Years ago, I remember these cute little glitter acrylic keychains catching my eye at a craft show.  I sat there pondering how it was made and quickly did a little research.

From there, I found out where to purchase them and quickly started creating my own.  I’ve made a ton of different styles and colors!

Of course though, being the true teacher at heart, this one is my favorite! It’s a cute little design that looks perfect on a keychain!  When I return to teaching, I’ll be adding it to my classroom keys so that they won’t be easy to misplace on the playground!

Obviously, this makes an awesome teacher appreciation gift!  It’s why it rounded out some of the top picks in my DIY Teacher Appreciation gifts round-up.  It’s not super difficult to make either.  So to help you out, I’ve written a quick tutorial and provided a free SVG to get you started.

While the materials list and time commitment for such a small project may seem daunting, you’ll be thrilled with the final result!  You will likely score your kid some teacher’s pet points in the process!

Craftiness Level (0-10): 6

Time Investment: 20 minutes (not including drying time)

Materials:

• clear acrylic key chain
• Vinyl (651)
• transfer tape
• weeding tools
• fine glitter
• mod podge
• small foam paint brush
• epoxy
• Popsicle stick
• small disposable cups
• exacto knife
• gloves
• silicone cups*
• silicone mat*
• Silhouette or other die-cut machine
• Silhouette Studio or other design software

For your convenience, this post contains affiliate links. If you purchase from these links I may make a small commission at no cost to you.

Step 1: Create (or import) your design and size to fit

I purchase all my keychain blanks, including this one,  from 3rd Degree Laser.  They have a TON of super cute options!   Their blanks are extremely affordable and start at just 75 cents each.

I’ve ordered many times from them, and have always had quick shipping and been very satisfied with my order!

One of the best things about them is that they offer free templates that are correctly sized for each of their keychains!  So you don’t have to guess and measure, rather just use their template to design and get the perfect size every time!

So if you’re using the Silhouette Studio file version of my design, you won’t even have to re-size it, as I created it using their template!  Otherwise, I’d recommend breaking out the ruler to be safe.

Step 2: Cut & weed design

While you can use your own file, you can also grab my SVG free!  It’s a quick cut and super easy to weed!  Either way you’ll need to start with your design in your cutting software and then cut.  Because we are applying this to the BACK of the clear keychain you will need to mirror your image.  If this is your first time cutting on your machine, or cutting vinyl, be sure to check out my Cutting with Vinyl tutorial.

Step 3: Center & apply to keychain

The acrylic blank comes with two pieces of paper adhered to it with some amazing adhesive that leaves no sticky behind.  This is to protect the surface from scratches.  Before applying to the keychain, you’ll need to peel only the back side off.  Be sure to leave the other side on in case you have some epoxy leak over when you are sealing.

Again, we mirrored this design so it could be placed on the back of the blank.    You’ll want to center it, and may want to break out your ruler before committing to a final placement.  It can be hard to determine since you can’t see through to the other side, so take your time getting the placement right.  Once you’ve got it in place, the vinyl sticks easily and the transfer tape peels up well.

Step 4: Apply 1st layer of Mod Podge & glitter

Next you are going to want to apply your first layer of Mod Podge and glitter.  Before starting, be sure to tape off the stem and leaf at the top so you can make the top part green.

Then, using your foam brush, apply a very thin layer of Mod Podge to your blank.  You will need to keep it very light, or it can dry unevenly, and leave spots of white showing through.  It works best to just barely coat it.

Next you’ll want to shake some glitter over the Mod Podge.  Be sure to do so quickly before it dries.  My personal approach involves just dumping a ton on there, but I’m sure there are more precise ways of doing it.  Afterwards you need to let it sit for 15 minutes.

Step 5: Apply 2nd layer of mod podge & Glitter

After 15 minutes, you are ready for your second coat of Mod Podge and glitter.  This one will go on a little thicker, as you’ve got glitter underneath.  That’s okay, but still try and not apply too much.   I kind of dab it on there over and over, taking my time.

Once that’s complete, add glitter again.  This will need to set for 45 minutes, but during this time you’ll need to start step 6.

Step 6:  Add green glitter to the stem. 

As soon as I complete step 5, I immediately add the first later of green Mod Podge and glitter to the apple stem.  I usually hold it upside down, so as to keep the red glitter clear of the green.   Once I’ve covered it, I  set the timer for 15 minutes and wait to apply the second layer.  Once this layer is complete, I need to give it an additional 45 minutes for everything to dry before sealing.

Step 7:  Cover glitter layer with epoxy.

After the last layer has dried for at least 45 minutes, I then seal the glitter using Epoxy.

Epoxy will give it a smooth, even, back surface.  However, it is not the easiest substance in the world to work with.  You’ll need several materials for this part of the project.

Epoxy works by combining an epoxy resin and a hardening agent.  This is the hardest part of the process.   If your measurements aren’t exact, the epoxy will not cure correctly, and can be left feeling tacky.    At this point you have to add another layer, which is obviously not ideal.

I’ve had trouble with exact measurements before, so I created my own little system using disposable medicine cups.  I fill up one of both to the line and then combine them. This makes enough for 6-7 keychains total for me.

I combine these into a silicone cup.  I found these on Amazon and they work perfectly for Epoxy projects!  Epoxy will not stick to them, making clean up very easy!

You need to mix it very well, but also mix very quickly.  Most take anywhere from 5-30 minutes to cure, and the composition of the sealant can change quickly.

I usually count to 20 while mixing it with a popsicle stick.  I then use the same popsicle stick to smooth it over the back of my keychain.  I try to do so as evenly as possible, but most Epoxy is self settling, so it will usually work itself out of it’s a little off.

This step can get a little messy and Epoxy is  possibly hazardous in high amounts, so to be safe I wear gloves.  I just use some medical gloves, and throw them away after use.

After you’ve added your layer of Epoxy, you need to set it on a silicone mat and let it cure.  Be sure to read the instructions that come with your specific bottle to find out how long.  As a rule, I plan to  leave mine alone for 24 hours to make sure they have completely hardened.

Step 7:  Clean up edges and keychain hole and attach hardware.

Most likely you will have had epoxy run over the edges of your keychain, and possibly in to the hole where you apply the key ring.

While you can avoid this somewhat by adding a toothpick to the hole before applying the Epoxy, I’ve found that to never work perfectly, Instead, I clear out the hole by using my husband’s drill and a very thin bit.  It usually clears it up perfectly!  When cleaning up the edges of the keychain, I take an Exacto Knife and carefully scrape the excess off.  I have no pictures, as I have narrowly avoided losing fingers doing this not holding camera.  So to play it safe, I skipped this shot!

Once that’s done, I pop in the hardware and voila!  One super cute keychain is complete!  I usually add a tassel to jazz it up a little.  3rd Degree laser also sells these!

And there you have it!  An adorable keychain for your favorite teacher that she’ll love sporting on a keychain! Keep in mind this method works on any acrylic keychain.  You can see more of my work with these in my Etsy store!  They are so fun to design!

Don’t forget to pin this for later!  And be sure to follow me on Pinterest for lots of fun, easy projects to do with your Silhouette!