Braided Keychain

I am going to show you how to make a braided keychain.

Target Audience: Children grade 1 through 5. Guardians of children grade 1 through 5.

• Standards
  • Integration of knowledge, technologies and practices: Some students may be able to integrate prior knowledge of braiding hair or rope into making jewelry
  • Design in Technology Engineering and Design: The students will design their jewelry, choosing the color scheme and how the final product will look
  • Influences of Society in Technology Engineering and Design: Students will learn that the reason jewelry was created was from a desire of society. Jewelry is derived from a desire to show off wealth, for aesthetics, or to make a statement. This could be shown through a presentation
• Practice
  • Creativity: The students will have the opportunity to be creative in making jewelry. Creativity will stem from the ability to choose colors and materials
  • Making and Doing: The students will make jewelry, teaching them making and doing
• Contexts
  • Material Processing and Conversion: Students will have an introduction to processing raw materials into something usable. The materials used will be processed into jewelry. Students will also be shown how raw materials are used to create the materials used in making jewelry. Side note, this will have to be done in a way where students are intrigued.
• Learning Objectives
  • How to be creative, introduction to crafting/making, introduction to brainstorming: Brainstorming colors and designs, material processing, and how society affects products that are created to fit a need or a want

Beads

Choice of string, rope, paracord (I chose paracord)

tape(optional)

lighter(if using rope or paracord)

scissors

or exacto knife (18+)

Key ring

You can use any braid you want

if you know how to braid more or less than 3 pieces of string you can braid however you like, but I chose 3

The braid I chose is simple, rotate placing the left and right strings over the middle as shown

If you are 18, or have someone who is 18:

you may burn the excess rope from where you tied the 3 pieces together if you are using rope or paracord.

if you are not 18 and/or are not using paracord:

tie a stopping knot into the excess string. make sure the string is tight

You can add whichever type of bead in whatever way you see fit, as long as you keep the braid tight. I have included two types of beaded braids as an example.

The beads can go wherever you like in the braid, either the beginning, middle, end, or any combination.

Follow the instruction of the images to tie the strings together once you have finished with your braid.

Place the chain horizontally, begin with the bottom string, then go to the top string. Make sure the knot is tight.

This is the last step!

Using the images, tie a stopping knot from the earlier step or just use a double knot to tie off the top and bottom strings.

Then tie a knot into the key ring using the middle string.

Tie a knot into the middle string to ensure the key ring does not fall off.

Lastly, cut off the excess sting after the knots.

Extra step with rope or paracord:

if you are 18+, burn the rope or paracord at the excess to ensure it does not fall off.