How to Make Acrylic Keychains

If you are anything like me, you are a creative person who wants to learn how to make something creative. I’m always searching Google, Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube for my next project. Sometimes these are just for fun, for a gift I’m giving, or for a new product I want to sell in my shop. I do make and sell these acrylic keychains if you want to skip a few steps or if you don’t have all the supplies. Visit my Creative Collection here.

Want to make your own acrylic keychains? I’m here to walk you through my process from start to finish. Before we talk about the steps, let’s first talk about the supplies you’ll need. I’ve included direct links to these products on Amazon throughout this tutorial. I’m an Amazon Affiliate and will earn a few pennies off your purchases, so thank you for clicking from this post.

Supplies:

Silhouette Cameo, or Cricut Vinyl Cutter Machine – There are several different models to choose from at different price points. I have a very old Silhouette Cameo that is still working well so that’s what I’ve used for my acrylic keychains, but any of these machines will work. There is a learning curve with these machines and there are several great YouTube tutorials to help you learn the software and cutting process.

Permanent Vinyl – Again, there is a lot of options for vinyl. I use a permanent vinyl for the acrylic keychains. I don’t have a favorite brand yet and have used name brand and off-brand vinyl for years. The set shown above is a sample set and includes a variety of colors including some shiny metallic colors. It’s a great place to start.

Vinyl Transfer Tape – You’ll need the transfer tape to successfully move the finished cut vinyl to your keychain.

Weeding Tools – A simple set like the one above is what I have. It includes all the basics that you’ll need for working with vinyl.

Acrylic Blanks – I use the 2″ acrylic blanks for keychains. They are clear acrylic and include the keychains and tassels.

Key Chain Clips – You don’t need these but I do like how they give a finished look for your keychains. They also make it easy to attach to your purse, backpack, or key chain.

Jewelry Pliers – You’ll need at least 2 jewelry pliers to assemble the keychain pieces with jump rings.

Jump Rings – I like to work in silver but there are other colors available. I like the 8mm jump rings the best. You’ll use these to attach the acrylic blank to the keychains and the keychains to the clips. You can also add embellishments like the tassels using jump rings.

How to Make Acrylic Keychains

Now on to the tutorial on how to make the keychains. To create my design I use a combination of Canva, hand drawn designs, and the Silhouette Studio software. If you’re going to be using these for personal use or gifts you don’t have to worry about copyright issues, but if you plan on selling your keychains you do want to be mindful of graphics and fonts that have commercial use licensing.

You’ll need to size your artwork in your Silhouette or Cricut software before you cut your vinyl. I create a template by drawing a 2″ circle and then fit my design inside the circle.

Template:

Background Image:

Text Layer:

Once you have your design laid out, it’s time to split the layers for cutting. You can remove the template layer now and keep the background and text layers.

You can now print your vinyl it’s time to weed and apply the transfer tape.

You’ll then remove the protective sheet from your keychain front and back. You’ll apply the background design to one side of the keychain and the text to the opposite side. There’s no need to seal your vinyl since you’re using permanent acrylic.

Finally, you’ll use your jewelry pliers to assemble the keychain pieces, clip, and tassel.

The design options are endless! The only limitation is the 2″ circle you’re working with. I will tell you that less text and shorter words look best. I also recommend simple design elements for the background. You can use them as keychains, bag tags, or even gift bag tags. I can’t wait to see what you design.

Don’t have all the supplies? Limited on time? Not creative? Don’t worry, you can shop my Creative Collection today and I can design the perfect keychain for you.

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