Keychain Lanyard
This lanyard folds and snaps over your belt to ensure your keys never get lost again. Use it on backpacks and bags to keep your keys stowed safely in place. This project begins to explore hardware elements, introducing the snap and a swivel clip.
Finished size
6¼ ×1 inches (16×2.5cm)
Materials
1 piece 4–5 ounce (1.6–2.0mm) vegetable-tanned leather, ½ ×10 inches (1.6×25.5cm)
Cardstock
Button snap, Ligne 20
Swivel clip
Template
Keychain Lanyard Template (idiotsguides.com/leather)
Tools
Strap cutter
English point end punch, 1 inch (2.5cm)
Rotary punch
Snap setter, Ligne 20
Mallet
Techniques Used
Working with Templates
Cutting: Using a Strap Cutter
Punching: Using End Punches
Punching: Using a Rotary Punch
Hardware: Attaching Snaps
1 Cut a strap. Using the strap cutter, cut a 5/8-inch (1.6cm) strap at least 10 inches (25.5cm) in length.
2 Prepare the template and trace it. Transfer the paper template pattern to cardstock. Using a mechanical pencil, trace the cardstock template onto the leather strap, marking the ends and hole locations.
3 Cut to length. Using the English point end punch, cut each end of the strap, as shown on the template.
4 Punch the holes. Using the #2 (⅛-in.; 0.3cm) hole size of the rotary punch, punch the holes, as shown on the template.
5 Attach hardware. Fold the end with two holes through the swivel clip so the holes line up, with the rough sides of the leather facing. Using the snap setter, set the post and stud of the button snap through the lined-up holes, threading the post from the finished side of the strap.
6 Finish the snap. Attach the top two parts of the snap in the punched hole at opposite end of the lanyard using the snap setter. Insert the button snap cap from the finished side of the strap and the socket from the rough side.