by Cindy P.
Making your own keychain is a fun way to be creative and learn something new in the Maker Lab. With the embroidery machine, you can turn a piece of fabric into a personalized keychain with your own colors, patterns, or designs. The process combines technology and creativity to make something you can use every day. In this blog, I will explain the steps to create a fabric keychain using our embroidery machine.
Materials used
- Upcycled fabric
- Eyelet
- Eyelet punch
- Keyring
Materials and Supplies
Materials are not provided, so you may need to bring your own supplies, such as a keychain ring and any special fabric you want to use. However, the Maker Lab provides the embroidery machine, embroidery thread, stabilizer, and scrap fabric that you are welcome to use. You can also upcycle an old T-shirt or bring fabric you already have at home. Get creative and make your keychain your own!
Choosing A Design
The first step is choosing a design for your keychain. You could use your initials, your name, or your favorite symbol. You can find an existing design or create your own! Choose different thread colors to make your design stand out. Once you have your design, use embroidery software to prepare it for the embroidery machine. In the Maker Lab, we offer two software options: Embrilliance and Hatch.
For my project, I used a premade flame design and imported it into Embrilliance. I added a circular border around the design to make it easier to cut out after embroidering. I also left extra space at the top so there would be room to add a hole for the keychain ring.
Before moving on, make sure your design is the right size for your fabric and that you have left enough space to finish your keychain.
Prepping Your Project
Next, choose the fabric you want to use. You can pick a color or pattern that matches your personality, upcycle an old T-shirt, or use any fabric you have lying around! For my project, I used an old T-shirt to give the fabric a second life. Cut a piece of fabric large enough to fit your design and embroidery hoop. Then, place two layers of stabilizer behind the fabric. The stabilizer provides support and helps prevent the fabric from shifting, stretching, or wrinkling while the machine is stitching. Finally, secure the fabric and stabilizer in the embroidery hoop, making sure everything is smooth and held firmly in place. 
Setting Up the Embroidery Machine
After preparing your fabric, upload the .DST embroidery file to the machine and position the design as needed. Choose your thread colors and select the hoop size you are using. Next, load your hoop into the embroidery machine. Before starting, double-check that everything is set up correctly and that your fabric is secure. Always follow the machine’s instructions to ensure a safe and successful embroidery process.
Embroidering Your design
Now it is time for the fun part! Depending on the design, the process may take a few minutes or longer.
When the embroidery is finished, carefully remove the hoop from the machine and take out your fabric.
Finishing Your Keychain
The last step is turning your embroidered fabric into a finished keychain! First, trim the extra stabilizer and fabric to your desired shape.
For this keychain, I am using an eyelet to attach the keychain ring, but this step is optional. If you choose to use an eyelet, pick a spot near the top edge of your fabric, making sure it is far enough from the edge to prevent tearing. Make a small hole at the top.
Then, push the eyelet through the small hole you just made.
Use an eyelet puncher to securely attach the eyelet, following the tool’s instructions.
The eyelet reinforces the hole and helps prevent the fabric from ripping when the keychain ring is attached.
Finally, slide the keychain ring through the eyelet.
Now your embroidered fabric keychain is complete and ready to use!
Learn more about the embroidery machine the Noblesville Maker Lab on our blog here. Start your certification for the machine on Niche Academy here. Make a fabric keychain with the embroidery machine? Show off your make on the Ignite Community Discussion Board on Facebook. Happy making!
