How to Make a Sexy Leather Key Fob (and Learn Basic Leatherworking Skills!)

This leather key fob is easy to make and is a perfect introduction to working with leather. This little dude can be made in a flash once you’ve got all your tools and supplies together. Make one for yourself, your sweetie, your neighbor. Shoot- even your boss would love one of these.

If you’d rather get crafty surrounded by babes in the forest, I’ll be teaching how to make this key-fob at A-camp 8.0 in May.

Supplies:

  • Leather/Pleather scrap, at least 8″ long
  • Xacto knife
  • Ruler
  • Mallet or hammer
  • Cutting surface
  • Leather snap set

Including a stud, post, socket, and cap.

1. Using the ruler, Xacto knife, and cutting surface, cut the scrap piece of leather into a 8″ x 3/4″ strip. You may also cut a little snip off of the corners to make it look a bit fancier and rounded.

Now it’s time to mark the snap placement on your leather strip. From one short end, measure 1/2″ in and mark. On this same end, 2″ in and mark. On the opposite side of the strip, measure 1/2″ and mark. See the above photo for reference.

2. Select the punch hole size that matches the circumference of the snap’s post. Punch a hole into each of the snap placement marks on your leather strip.


3. From the right side of the leather, insert the post into the hole made at the 2″ mark.

4. Thread the leather through the trigger clip.

5. Fold the leather strip to insert the post’s shaft into the hole made at the 1/2″ mark.

6. Place the stud on top of the post, with the shaft of the post inserted through the hole in the stud. (You’re allowed to giggle at that.)


7. Place the right side of the post inside the concave portion of your anvil.

Position the snap setter into the tube in the post. Align the snap setter with the post. While holding the snap setter in place, hammer the end of it until the tube of the post meets the cap and is secure.

8. From the right side of the leather, insert the cap into the hole made at the opposite end of the leather strip.

9. Place the socket on top of the cap, with the shaft of the cap inserted through the hole in the socket. The concave of the socket should be facing up.


10. With the concave portion of your anvil facing you, rest the cap inside of the concave.

Position the snap setter into the tube in the cap. Align the snap setter with the cap. While holding the snap setter in place, hammer the end of it until the tube of the cap meets the socket and is securely installed.

See all you cuties at A-camp! Have a fun until then, you deserve it!

Also, big ol’ thank you to Munin Leather for the pattern, supplies, and modeling for this post.

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Katie

Katie is a sewing writer and educator based in Portland, OR. She loves making things, eating avocados, and drinking coffee way too late at night.

Katie has written 9 articles for us.

13 Comments

  1. that definitely looks super boss, but, having done the keys + carabiner on a belt loop thing before, does no one else get frustrated by their keys jangling as they walk? i always end up cramming them into a pocket to make them be quiet.

    • i kinda like the jingle-jangle because it’s like having a calling card and everyone knows when i walk into a room, but that’s because i love being the center of attention. the worst thing is that when i walk through the quad on campus people look up and i can tell it’s because they heard jingling and thought there was a dog and i hate to disappoint them.

      • i was the sorta kid who daydreamed about being a ninja, so i generally wanna be a little more stealth mode.

        also: sounds like you just need a dog to walk with you! problem solved.

        • What’s actually great about the jingle jangle is that you can train people to hear you with the keys and then forget them on your desk for an house and walk around scaring the living daylights out of people because they didn’t hear you coming.

        • What’s actually great about the jingle jangle is that you can train people to hear you with the keys and then forget them on your desk for an hour and walk around scaring the living daylights out of people because they didn’t hear you coming.

  3. Is “how to become a confident-enough person to walk around with a distinctive key jingle” another upcoming lesson? :-D

    • YOUR SWAGGER AND YOUR BEARING AND THE JUST-RIGHT CLOTHES YOU’RE WEARING
      i LOVE that song

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