pattern you want, thread the first bead onto the thread or embroidery floss and tie the thread in a double knot around the bottom bead. This will secure the first bead and prevent any of the beads from sliding off the end. Then, simply thread the rest of the beads on.
Finishing touches
- Add any additional embellishments: Now is the time to add any glitter or tassels to your beaded keychain. Don’t forget letters! You can spell out your name or any other word with letter beads. If you are unable to find beads with letters, you can buy plain wooden beads and paint your own letters or symbols onto them.
- Trim any excess thread from the knot around the bottom bead for a smoother, more finished look.
Attaching the key ring
- Tie the beaded thread to the keychain: Once all your beads are in place, tie the loose end of the thread onto the key ring. Make sure you tie the thread around the keyring loosely enough that you’ll be able to add and remove keys from the ring as necessary.
- Voila! Your very own handmade keychain with loads of personal style.
Tips and Tricks
You can use a needle to make threading the beads easier. Simply thread the thread through the eye of the needle, then pull it through to the desired length. It is a lot easier to thread beads over a needle than to push the thread through the bead, especially for beads with a smaller hole.
Embroidery floss is thicker and more durable than sewing thread, but it is more difficult to thread a needle with. Embroidery floss is a good choice for larger beads with wider openings.
To make sure that the end of the keychain is secure, you might want to add a drop of superglue to the knotted thread at the bottom bead. That way, if the knot comes undone, your beads will still remain in place. You can also use a bead stopper at the end.
Experiment with different knotting techniques for different effects between beads.
Conclusion
We’d love to see your keychain creations! Send us your pictures to share your creative inspiration.
If you are looking for a customizable, extremely durable, and long-lasting keychain for yourself or as a gift, check out our catalog of handmade wooden and leather keychains.