Fabric Key Rings – a perfect solution for vintage fabric scraps

I once read in this book, all scraps of material should be kept for future projects, no matter the size. And I also recall similar conversations taking place amongst creatives I have met on workshops in the past. I have an old cardboard box the M children used many moons ago in my craft cupboard brimming with fabric scraps and samples gleaned over the years. If I am honest though, more scraps go in than come out and apart from one other earlier project of mine, I hadn’t wholly got my head around a good use for my bits and bobs. That was until I chanced upon a Pinterest post which gave me the idea of fabric key rings and this is what I made…

Little Miss began a new chapter in her life recently and is making a first home with The Boyfriend. I cannot dwell at this point for too long for fear of yet more cascading tears, so I shall move swiftly on. I decided suitable gifts for her and The Boyfriend to be fabric key rings. She has a reputation in this family for having lost a great many keys over the years so I hoped she might find her gift a useful addition to the handbag. I set to gathering my supplies and deciding which scraps I could bear to part with.

You should not laugh at my fairy attempt which the clever and talented @suzihearts manages with much aplomb. Having stitched a similar design here for Belle’s shelves, I tried to recreate the dainty creature once again: I feel sure Suzy will not call upon me for a collaboration any time soon.

I quite simply raided the scrap box and selected tiny fragments of vintage materials and cut out her frock, a pretty dress motif and a pair of wings and with nothing other than an everyday white thread and simple over stitch, I secured the pieces in place. I had a little plastic bag of gold spangles – from back in the day when all in my world was glitter and gold – and used these to ensure my fairy wings sparkled.

Legs, shoes and arms have neat little ‘twisty’ stitches and her glorious hair was fashioned using french knots. Goodness only knows what on earth happened to her fizzog. Perhaps not the prettiest of them all, although she does have a magic wand as any self-respecting fairy should have, so all is well. Since her departure Little Miss has visited us a few times and has taken to wandering around the home asking if I need this or need that anymore. I fear it will not be too long before my pretty books begin to disappear to her book shelves.

Since starting my blog, I realise that I am indeed a hoarder. I appear to have a few metal key ring hoops and lanyard fixings in my craft cupboard, just perfect for fabric key rings. I selected a strong, close weaved fabric which I passed through the lanyard fixing and then clasped this between the front and back fabric of the key ring and stitched tightly and securely in place. Incidentally I used a scrap of vintage quilt and french button for the back of the key ring. The quilt adds a little weight to the project although you could simply pad out thinner fronts and backs with an offcut of wadding if you preferred.

Then as usual I caught the bug and I stitched one with a home and garden and embroidered another with a simple ‘clematis’ wreath, not too dissimilar to the design on these. Again, I used blanket and over stitches to secure the front and back fabrics. The scrap of quilt used on the back of the house fabric key ring, had a slight cut in the pattern and so using one of the mending techniques I learnt here I ran a red running stitch up and down, just catching the fabric underneath to secure safely.

The Boyfriend got a key ring too. Try as I did, the fabric heart idea was just not cutting it for this strapping lad, so instead I returned from the craft cupboard with a kit which you first saw me use here and set to creating something a little less fussy. I resisted hammering the message look after my daughter or else as the design and instead went for the more obvious home message. He knows though.

And I know you too have scraps at the ready. Each one of these fabric key rings took only an evening in front of the fire to create; the perfect winter craft. So who might yours be crafted for? Should you feel inspired to have a go, I’d love to see what yours look like. Until next week…x