sun-baked friendship wristlet keychain

First, make a long friendship bracelet to use as the wristlet for your keychain.
TIP: The featured design is a zigzag pattern created with ten lengths of floss from five different skeins of floss.

Trim the excess floss short enough to fit inside your clamp. Spread adhesive over the ends above the first and last row of knots then add the clamps.

Cut about 12" [30.5 cm] of floss. Fold it in half and attach it to the loop on a clamp on one end of your wristlet with a lark’s head knot.
TIP: To make a lark’s head knot, fold the floss in half. Thread the fold through the loop. Grab the ends of the floss, bring them up and over the loop, then through the fold of the floss. Pull and tighten the knot. Be sure that both floss ends stay even.

Thread four stones onto the floss with a collapsible needle. Remove the needle and tie a double knot in the floss strands. Re-thread the needle on one of the strands and thread it back through a couple of the last beads added. Trim the excess for this strand only.
TIP: You still have one strand hanging below the last stone added. Do not cut this strand.

Repeat Steps 3-4 for the clamp on the other side.

Now, hold the two strands together that are hanging from the stones. Re-thread the needle and string three more stones. Remove the needle.

Separate the strands, add a closed jump ring to one, then tie the strands together with a double knot to secure the jump ring and stones to the floss.

Re-thread the needle on both strands and thread them back through a couple of the last beads added. Trim the excess for this strand only.
TIP: It may be easier to thread each strand separately.

Add a dab of glue to the seam on each jump ring then slide the seam around so it is inside the double knot. Set aside to dry.
TIP: If desired, add a dab of glue to the site where you cut the access floss in Step 6.

Click here for the leather hexagon shape and iron-on frame in Cricut® Design Space™.

Design your monogram (or add a saying). Size it to fit inside the iron-on frame. Click ‘Attach’ so your design and frame cut as you want it to appear on your keychain.
TIP: If you are using different vinyl for layers, then do not use the ‘Attach’ feature.

Mirror your monogram (or message) design in the preview screen but you do not need to mirror the hexagon.

Cut your monogram (or message) from iron-on material and your hexagon from genuine leather.
TIP: Follow the prompts in Design Space™ to know when to change cutting blade.

Use scissors to cut away the vinyl around your design. Next, use your weeder tool to peel away the remaining negative space surrounding your design so when you’re done, it's the only thing left on the backer paper.

Preheat your EasyPress Mini™ on the second setting.

Place your leather hexagon on top of your EasyPress™ mat and then preheat the material for about 5 seconds.

Place the carrier sheet with your design, so it’s sticky-side down, onto your leather. You should be able to see the layer through the carrier sheet, just as it will appear once ironed.

Follow instructions included with your EasyPress Mini™ to press. If your material is the warm peel type, you may go ahead and peel off the carrier sheet. If your material is a cool peel type, let it cool completely before removing the carrier sheet.

Attach your personalized leather hexagon to your keychain with a jump ring.
TIP: To open and close a jump ring, simply grasp the jump ring on both sides with chain nose pliers and twist the ring open, from side-to-side. Never pull the jump ring which can cause distortion.

Slide the jump ring at the end of your wristlet onto the split ring of your keychain.

Share your project photos with #MakeItWithMichaels