How to Make an Easy DIY Clay Thumbprint Heart Keychain

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Do you need an easy gift for the kids to make for Mother’s Day or Father’s Day or another special occasion? This DIY clay thumbprint keychain is perfect for anyone, and for a child of any age to make! 

Easy DIY Keychain, Perfect for Mother’s Day or Father’s Day!

If you have littles in the house like me, you know what a challenge it can be to come up with crafty gift ideas that are on their level. And honestly! I never realized how many of those grandparent/mother/father occasions there were that required gifts: Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Grandparent’s Day, Valentine’s Day, anniversaries…. is there even a month where you don’t need to help them make something?

It was Father’s Day last year that had me in a conundrum. I needed gifts for my sons’ grandfather and great-grandfather. Sooo many gifts were… kinda girl? One of our old family friends is a preschool teacher, and she posted on Facebook about the thumbprint heart necklaces they made in class. And I thought that was a perfect idea to make into a keychain for Father’s Day: functional, masculine (enough), easy (enough) for the littles (i.e. me) to put together.

I found a similar project on That’s What Che Said, put my own spin on it by creating a key chain instead of a necklace, and came out with a great project – one I liked so much that I even made one for myself!

close up keys, DIY clay thumbprint keychain

With this project, I used 2 thumbprints to make a (sort of ) heart shape. However, if you feel like that’s too girly for a Father’s Day gift, you can just make one thumbprint, or one center thumbprint and 2 prints on the side and make a bumble-bee! Free free to customize it! 

Silver DIY clay thumbprint keychain with brown beads

 

Easy DIY Clay Thumbprint Keychain

Collage beads, bling, paint, DIY clay thumbprint keychain

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Oven bake clay – you can find it at Michael’s or any craft store
  • Cookie Sheet
  • Parchment paper
  • A small round circle cookie cutter (a shot glass works perfectly for this!)
  • Paint (I used this Martha Stewart Metallic Paint, and you can pick from many colors )
  • A straw (small), bobby pin or toothpick (to create the hole or etch in any text you want)
  • Leather rope (or lanyard, sturdy string, ribbon – your choice!)
  • Key ring
  • Decorative beads/charms of your choice (be sure the opening is wide enough to slide 2 strands of your rope, leather, string through! The picture below are the ones I picked – easier to just buy the beads already together! lol)

brown wooden beads, keychain bling, Martha Stewart metallic paint for DIY clay thumbprint keychain

Here’s how you do it:

  1. Preheat your oven to 275 degrees.
  2. Take your clay and roll it out to about 1/4″ width.
  3. Using your shot class or circle cutter, cut out your shape. Before adding the thumbprints, place it on your cookie sheet with parchment paper. This way, there’s less a chance of disturbing your keychain after the prints are in.
  4. Have your child press 2 thumbprints in the clay in the shape of a heart (it’s almost like a V shape). I have 2 boys, so I used a thumbprint from each to make up both sides of the heart.
  5. Using a small straw (think Caprisun size) or a bobby pin or toothpick, make a hole at the top for the leather strand to go through. You can etch with a toothpick if you want to add some text.
  6. Bake according to instructions, typically 30 minutes for every 1/4″ of thickness.
  7. After it cools, paint it the color of your choice.
  8. Once dry, fold the leather strand in half, insert in the hole, and loop the 2 loose ends through to secure the clay keychain onto the leather.Close up DIY clay heart thumbprint keychain with wood beads and heart charm
  9. Join both ends of the leather and thread them through the beads, as if they were one single strand. For the beads, I just found a wooden beaded bracelet I liked and cut it to use the beads. Once you have your desired amount, make a knot to secure the beads.
  10. Take the leather and then knot and loop it around the keyring. You can knot it several times and then cut off any unwanted leather strands. If you want, you can tie a small charm on one of the remaining strands for a little extra bling.

Here’s the finished product! It really was a simple DIY craft gift for my father and grandfather, and they both loved it! It really was so easy to do, and it didn’t require a ton from my boys, who were 3 years old at the time. Feel free to involve the littles in threading the beads, painting, anything you think they can handle!

3 DIY clay thumbprint keychains with wooden beads and heart charms

 

These keychains look so cute when they’re boxed up and ready go. I found these great printable gift tags from She Wears Many HatsThey were perfect for a sweet gift for Dad!

 

It’s almost a year later, and here’s what mine looks like! It’s a little worn from being at the bottom of my mom bag, but still going strong!

Close up DIY clay thumbprint keychain with butterfly keychain on hand

 

If you’re looking for a few more ideas for Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, here are some crafts you can make for Grandma for Mother’s Day, DIY gifts you can make for Dad that he’ll actually use, and if you’re short on time, here are some free printable Father’s Day cards

If you decide to make this, I’d love to see it! Please tag me on Instagram at 100affections!

Thoughts? I’d love to hear them! Leave a comment!

If you know others who might like this, I’d be so grateful if you shared!

2 photo collage easy DIY clay thumbprint key chain, one close up in gift box, one photo of wrapped box with 'made with love' gift tag, perfect for Mother's or Father's Day gift

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