Fingerprint Keychain and Alphabet Beads

To make this lovely keychain, you will need:

- a sheet of translucent magic plastic

- solid gouache sticks

- a pair of scissors

- a hole punch

- sturdy nylon thread

- lava beads

- round silver beads

- fancy metal beads

- letter beads

- a large ring (3 cm)

- a small ring

Use a stick of gouache in the color of your choice and generously cover the inside of the child's hand.

Note: We used the gouache stick here rather than regular paint because it is easier to use, less messy, and allows for a more detailed handprint!

Press the child's hand onto the "rough" side of the magic plastic to leave the imprint.

Cut out the magic plastic following the outline of the imprint.

To avoid weakening the keychain, it is recommended not to cut between the fingers.

Make a hole in the magic plastic at the top of the hand using a hole punch.

Since the plastic shrinks due to heat, we recommend making a hole of at least Ø 6 mm so that a ring can be easily attached later.

Place the magic plastic in a dish with a sheet of parchment paper and then put everything in an oven heated to about 150 °C.

Leave the keychain in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes maximum.

The plastic will shrink and deform. The imprint will then return to its normal shape and will not shrink anymore, this is when it should be taken out of the oven.

Cut a piece of thermos-welded nylon thread about 30 cm long.

The thermos-welded nylon thread is a very strong thread ideal for making keychains!

Use the diagram below to thread the first bead and 'trap' it in the thread.

Center the bead in the middle of the thread.

Thread the beads onto the 2 pieces of the string.

Use a mix of lava beads, silver round beads, and alphabet beads for this first decoration.

Create another decoration of the same length as the first using a mix of beads.

Attach the threads to the 3 cm ring using a double knot.

Attach a small ring to the handprint and then connect the whole piece to the 3 cm ring to finish the keychain.