What You Need
Materials:
- keys- If you don’t have old keys, find a locksmith and see if they have extras that were mistakes. Often they will give them to you.
- nylon fishing line- medium gauge
- masking tape
- spray paint
- 12 inch wooden dowel about 3/8 ‘s or 1⁄2 inch in diameter, You could also use any stick or even a coat hanger
- yarn, string or ribbon to hang it on
- lighter or candle to burn the ends of the nylon
- sandpaper
Tools:
- saw
- drill
- scissors
What to Do:
- Prepare the dowel
- Cut a 12” length of a 3/8’s or 1⁄2 inch diameter wooden dowel.
- Using sandpaper, round the sharp edges on the ends.
You could also use any kind of stick or coat hanger. - Drill holes about 1⁄2 to 3⁄4 inch apart along the length of the dowel. The holes should be big enough to fit a knotted piece of nylon fishing line, threaded through. Make the 2 holes at each end slightly larger for the string or ribbon to hang it from. You can also string the keys on a dowel with no holes using tape to keep the nylon line in place. You will still need to drill a hole in each end to attach a string to hang it.
- Spray paint the dowel and let it dry.
- Cut the fishing line
Prepare @ 20 cut pieces of nylon fishing line, each about 12 inches long. I use the length of a notebook or clipboard as a guide. Tape the end of the nylon onto the notebook. Wrap the fishing line around the longest length of the notebook at least 10 revolutions to make 20 pieces. Tape the strings to the notebook at the top and bottom of each side of the notebook. With scissors, cut the fishing line at the top and bottom of the notebook. Gather the strings together with the masking tape and remove them from the notebook. You should have 20 pieces of line, all the same length. - Tie the keys
Thread one 12” piece of line through the hole in a key. Put the 2 ends together. Make a loop or the shape of a “6”. Thread the 2 ends through the hole and gently tighten, holding the knot in place as you pull. Try to secure the knot about 1 inch from the ends. Try to be consistent with every key so that they will hang more or less the same length. Prepare 20 keys with the knotted nylon line. - Attach string or yarn to the 2 ends of the dowel so that will hang horizontally.
- Thread the keys on the dowel.
Take the 2 ends near knot and thread them with the knot, all the way through the hole in the dowel. Pull the key through the hole so that it loops around the dowel. Once all the keys ar on the dowel, go back and tighten the knots and trim of the extra fishing line, leaving about 1/8 “ by the knot. Slightly melt each of those ends with a lighter or candle for extra security ( optional). - Finishing touches
Decorate with colorful ribbon.
Illustrations:
