If you’re looking for a fun and creative activity for your next gathering, consider putting together beaded vintage motel keychain kits for each attendee. I recently assembled them for a dance team sister reveal, and they were a hit! Of course you could put together a little bead bar for the activity but that can get quite messy with a large group and the beads and charms might not be distributed as evenly as everyone would like.
These craft kits are versatile and work great for birthday party crafts, dance or cheer team crafts, sister reveals, holiday craft nights or other social events. If you use them for a sister reveal, the sisters look for the keychain that matches theirs to find out who their sister is for that season. Full disclaimer, it’s best to seal them a few times before sending them home so it’s not something they’ll be able to take home immediately from the event.
Beaded Vintage Motel Keychain Kit Supplies:
This is everything I put in each kit, but feel free to choose colors and charms that fit your group: (click links in bold to shop)
- Blank Motel Keychains: These serve as the perfect canvas for creativity.
- Flat Back Coral Pink Beads: this was the dance team color, choose the color that matches your team or event or they come in mixed colors
- Letter Beads: Add names, initials, or fun phrases to make each keychain one-of-a-kind. I added the letter beads to each recipients kit on a pipe cleaner as a name tag and also to be added to their keychain.
- Wax Pens and Bead Trays: These handy tools help pick up beads easily, making the crafting process smooth and enjoyable.
- Mini Bead Bags: These were maybe not necessary but I felt they would be easier to pour into the bead trays if they were in smaller bags.
Ribbons to Decorate the Bags:
Additional Supplies Needed For The Craft (Not Included in Keychain Craft Kits)
I didn’t include these supplies in each kit but these are items you’ll need to have on hand at your crafting event.
Mod Podge: I find it easiest to use regular Mod Podge as the glue between the beads and the keychain base and then the spray Mod Podge to seal everything. I’ve done it with spray Mod Podge for both but it’s a little trickier since the spray doesn’t have much initial grip until it hardens. If you don’t want to buy both, you could probably get away with just using one but it will be a little more difficult.
- Paint Brush(es)
- Jewelry Tools (optional) to remove the key ring so it doesn’t get glue on it. Alternatively, you can simply cover the key ring while spraying the Mod Podge
- Wax Paper to protect surfaces from Mod Podge
Directions For Assembling the Beaded Keychain Craft Kits:
This is everything I did to assemble the kits:
- Add assortment of beads and charms to small bead bags or the larger holographic bags if you choose to skip the small bags. I tried to distribute them evenly. I used a mini muffin pan to distribute the beads before adding them to the bags because I was being a perfectionist about keeping them as even as possible. It was a little difficult getting the beads out of the muffin tin and into the bags.
- Add a bead tray, wax square and wax pen to the kits.
- I removed the keyrings ahead of the event to protect them from the Mod Podge spray. If you plan to remove them, this is the best time.
- Add letter beads to pipe cleaners to act as name tags for the kits. Trim them and fold over the end around the last bead to keep them in place.
- Layer tulle, ribbons and the pipe cleaner name “tag”
- Secure the layered stack along with the keychain to the hole in the top of the holographic bag using a piece of star garland
- Optional: Create a tag for the bag that matches your event. I created circle tags in Canva for the dance sister reveal.
Directions For This Keychain Craft:
Here are directions to assemble the keychains at your event:
- Use wax paper or parchment paper to protect your workspace.
- The wax pens need to be dipped into the little pink wax squares to pick up the wax necessary to grip the beads. The pink wax squares may have a clear plastic cover on them, just remove that and dip the end in the wax.
- Apply a layer of Mod Podge to the keychain base using a paint brush
- Add letter beads, charms and larger beads first
- Continue adding Mod Podge as you go if the initial layer dries before it’s fully beaded.
- Add smaller beads at the end. Some of our dancers chose to leave empty space and some filled it up with beads, they can customize them however they like.
- Once the keychains are finished, spray with a layer of Mod Podge to seal (if you didn’t remove the keyring part of the keychain, make sure you cover that part when spraying).
- Allow the Mod Podge to dry and seal then add another layer. We added a total of three layers to protect their little works of art.
- Once the keychains are dry, you can add back the hardware and deliver the finished keychains to their creators 🙂
Happy Crafting
Setting up these kits is simple and ensures that everyone can participate in the fun of designing their keychains. Whether it’s for a sister reveal or just a party or teambuilding activity, these beaded keychain kits offer an engaging way to bond and unleash creativity. Get ready to enjoy some hands-on crafting!
