Turning your amigurumi into a keychain is a fun and practical way to make your creations portable, giftable, and extra cute. Whether you’re making party favors, handmade gifts or items to sell, attaching a keychain securely is essential so your amigurumi holds up to everyday use.
Keychains go through a lot of wear and tear. They get tossed into bags, dropped, pulled, and handled daily. A weak attachment can cause your amigurumi to come loose and you might even lose it altogether. In this tutorial, I’ll walk you through how to attach a keychain to amigurumi safely and neatly, with tips to help your finished piece look polished and last longer.
What You’ll Need
Before you start, gather the following:
- Your amigurumi
- Keychain hardware
- A long needle
- Optional: invisible thread
Optional: Before attaching the keychain with yarn, you can use invisible thread to secure the keychain to the amigurumi first: Attach the invisible thread to your amigurumi hiding its ends first and follow the steps below. Then attach the keycahin with the yarn tail left at the end of your amigurumi.
How to Attach a Keychain to Amigurumi
- Decide where you want to place the keychain.
- When I’m making amigurumi that are going to be keychains I close it and leave a long tail at the end of the piece that will have the keychain. Thread that long tail on the long needle.
- Insert the needle into the center of the last round, at the bottom.
- Bring the needle out through the center of the amigurumi’s top. Pull the thread being careful not to misshape your amigurumi.
- Grab your keychain and insert the needle into the last loop of the chain and pull thread.
- Insert the needle into your amigurumi, this time in the opposite direction, using the same spaces used on Step 4.
- Grab a loop from the last round at the bottom of your amigurumi and pull the yarn.
- Insert the needle into your amigurumi, this time from the bottom to the top, using the same spaces as before. Pull the yarn gently. The yarn will be hidden inside the amigurumi.
- Insert the needle into the last loop of the chain and pull thread.
- Repeat 2 to 3 times from Step 6. Finish off and weave in the ends.
Tips for Durable Amigurumi Keychains
- Avoid attaching the keychain to single strands of yarn, decorative stitches, soft or loosely stuffed areas
- Avoid stretchy yarn
- Choose sturdy hardware
- Test the attachment by gently tugging before finishing
Perfect Projects for Amigurumi Keychains
- Small animals
- Food amigurumi
- Mini dolls
- Seasonal ornaments
- Gifts and party favors
Try to make your own! They’re quick to make and perfect for using up yarn scraps.
Attaching a keychain to amigurumi doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does need to be secure. With the right technique and a little extra reinforcement, your keychains will be ready to go wherever life takes them.
If you use this tutorial, I’d love to see your creations! Feel free to share them and tag me on Instagram @BuddyRumi !