Acrylic Pet Keychains

Each charm is a one-and-only design, so I wanted to walk through exactly how one gets made, start to finish. For this demonstration, I made a custom keychain of a golden retriever.

Step 1: Inspiration

Since I do not have a golden retriever myself, I used several pictures of golden retrievers from the internet as references and inspiration. I looked at their facial features, ears, and overall shape to create a cute, simplified version that would work well as a keychain.

Step 2: Sketch

I first sketched the golden retriever using a pencil, using a characterized and simplified style rather than completely realistic. I focused on making the features recognizable while keeping the design cute and suitable for a small keychain. After finishing the sketch, I used a Sharpie to outline the drawing more clearly so that I could easily see the lines through the shrink plastic.

Step 3: Coloring

My keychain is made from shrinky-dink paper, a type of plastic sheet that shrinks and becomes thicker when heated. I placed the paper over my outlined sketch and began coloring the design with acrylic markers. Instead of outlining the colors first, I usually fill in each area directly with solid color, so my finished drawing does not have an outer border. I applied several layers of the same color to prevent the original paper from bleeding through.

Step 4: Cutting

After finishing the coloring, I cut out the keychain following the shape of the drawing. I left extra space at the top of the design for the hole that will be used to attach the keychain clasp later. It is important to leave enough material around the hole so that the plastic would remain sturdy after shrinking and would not easily break.

Step 5: Shrinking

Next, I bake the cut-out keychain to shrink the plastic. It took about 30 to 40 seconds for the piece to shrink and become thick like a plastic. As soon as it finished shrinking, I quickly moved it onto a flat surface and pressed it with a heavy book to make sure the keychain became flat while it cooled.

Step 6: Protection

To make the keychain more durable and protect the artwork from scratches, I coated the keychain with UV gel polish. I applied the gel over the drawing to create a clear protective layer. Then, I placed the keychain under a UV lamp to cure the gel and harden the protective coating. It takes about 1 min to cure them completely. I also use a gel cleanser wipe to get rid of any leftover gel on the keychain.

Step 7: Attaching the Keychain

Finally, I attached the keychain pieces to the finished illustration. Before attaching the lobster clasp, I used a small metal jump ring and closed the opening securely so that it would not easily detach. I then connected the lobster clasp to the ring, completing my custom golden retriever keychain.