Keychains... everyone needs one!
Now that the Christmas deadlines have passed, we've been looking for fun items that you can finish yourself to give as gifts.
Enter: self finishing keychain kits.
Whether you're looking for a gift for a teacher, a friend or just looking for a quick mindless project to stitch on the go. Keychain kits are great grab and go projects. We've kitted a bunch of our favorite canvases and they are in stock and ready to ship.
Click here to shop them all.
Now that the Christmas deadlines have passed, we've been looking for fun items that you can finish yourself to give as gifts.
Enter: self finishing keychain kits.
Whether you're looking for a gift for a teacher, a friend or just looking for a quick mindless project to stitch on the go. Keychain kits are great grab and go projects. We've kitted a bunch of our favorite canvases and they are in stock and ready to ship.
Click here to shop them all.
We know finishing anything yourself can feel daunting, but with the help of this step by step tutorial, you'll be a pro at finishing our key chains in no time.
The biggest bar to entry when it comes to this project is learning the "Binding Stitch."
The biggest bar to entry when it comes to this project is learning the "Binding Stitch."
The Binding Stitch is a handy stitch to add to your add to box of tricks. It adds a sturdy “finished” edge to your canvas. It can be used on projects such as keychains, belts, purse straps and headbands to help with wear and tear over time. The Binding Stitch is always the very last step to finish a canvas, once the rest of the project is stitched. Take a look at our tutorial here for a breakdown. If you've never done it before, it is very rhythmic and meditative to do! If we can do it, so can you.
Follow our step by step instructions below to get the perfect finish on your keychain.
Materials:
Keychain Canvas- Stitched
Excess thread for binding stitch
Hardware
A sharp pair of sewing scissors
Step 1:
Grab your materials!
Follow the list above and grab all the materials you need. If you ordered a kit from KC Needlepoint, you already have all your supplies.
Step 2:
Stitch your project.
When stitching your keychain canvas, you will want to leave the outer two canvas threads on either (long) edge of the canvas unstitched. Stitch everything else, with the exception of these four rows. This is where we will place our binding stitch when we finish our project and will ensure it is the correct size for the hardware in your kit.
Step 3:
Trim the canvas.
With the outer two rows still unstitched, we are going to go ahead and trim our canvas. Go ahead and cut most of the excess canvas off, so that it is easy to fold.
On the side that you are planning on finishing first, go ahead and cut right up to the first unstitched row.
Step 4:
Fold your canvas.
Fold your canvas in half, so that you have three birds on either side of the keychain. Count the threads between the two birds to make sure that you have folded the canvas as close to in half as possible. If you are one or two canvas threads off- not to worry! This will be hidden when we add the hardware at the end!
Step 3:
Trim the canvas.
With the outer two rows still unstitched, we are going to go ahead and trim our canvas. Go ahead and cut most of the excess canvas off, so that it is easy to fold.
On the side that you are planning on finishing first, go ahead and cut right up to the first unstitched row.
Step 4:
Fold your canvas.
Fold your canvas in half, so that you have three birds on either side of the keychain. Count the threads between the two birds to make sure that you have folded the canvas as close to in half as possible. If you are one or two canvas threads off- not to worry! This will be hidden when we add the hardware at the end!
Step 5:
Add the binding stitch.
We are going to use the binding stitch to bind both sides of our folded canvas together into one long strip. Start on the side where you have your close cut working from the fold in the canvas towards the "open" end.
Repeat on the other side, trimming off your excess rows prior to adding the stitch.
Step 6:
Add your hardware
Once you've added your binding stitch to both sides, you're ready to add your hardware. It is fairly intuitive!
The hardware goes on the open end of the keychain and should be squeezed tight to stay in place. If need be you can use a pair of pliers to seal it shut around the fabric, but this may also be done by hand.
Step 7:
Add keys!
Add your new DIY project to your car keys, a favorite backpack or toss them onto that pesky spare key to make sure you never misplace it again. Alternatively, gift it to a friend!
Click here to order your keychain kit today!
Add the binding stitch.
We are going to use the binding stitch to bind both sides of our folded canvas together into one long strip. Start on the side where you have your close cut working from the fold in the canvas towards the "open" end.
Repeat on the other side, trimming off your excess rows prior to adding the stitch.
Step 6:
Add your hardware
Once you've added your binding stitch to both sides, you're ready to add your hardware. It is fairly intuitive!
The hardware goes on the open end of the keychain and should be squeezed tight to stay in place. If need be you can use a pair of pliers to seal it shut around the fabric, but this may also be done by hand.
Step 7:
Add keys!
Add your new DIY project to your car keys, a favorite backpack or toss them onto that pesky spare key to make sure you never misplace it again. Alternatively, gift it to a friend!
Click here to order your keychain kit today!
Order early to make sure you get the colors and patterns you want. They're flying out of the shop!