Use a piece of thick leather to create a sturdy keychain.
If you want to make a one-of-a-kind key accessory, or are simply looking for something to do with a scrap piece of leather, creating a leather keychain is a fairly easy project. By designing your own pattern, you can capture the likeness of almost any animal and recreate it in leather. Make leather animal keychains for yourself, or create one of your friend's favorite animals to give as a gift.
Instructions
1. Sketch an animal image on a piece of cardboard or poster board. This shape should be a recognizable silhouette of an animal, such as a teddy bear with rounded ears or an elephant with a long trunk. If needed, browse through books or pictures on the Internet for inspiration. Ensure this animal drawing isn't too detailed so that it's easier to recreate in leather. Cut out the animal shape.
2. Select a piece of leather you want to create the keychain from. Use a thick leather that's at least 4 ounces (which means it's 1/16 inch thick). This will create a sturdy keychain that can stand up to the wear and tear of daily use. Lay the leather on flat surface.
3. Place the animal cutout on top of the leather. Use a piece of chalk or a light pencil line to trace around the outside of the cutout.
4. Cut out the traced animal shape with a sharp knife or strong pair of scissors.
5. Determine where you want to place the hole that will connect the shape to a keyring. This might be on the animal's arm or at the top of its head. Make this hole about 1/2 inch from the outer edge of the leather. Mark it with a piece of chalk or a pencil.
6. Put the leather shape on top of a piece of wood or another scrap material. Place a nail over the marked keyring hole. This nail will make the hole the ring will thread through, so ensure the nail is thick enough to fit the ring. Gently tap the nail with a hammer until the nail completely breaks through the other side of the leather. Remove the nail from the leather.
7. Open the keyring by separating the end of one layered metal ring away from the other. Slip the leather in between these metal rings until one prong comes out the hole in the leather. Turn the metal ring around the leather, rotating it through the hole, until the entire ring has been spiraled. The key will now be securely inside the leather's hole.
Tips Warnings
Trace a cookie cutter to create the outline of an animal.
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