DIY American Flag Keychain Bead Craft

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Make this DIY American flag keychain for a fun summer craft for July 4th or anytime you’re looking for a simple bead craft idea.

I’m Keri from One Mama’s Daily Drama, back with another easy craft idea for adults or kids. This bead keychain craft is a fun activity for a patriotic holiday like Memorial Day or July 4th – or anytime you want a quick activity.

DIY American flag keychain bead craft.

I have a habit of buying beads that are pretty. Or buying beads for one craft project, then having tons leftover. I decided it was time to dig into my craft stash and use up some of my seed beads.

For this craft you’ll also need some type of cord. I used jewelry elastic because that’s what I had on hand. You can use any cord that’s both thin enough to fit through the holes in your beads and sturdy enough that it won’t break when you’re using the keychain.

There’s nothing worse than pulling your keys out of your purse and having it break and scatter beads everywhere!

This makes a fun summer craft for kids too. If your child carries a house key, a fun keychain makes it a bit easier to keep track of.

Remember when doing bead crafts with kids that safety is important. When crafting with young children you may want to use larger pony beads. Kids should be supervised by an adult and if your child still puts things in their mouth/nose, you might want to just save this activity for when they’re older.

Small keychain made from red, white and blue beads in a stripe pattern to resemble the American flag.

How to Make an American flag keychain

You can make this even bigger by adding more strands.

What you need: 

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Craft Tools Needed: 

Supplies Needed: 

How to make an American flag keychain.

American flag keychain step by step photos:

Measure and cut the elastic.

When you’re crafting with elastic, make sure you don’t stretch it while measuring or you might cut it too short. Likewise, when you’re stringing the beads onto the elastic, don’t stretch it before tying or the strand might curl up.

Two strands of 12-inch elastic cord between a pair of scissors and a fabric tape measure.

Attach cords with a hitch knot.

Line up all the cords together. The ends should line up, but don’t worry too much if they’re not exact. You can trim the ends when you’re finished if desired.

A metal keyring with strands of elastic cord looped through in a hitch knot.

Slide on a spacer bead.

A spacer bead keeps everything nice and tidy. If you can’t find a star, any bigger bead will work.

A white star bead threaded onto elastic cord against a keyring.

Work one strand at a time.

To keep beads from spilling, pour a few from the container into a small dish.

Alternating blue and white beads threaded onto cord beside a star.

Double tie a knot at the end of each strand.

Make sure your knots at the end of each bead strand are secure. Tie a double knot and pull them both tight.

Red beads added below the blue and white alternating beads on a cord.

Repeat for each strand.

To create the look of the stars on the American flag, alternate starting with blue or white.

Two strands of beaded cord alternating blue and white at the top; one with red below and the other with white below.

Finish the keychain.

When you’ve finished the strands of beads, you can leave the end cord as is or trim it shorter.

A keychain made with 4 beaded strands in red, white, and blue to resemble the American flag.

American flag keychain

Work Time15 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Author: Keri Houchin
Cost: $3

Equipment

Supplies

  • 1 metal keyring
  • 24 inches elastic cord
  • 80-100 seed beads red, white, and blue
  • 1 large star bead

Instructions

  • Measure and cut two pieces of elastic cord that measure 10 inches long each.
  • Line up the cords and fold them in half. Attach them to the metal keyring with a hitch knot: slip the looped end through the keyring and pull the loose ends through the hole.
  • Pull the hitch knot snug and add a large plastic bead by sliding it over all of the loose ends.
  • Separate each of the elastic strands and work on them one at a time. For the first strand, start by stringing on an alternating pattern of blue and white beads for a total of 9 beads, starting with blue.
  • Continuing with the first strand, add enough red beads to achieve the keychain length you desire. This one is about 2 inches long. Tie a few knots in the end of the cord.
  • For the second strand, string on an alternating pattern of blue and white beads for a total of 9 beads, starting with white. Add enough additional white beads to match the length of the first strand.
  • Repeat steps 4 through 6 to string 2 more strands. You’ll end up with 2 matching pair and when you lay them flat, they’ll alternate like the American flag.
Did you follow these steps?Tag us on Instagram at @kenarryideas or leave us a comment rating below.
DIY keychain craft in red, white, and blue beads.

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What’s Next? 

If you enjoyed making this American flag keychain then you’ll enjoy these summer crafts too.

Watermelon Bracelet Bead Weaving

Rainbow Friendship Bracelets

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