How to Make an Insect Keychain
Most people carry a set of keys just about everywhere. Give your friends a homemade key chain that they can keep close to them. You can make a key chain from wire and beads into a variety of garden insect shapes, like butterflies or dragonflies. These insect key chains can also be gifts to your bridesmaids as wedding favors. Add a personal touch to your purse by attaching a dragonfly key chain to the zipper.
Instructions
-
-
1
Measure 1 foot of wire with your ruler and cut off the piece with your wire cutters.
-
2
Fold the wire in half, leaving the fold in the bottom loose.
-
-
3
Thread five beads onto the folded wire. The base of the wire fold will form a loop below the bead that will stop the beads from falling off. You may need to use beads with larger holes to thread both wire ends through the holes. You can also decrease the gauge of your wire to make a more delicate dragonfly.
-
4
Fold one end of the wire above the beads sideways and down over itself counter-clockwise, so that it forms a loop with the end pointing at a 45 degree angle away from the loop. This forms the first dragonfly wing.
-
5
Fold the other end of the wire sideways and down, looping it around clockwise to form the loop of the other wing. The end of this should also point at a 45 degree angle from where you started.
-
6
Repeat the two previous steps to form slightly larger wings about a 1/4 inch above the first pair of wire wings.
-
7
Leave an inch of wire exposed at the top of the wire dragonfly and curl each piece in a curlicue using your needle nose pliers to form the insect antenna.
-
8
Slide the loop at the base of the tail of the dragonfly onto a key ring.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Make a variety of insect shapes, such as bees, beetles and ladybugs with minor variations to this dragonfly pattern.
Add beads to the wings of the dragonfly before you bend the wire.
Use caution when working with the sharp ends of cut wire, as this material may cut you.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
