100 Days of Holiday Inspiration-Ribbon Ball Keychain-88 Days & Counting

100 Days of Crafts, Gifts & More

 

 

This next project is one that was recently brought to my attention by a friend asking if I could make them.  I really don't know the proper name for them but it's a ribbon key chain made using a large wood bead.

 

I toyed around with this for a while trying to decide the best way to make one, and I'm pretty pleased with the end result.  For the most part these are pretty easy to make.

Supplies:

1" wood beads
Key ring
paint/sealer/stickers/ect
ribbon
glue

(I found these at Joann's)

You will also want to find a way of propping up these beads so you can paint them.  I was ever so elegant in mine.

Yes, I used a paint brush.  But I also was able to place some on dowel rods and then stood them up in a block of foam to paint. 

For mine, I painted them red and added a hand painted bulldog paw for my daughter's school mascot.  You could hand paint anything you like or use stickers.  I finish them up with by covering them thoroughly with a gloss sealer spray (pictured above).

Next, take your choice of ribbon (mine is 3/8" black grosgrain) and fold in half, then push through one end of the hole in the wood bead.  Just use your dowel rod or paint brush to push it through.

Then I make a knot in the looped end, and put my keyring in place.

 

Next decide what ribbons you want to fan out at the bottom of the key chain.  You can make it as full as you would like. 

I cut all of mine at 8" in length and then stacked thickest to thinnest.

Fold them in half and make a crease, this will let you know where to start threading them at.

 

 



 

I put a threaded needle through the middle, fanned out the ribbon, and stitched through several times to secure.

Now, my best suggestion is to place some hot glue in between the ribbon that is open at the end of the wood bead.  Position your fanned ribbon in place and hold until dry.

 

Once dry, take the 2 open ends of ribbon coming out of the bead and tie in a knot around your fanned ribbon.  You will also want to add some glue in between those knotted layers to make sure it stays secure.

 

And that's it.

You could customize one for everyone on your Christmas list, or make a theme.  Very cute, personal and inexpensive gift!

 

 

 

Are you getting anxious or excited about our upcoming holidays?  Does the countdown ticker on the right make your pulse increase with fear?  Stick around for some more creative ideas to help ease you in to this holiday season. 

 

If you have another version of doing these kind of key chains, please feel free to share!  I love hearing from you.

 

Until next time....

 

G'nite!

 

Amy~The Dixie Diva