Thursday, June 7, 2012

Thrifty Thursday - Father's Day Photo Keyring

I know, I know. I was going to do the project about my Chutes and Ladders jewelry box but father's day is coming up and my husband didn't really want a jewelry box. I know, right? The nerve.... Instead the boys and I are making him a a keychain made from an oversized washer, a picture that we print off the computer, and a little Diamond Glaze. (But really, most dimensional glazes will work.)

Back before Mother's Day a good friend pointed me to this site via Pinterest. It's a necklace tutorial and I knew I wanted to do this for my mother-in-law for Mother's Day. I went to my local home improvement warehouse and bought washers that are about 2" wide with a much smaller hole. Then I bought plain metal key rings because my mother-in-law really isn't a necklace kind of person.

I followed all the same procedures in the instructions on that website, except that I attached a key ring instead of the hemp cord. Some tips:
  • Put the washer on the metal ring before you glaze it, and use something (chopstick, cheap plastic paintbrush, etc.) to hold the ring open to avoid scratching the picture. If you're doing a collage instead of a solid picture, then definitely attach the picture first.
  • Wear vinyl gloves unless you want glaze to cake up beneath your fingernails.
  • Prepare to use more patience than you've used on most other crafts you've ever attempted in your entire life but I promise it will be so totally worth it.


This is the necklace we made for me at Mother's Day. It's by far one of my most important pieces of jewelry. In fact, I'm wearing it right now! My husband isn't a necklace guy but I know he'll appreciate the keyring. What are you doing for Father's Day? I'd love to hear all your ideas and plans!