Newsletter #6: Couple Keychains 💕, Mini Sad Hamster 🐹 💕, PB&J Charms 🥪💕

19 अप्रैल 2024

Happy Friday! It's been a couple of weeks since my last newsletter, and I apologize for the delay. Dealing with creative blocks and a few unsuccessful projects made it challenging to gather enough content. Nonetheless, I'm thrilled to be back and excited to share more projects with you all! Hope you guys enjoy these new gift ideas as much as I do and as always, thank you for being here!

- Mel <3

Couple Keychains 💕

I can't get enough of these couple keychains 💕 I love how customizable they are!

Dimensions:

Each charm (approx 2" x 1.25")

Main Materials :

Tips & Tricks (mostly same as the other keychains):

I used Posca markers (acrylic markers), which I highly recommend! They aren't the cheapest markers, but the quality is unbeatable. It's super bright and pigmented which makes the image look so much better. HOWEVER, it is still possible to make this keychain with regular markers, the colors just won't be as bright and solid.
I heated the shrink plastic at 325 degrees Fahrenheit and took it out when I felt like the plastic stopped shrinking.
Make sure to put parchment paper between the shrinking charm and the pan in the oven or else it will burn and make sure the glossy side is facing up. If the glossy side is facing down then when you go to flatten it, there is a high chance the glossy side will get scratched up by the parchment paper.
I used a large flat object to flatten the trinket right after taking it out of the oven (the shrink plastic hardens extremely fast so you have to be faster). People tend to use large heavy books. I personally don't have any on hand, so I just use some thick cardboard and put pressure down on it with my hand and works like a charm!
It's easier to work with smaller batches when flattening, so I'd recommend splitting this one in to two!
I highly recommend drawing out a ruler on a test sheet of plastic and shrinking it first for proportional reference. Fair warning, it does shrink A LOT.
The final keychain IS NOT super sturdy and has to be handled with care. If you want to make the keychains durable, I'd highly suggest sealing the keychain with resin!
Shrink plastic is convenient and easy BUT not reliable. I've found that the Shrinky Dink brand is the easiest to work with.

Mini Sad Hamster (Hampter) 🐹💕

I absolutely love, stuffed animals cause they're so cute and you can just put them anywhere. Since there's no sad hamster one, I thought a DIY one would be perfect! 💕

Dimensions:

Sad hamster (approx 2.75" x 2.75" x 3")

Main Materials:

Grey Yarn
Ribbon

Tips & Tricks:

It's better to make the puffballs bigger rather than smaller. You can always trim down the puffballs to size.
When making the puffballs, wrap more times than you think is necessary. If you don't wrap enough times, then the puffball does't have enough yarn and it becomes droopy.
When sticking the puffballs together, I highly recommend spreading the yarn apart so you get to the center and hot gluing the centers together. This way, it's more sturdy.
To make the ears more prominent, you can trim the ears in a triangular fashion.

PB&J Pocket Charms 🥪💕

Since I've made so many keychains, I thought some pocket charms would be cute and different. I love how carrying these in your pocket is low-key, but still affectionate 💕

Dimensions:

Each bread & spread (approx 1.25" x 1.5" x 0.25")

Main Materials:

Air dry clay
Acrylic paint
Gloss Mod Podge
Cardstock

Tips & Tricks:

I made the bread templates out of cardstock. Cardstock was the perfect thickness to handle with the clay but also thin enough to peel off of the clay.
I used a paint brush with water to soften the edges and close any cracks. This was super useful and made sculpting clay so much easier!
It does take time for the air dry clay to harden, so I suggest leaving it aside for a day, then returning later to finish the project.
After clay dries, you can use some sandpaper or a spare nail filer, to smooth out any imperfections.
I absolutely LOVE using acrylic paint because of its fast drying time and acrylic paint on air dry clay dries especially fast. However, any densely pigmented paint will work!
I used E6000 to glue the spread to the bread, but any strong glue will do!
I love how easy gloss Mod Podge is to handle. As long as you apply a thin layer, it'll dry super quickly and since it's clear, most imperfections won't show. However, it is a glue so when letting it dry, make sure it isn't sticking to anything, or it will peel off the paint.

Resources

Amazon Storefront: I've curated all of my recommended materials here, complete with personal notes explaining why I love them! If you're seeking suggestions, feel free to take a look. However, if you're not into affiliate links feel free to skip it!

xTool Laser Cutter: My newest addition to my little creative workshop! I'm still learning more and more by the day, but I can definitely say it's my favorite tool by far. I have the xTool P2 laser cutter, but they offer a large range of tools. I highly recommend checking out what they have, especially since they have their St. Patrick's Day Sale going on!

Exclusive Templates: I have a support program on Kofi where I share the templates that I use in my videos so that you have all the tools you need to create DIY gifts 🤗

Some of the templates that are included: