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Create a photo keychain that comes together in a matter of minutes (excluding dry time). This picture keychain is a perfect gift!

Skills Required: Intermediate. This is a great project to try for your first photo transfer. You’ll learn how to transfer photos to wood – you need some prior crafting experience to master this technique.

Are you ready for Mother’s Day? I wasn’t, until recently – when I made this photo keychain! This photo craft was created for my mom, with a photo of me and my younger brother when we were kids since we don’t live near her anymore.

I think it’s a good gift to make for someone who has older kids, younger moms or even fur moms. You can create a basic one (like the one I made), or fancy it up with charms and other embellishments.

If you like DIY keychains, add this Mod Podge photo craft to your list of projects. Join me to see how easy this picture keychain project came together!

Make a Picture Keychain

Gather These Supplies

Wood Square
Cutter
Drill with bit
Sandpaper
Photo (laserjet printed)
Matte Mod Podge
Mod Podge Photo transfer medium
Paintbrush
Antiquing Wax
Keychain Ring

Step 1. To create a ‘long’ piece of wood perfect for your photo keychain, I used a 3″ x 3″ wood square. Mine were soft enough to cut down to size with just a box cutter or X-Acto knife – you just need patience and a steel rule to guide you.

If your wood squares are thick, you may need another tool to cut the wood. Rather than mess with it, you may just want to purchase wood rectangles with holes already cut. I’ll let you decide!

Cutting a 3 by 3 wood square into three pieces with a box knife

Step 2. Once you are done creating your wood rectangles, sand the edges as well as the front and back surfaces with fine-grit sandpaper.

Two wood pieces and a piece of sandpaper

Step 3. Drill a hole on the top to accommodate your keychain ring later on using a drill with small drill bit – the size would be relative to how big or small your keychain ring would be.

Two wood pieces with holes drilled in one end

Step 4. Now, it’s time for the fun part! Print your image – don’t forget to flip it before printing. Base the photo size on the size of your wood strip, in my case 1″ x 3″.

Create a photo keychain that comes together in a matter of minutes (excluding dry time). This is a perfect gift for Mother's Day!

Step 5. Apply a thick coat of photo transfer medium to your image, and lay it face down on your piece of wood. Use a brayer to push out bubbles and flatten the image onto the wood.

Step 6. Once dry, wet the paper and carefully rub the paper until your image shows. Be careful with rubbing the paper too much unless you want a really aged look to your keychain.

Rubbing paper off of a photo transfer keychain

Step 7. Once you are done removing the excess paper, let’s ‘antique’ it. Use antiquing wax and apply it on the edges of your keychain.

Step 8. Using the same brush (unwashed), apply a layer of Matte Mod Podge. The remaining residue from the antique wax will mix with the Matte Mod Podge to create a slight sepia sheen. Make sure the faces don’t have any stray specks of wax or paper before it dries.

Homemade keychain with a photo and Mod Podge Matte

Step 9. Attach your keychain ring and you are done!

DIY keychain with a Mod Podge photo transfer image

I’m pretty sure my sentimental mom would love this photo keychain, and I hope yours would too! It’s something easy, simple and from the heart that you can give to your mom or make for yourself.

I’m going to be making one of these DIY keychains with a photo of my furbabies too! I know my mom likes this plain so I kept mine simple, but you can definitely personalize it even further with different embellishments or charms.

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5 from 3 votes

DIY Photo Keychain

Create a photo keychain that comes together in a matter of minutes (excluding dry time). This is a perfect gift for Mother’s Day!

Prep Time10

Active Time45

Dry Time1

Total Time1 55

Yield: keychain

Cost: $2

Equipment

Steel ruler
Box cutter Or X-Acto made for thick materials
Drill and drill bits
Sandpaper
Paintbrush(es)

Materials

Wood square(s)
Photo laserjet printed
Mod Podge Matte
Mod Podge Photo Transfer Medium
Antiquing Wax
Keychain Ring

Instructions

To create a ‘long’ piece of wood perfect for a keychain, I used a 3″ x 3″ wood square. They’re soft enough to cut down to size with just a box cutter or X-Acto knife. You’ll want a steel ruler and patience, as well.
Once you are done creating your wood rectangles, sand the edges as well as the front and back surfaces with fine-grit sandpaper.
Drill a hole on the top to accommodate your keychain ring later on using a drill with small drill bit – the size would be relative to how big or small your keychain ring would be.
Print the image – don’t forget to flip it before printing. Base the photo size on the size of the wood strip,.
Apply a thick coat of photo transfer medium to the image, and lay it face down on your piece of wood. Use a brayer to push out bubbles and flatten the image onto the wood. Leave to dry overnight.
Once dry, wet the paper and carefully rub the paper until the image shows. Be careful with rubbing the paper too much, unless you want a really aged look to the keychain.
Repeat step 6 until all the paper is removed. Then, let’s ‘antique’ it. Use antiquing wax and apply it on the edges of the keychain. This step is optional, but it’s a fun effect.
Using the same brush (unwashed), apply a layer of Matte Mod Podge. The remaining residue from the antique wax will mix with the Matte Mod Podge to create a slight sepia sheen. Make sure the faces don’t have any stray specks of wax or paper before it dries.
Attach the keychain ring and you are done!

Video

What are you planning on making for Mother’s Day? I’d love to know in the comments! I’d also love for you to check out these other keychain ideas. Have fun crafting. . . .