Apr
okay so keychain patterns are honestly perfect when you need something fast
I made like six of these back in spring 2022 when my sister’s birthday was coming up and I totally forgot until three days before. Started with little hearts because they’re stupidly easy and you can finish one while watching TV. I was binge-watching Succession at the time and literally made two hearts per episode without even thinking about it.
The thing with keychains is they’re small enough that you don’t need to commit to some massive project but they still feel like actual gifts instead of just grabbing something random from Target. Plus people actually use them which is better than making another blanket that sits in someone’s closet for five years.
what you actually need
You don’t need fancy stuff. I use whatever worsted weight yarn is lying around, usually Red Heart Super Saver because it’s cheap and comes in a million colors. Sometimes Caron Simply Soft if I’m feeling fancy or if it’s on sale. The Simply Soft ones do feel nicer but honestly for a keychain that’s gonna get shoved in a bag with keys and probably some old receipts, it doesn’t matter that much.
Get keychain rings from Amazon, the split ring kind. They come in packs of like 100 for maybe six bucks. I also grabbed some lobster clasps once thinking they’d be better but they’re actually more annoying to attach and people don’t really care either way.
Hook size depends on your yarn but I use a G hook (4.0mm) for most worsted weight stuff. Sometimes an H if the yarn is thicker or if I want a looser look but that’s rare for keychains because you want them tight so the stuffing doesn’t show through.
basic heart pattern that works every time
This is the one I use most because hearts are universally okay as gifts. Nobody’s gonna be weird about getting a heart keychain unless you make it weird.
Start with a magic ring. Chain 1, then do 2 sc in the ring. Then 2 hdc, 2 dc, 2 hdc, 2 sc. Pull the ring tight. That’s your base.
Now you’re gonna make the humps at the top. Chain 3, skip the first dc, slip stitch into the next dc. That’s one side. Chain 3 again, skip the next dc, slip stitch into the last dc you worked into. Fasten off and weave in ends.
That’s technically it but it looks flat and sad. I usually go back and do a second round to make it puffier. Just sc around the whole edge, adding extra stitches at the curves so it doesn’t pucker. You can stuff it lightly with polyfil if you want but I usually don’t bother for keychains because they get lumpy.
The annoying thing about hearts is getting the two humps even. One always ends up slightly bigger than the other and it drives me nuts. I’ve made probably thirty hearts at this point and they still come out lopsided half the time. You just gotta accept it or start over and honestly who has time for that.
mushroom keychains are having a moment
These got really popular on Instagram or TikTok or wherever and yeah they’re cute. I made a bunch last summer 2024 for my coworkers because we were doing this gift exchange thing.
For the cap, start with a magic ring. Do 6 sc in the ring. Next round, 2 sc in each stitch so you have 12. Then increase every other stitch for 18. Keep going until it’s as wide as you want. I usually stop at 24 stitches for a keychain-sized mushroom.
Then sc around without increasing for maybe 3-4 rows to make the edge of the cap. Use red or pink or whatever mushroom color you want. I used Red Heart Cherry Red for most of mine.
For the stem, switch to white or cream. This is where it gets slightly annoying because you’re working in the opposite direction kind of? Start at the edge of the cap and sc around, then decrease every few rows so it gets narrower toward the bottom. Stuff as you go.
I always forget to add the little white spots on the cap until after I’ve finished the whole thing. You can either sew them on with white yarn or do French knots which look better but take longer. Or just skip them, nobody’s checking your mushroom accuracy.
stars are faster than you think
These work up so quick. Like fifteen minutes if you’re not distracted by your phone or your cat knocking stuff off the table.
Chain 2, do 5 sc in the second chain from hook. Join with a slip stitch. Now you’re gonna make points. Chain 5, slip stitch back into the same stitch, slip stitch into the next stitch on the circle. Repeat that four more times so you have five points.
That’s literally it. You can make them bigger by doing more chains for the points or by adding another round to the center circle first. I like making tiny ones with embroidery floss or crochet thread because they look more delicate but that’s optional.
The thing that annoyed me most about stars was keeping track of which stitch I was in because they’re so small. I’d lose count and end up with four points or six points instead of five. Just use a stitch marker, it’s not worth the frustration.
fruit patterns if you’re feeling ambitious
Strawberries are cute and not that hard. Make a cone shape basically. Start with red yarn, magic ring with 6 sc. Increase every round until you hit like 18 stitches, then sc without increasing for a few rows, then decrease back down. Stuff it. Add a green top by chaining like 8, slip stitch back down the chain to make a leaf, repeat a few times into the top of the berry.
For the seeds, you can embroider little yellow stitches all over or use a lighter colored yarn to make French knots. I’m usually too lazy so I just leave them plain or use a marker to dot them on which probably isn’t the right way but whatever.
Watermelon slices are easier. Make a half-circle in red, add a white edge, then a green edge. Embroider black seeds with yarn or embroidery floss. Done. These look really good and people always comment on them even though they take maybe twenty minutes.
