Tutorial written by Fiona Carter

Introduction

In this tutorial I’d like to show you the steps to making the key rings using ribbons, cotton webbing and key fob hardware available here at Ribbons Galore. There is no rule regarding the size of the finished key ring (the loop of webbing/ribbon), this is up to you. I generally like to make key rings that can slip over your wrist, so I start with approximately 30cm of webbing and ribbon.

Materials

• ribbon (same length as cotton webbing)
• cotton webbing (same length as ribbon)
• key fob hardware
• strong glue
• a sewing machine
• clamp or pliers

Instructions

Step 1:

Cut the cotton webbing and the ribbon into pieces and have them stacked next to your sewing machine.

A little tip: when I’m stitching a polyester ribbon to cotton webbing (or cotton fabric for that matter), I always iron the ribbon with a warm iron (not hot). There is usually a little shrinkage with polyester ribbons, and by ironing them now (before you sew), you avoid the ribbon puckering once sewn to it’s cotton base.

Step 2:

Stitch the ribbon to the webbing.

Step 3:

Fold the piece of webbing/ribbon in half and sew the two raw edges together.

A little tip: I add the above step into the process so both ends of the webbing stay in place once the metal end is clamped. The metal clamp has “teeth” on one side only. When the metal end is clamped closed only one side of the webbing is held with these teeth. By stitching the two ends together, you are making a more secure key ring or tag. And I speak from experience, one of the first key rings I made did not last very long, one side of the webbing pulled out of the metal end. Since sewing the two ends together, the key rings have stayed in place!

Step 4:

[this is an optional step, but I really like to be sure that my key rings will stay in tact] Glue the webbing ends to the metal end. I use a strong glue.

Then leave them to dry a little.

Step 5:

Time for clamping, this is the part where you close the metal end around the webbing ends. I always clamp these as tight as possible.

A little tip: Use fabric between the pliers/clamp and the key fob to protect the metal on the key ring from scratching.

Attach the split rings to the end of your key ring. And you are finished.

Some uses for this tutorial:

• key rings
• bag tags for kid’s school bags
• punch holes through all your loyalty cards and thread them onto the split ring (keep all your loyalty cards on a key ring instead of filling your wallet)
• luggage tags