Guide To Making a Designer Leather Keychain

12/5/2016

I originally came up with this keychain design (Free Pattern Download) for a leathercraft exhibition in Taiwan. Alongside introducing my leatherwork I wanted to afford people the opportunity to make something that would expose them to several aspects of leather craft that would be rewarding and not overwhelmingly difficult. The keychain and other elements of the exhibition turned out to be a huge success and attracted all kinds of attention. Whether you are a seasoned leather worker or just getting started in the craft you can't go wrong with projects like these. Another bonus to small projects like these is that the cost to make one is fairly reasonable. You only need a small amount of leather, a swivel snap, key ring, rivets, or screws. How much it costs just depend really on the type of hardware you choose.

For the youtube tutorial I posted for this particular keychain I selected some quality hardware to add to the beauty of the leather. Although as you can see in some of the pictures I have also used several types of swivel snaps to adjorn my keychains, but I personally think the more you spend for quality snaps the better your project will look... With that said I spent about $6 USD for the snap, which is by far the most expensive material used in the project. I have seen designer keychains in department stores with much cheaper materials sell of as much as $100USD. So I highly recommend to spend a little extra for your hardware as it can dramatically add to the value of what you made.

In the video I used extra thick leather (3mm) for a more bold looking keychain, although a variety of leather thickness' could be considered, but I wouldn't recommend going too thin making the keychain flimsy. With both pieces together the center is 6mm thick and the ends 9mm thick. Both tabs can be attached with either a rivet or screws. Hardware, screws/rivets, and accessories needed for a project like this should be easy to find at most leather supply stores, or online. Along with the pattern I have provided I also list some of the tools and materials you might need in completing this project.

If you have a business logo, the keychain can also be a great way to share your brand with others. There is also enough space on this pattern to stamp in someone's name, or to apply a little leather tooling as seen in some of the pics...