I made a lemon once using Caron Simply Soft in Lemonade (yes that’s actually the color name) and it came out okay but citrus fruits are harder to make recognizable. You need to get the shape really right or it just looks like a yellow blob.
animals if you wanna get weird with it
Little bear heads are pretty forgiving. Make a circle for the face, maybe 18-24 stitches around. Then make two tiny ears by doing magic rings with like 6 sc each, don’t close them all the way. Attach them to the top of the head. Embroider or sew on a nose and eyes.
Bees are fun too. Yellow and black stripes, make an oval shape. Add little wings with white yarn, just chain like 6, slip stitch back down, attach to the sides. The wings never want to stay in the right position though, they flip around or stick straight up when you don’t want them to.
I tried making a cat face once and it looked more like an owl or maybe an alien. The problem with animal faces is the features matter so much. If the eyes are too far apart or the nose is too big, the whole thing looks wrong. Stick with simpler shapes unless you’re good at embroidery or have patience for sewing tiny pieces together.
actually attaching the keychain ring
This seems obvious but I messed it up the first few times. Don’t just loop yarn through the ring and call it done. It’ll break or come loose.
Best way is to leave a long tail when you finish your shape. Thread the tail through the keychain ring a few times, then weave it back through your crochet piece and tie it off inside. Or you can crochet a little loop at the top of your shape specifically for the ring to go through.
I usually do chain 5-8, slip stitch to make a loop, then slip stitch it onto the top of whatever I made. Slide the ring through that loop. It’s sturdier and looks more intentional.
color combinations that don’t look terrible
This matters more than you’d think. I made a purple and orange mushroom once and it looked like a Halloween decoration not in a good way.
Safe bets are neutrals with one bright color. Like cream and coral, or gray and yellow. Or just go monochrome with different shades of the same color. Blue and white always looks clean. Red and pink is cute if you’re going for that vibe.
Avoid putting red and green together unless it’s actually Christmas. Brown and orange can look fall-themed which is fine if that’s what you want but otherwise it’s very seasonal.
I keep a little bag of yarn scraps organized by color now because I was wasting so much time digging through my stash trying to find something that matched. Got the idea from someone on Reddit or maybe YouTube, can’t remember.
how long this actually takes
Simple shapes like hearts or stars, fifteen to thirty minutes. More complex stuff like mushrooms or animals, maybe forty-five minutes to an hour. If you’re adding embroidery or extra details, add another fifteen minutes.
I can usually knock out three or four simple keychains in an evening if I’m just sitting on the couch. Made a whole batch during a weekend when I was avoiding going outside because it was like 95 degrees and my apartment doesn’t have good AC.
The nice thing is you can start and finish one in a single sitting. No carrying around a project bag or trying to remember where you left off. Just make it, attach the ring, give it to someone.
what people actually like receiving
Honestly anything handmade goes over pretty well as long as it’s not falling apart. But I’ve noticed people use the simpler shapes more. Hearts, stars, basic animals. The super detailed ones end up being more decorative, like people hang them on their desk or bulletin board instead of actually using them as keychains.
Coworkers seem to like the neutral-colored ones better. Friends and family are fine with bright colors or themed ones. Kids obviously want characters or animals.
One time I made my neighbor a little cactus keychain because she mentioned she kills every plant she tries to grow and she actually teared up about it which was… I mean it took me twenty minutes but sure, glad you liked it.
mistakes I keep making
Forgetting to stuff things before I close them up. Then I have to either leave it flat or try to shove stuffing through a tiny gap which never works well.
Starting with a tail that’s too short to weave in properly. Now I always leave at least six inches, even though it feels wasteful.
Making things too big. A keychain should be like 2-3 inches max or it’s just annoying to carry around. I made a “keychain” sunflower once that was basically the size of my palm and my friend was like thanks but also this is huge.
Not securing the keychain ring well enough. Had one come apart on someone and felt bad about it even though they said it was fine.
yarn amounts you need
So little that it’s almost not worth mentioning. One keychain might use like 5-10 yards of yarn total. This is perfect for using up scraps or those tiny amounts left over from bigger projects.
I have a whole drawer of partial skeins that are too small for anything else but perfect for keychains. Red Heart Super Saver lasts forever, you can probably make thirty keychains from one skein if you’re using multiple colors.
Don’t buy new yarn specifically for keychains unless you just want an excuse to buy yarn which is valid honestly.
other random tips that might help
If you’re making multiple keychains as gifts, make them all different. People notice if everyone gets the exact same thing and it feels less personal even though you still made it by hand.
Add a little card with care instructions if you’re giving them to people who might not know. Like “handmade with acrylic yarn, spot clean if needed” or whatever. Makes it seem more legit.
You can add beads or buttons for eyes instead of embroidering them. Faster and sometimes looks better. Just make sure they’re attached really well so they don’t fall off and become a choking hazard if kids are around.
Keychains also work as bag charms, zipper pulls, Christmas ornaments. I’ve attached them to gift bags instead of bows before and people seemed to like that.
If you mess up, just frog it and start over. They’re so small that it’s not worth trying to fix mistakes. Just pull it apart and redo it, takes less time than trying to figure out where you went wrong or living with a wonky shape.
Make extras because you’ll probably end up wanting to keep one or giving them to random people. I always have a few finished ones sitting around just in case.
