How to Make a Perler Bead Keychain Instructions



Enjoy this detailed, step by step project tutorial showing how you can make keyrings and keychain jewelry from finished fused bead designs. These instructions work whatever fused beads you are using, including Hama and Perler beads.

How do you turn a completed Perler bead project into a keychain or keyring? It's not difficult but you do need to know exactly what tools and equipment you need for this process. So long as you have the right materials, it's a quick and easy task. Let me show you how it is done with a step by step photo tutorial.

Part of the fun in making items from fused bead are that you can easily turn them into cute and inexpensive gifts like jewelry. The rainbow popsicle keychains shown below were made as party favors for my daughter's birthday.

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How to Make a Perler Bead Keychain Step by Step Instructions


How to Make a Perler Bead Keychain Step by Step Instructions Making Keyring Hama Fused Beads Craft Tutorial by CraftyMarie


Perler, Hama and other popular varieties of fused beads are not just crafts for kids. Crafty adults like me really enjoy using them too.


Completed keychains and keyrings make great little gifts, party favors and items that you can use from your completed fused bead makes.

What You Need to Make a Perler Bead Keychain


What You Need to Make a Perler Bead Keychain Tools Materials Key rings chains fused Hama beads

Image Credit: photo belongs to the author.

1: Your Completed Perler Bead Design

This should have been ironed and fused together by an adult. Some Perler bead designs look better made into keychains and keyrings than others. The popsicle or iced lolly is a great example of a good looking Perler bead keychain.

2: A Keyring or Keychain Blank

These are sometimes called key chain findings. You can get keychain findings in bulk which is perfect if you are making a batch for party favors. The keychains I use for my Perler bead designs are quite small with a 26 mm split ring (the round or circular part) with a 20 mm chain attached.

3: An Open Jump Ring

As well as the keychain findings, you also need an open jump ring for every single keychain you make. Ideally, you want to ensure that the color of the jump ring metal is the same color as the keyring so it all matches.

The smallest size of open jump ring that you can comfortably use for Perler bead designs is 6 mm. This is very small and also tricky to work with.


I'd recommend 8 - 12 mm open jump rings as being good sizes for you to use. Jump rings are jewelry making items that are worth stocking up on if you plan to make many keychains. You can buy these supplies from jewelry making stores, large craft stores and online vendors such as Amazon and eBay.

4: A Good Pair of Jewelry Pliers

Pliers help to hold onto the open jump rings while you pull them open. If you already have a small pair of pliers, they may work. Otherwise jewelry pliers are suited to the task.

How to Turn Your Perler Bead Design into a Keychain


Opening up a jump ring with a pair of jewelry pliers to make a handmade keychain key ring

Image Credit: photo belongs to the author.

Step 1: The first thing you need to do is to open up one of the jump rings. Jump rings can be difficult to hold because they are small, so that's where the jewelry pliers are really needed. Pick up a ring with the pliers, making sure that the join in the metal is not covered.

Carefully pull apart the split ends of the open jump ring. You need the ring open enough to get one end through a hole in your fused beads design.

You can either open the ends of the jump ring apart with your fingers or with a pair of tweezers, depending just how tough the metal is.

Step 2: Decide where you want the Keychain to be added. Usually I look to add the keychain somewhere in the top middle of a design. However, this is personal choice over how you want the completed fused bead project to look and hang down.

Step 3: If the Perler bead hole is not wide enough (it could be partially fused over) for the open jump ring to go through, then the hole will need to be widened.

You can use any thin and sharp implement to widen the Perler bead hole. A thick pin or a cocktail stick are choices I would normally opt for to push through and widen the fused bead hole.

Step 4: Once the hole is wide enough, you can place one end of the open jump ring through it. Make sure not to close the jump ring up though.

Attaching a key chain keyring finding to a fused bead design Perler Hama beads craft

Image Credit: photo belongs to the author.

Step 5: Find the end chain or loop of your keychain finding and push this onto the open jump ring as well.

It is a little awkward, but when you have the Perler bead design and your keychain both secure on the open jump ring then it is time to close the open jump ring so they stay attached.

Step 6: You need the jewelry pliers for this part. Use the pliers to grip the sides of the open jump ring and push on them carefully in order to seal the ends back up. You need the ends of the jump ring to be securely fixed so everything stays neatly attached.

Step 7: This part is purely optional. You can make your completed project look a bit more professional by hiding the split ends of the jump ring inside the fused bead hole. Simply twist the jump ring around until the ends are hidden inside the fused bead hole.

Perler bead rainbow popsicle keychain key ring designs craft by CraftyMarie

Image Credit: photo belongs to the author.

Step 8: You have now finished your Perler bead keychain. Simply repeat the steps to make more of these. They are so easy to make for party favors and small gifts such as Advent calendar fillers and stocking fillers.

How to make fused Hama Perler bead key chains keyring designs tutorial craft instructions step by step

Image Credit: photo belongs to the author.

Now you have made a cute looking keyring for yourself or to use as a gift. These small keychains make really inexpensive gifts for Christmas and birthdays. They also make fab hand crafted items to pop into party favor bags too.

Here's the finished rainbow ice lolly and popsicle designs that can now be clipped onto to a bag, purse, belt or whatever you like.

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Articles are accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters.