How to Make Boondoggle Keychains

Hi friends!  It’s Natalie from Doodlecraft.  Have you done boondoggle before?  It’s basically macrame weaving with flat plastic lacing cord.  Boondoggle is a big hit at summer camps because it keeps kids hands busy… they’re like the fidget spinners of the 80’s.  There is so much variety in what you can make, so you never get maxed out. Read on to learn how to make boondoggle keychains!

How to Make Boondoggle Keychains Tutorial Supplies:

• Rexlace Plastic Cording
• Darice Lanyard Hooks
• (Pliers and Scissors)

The first step in learning how to make boondoogle keychains is to start with the basic 2 strand weaves.  (These keychains pictured below.)

Once the 2 strands are mastered, you can move on to the more advanced weaves.

Let’s begin:

For the ease of taking pictures, I used painters tape to hold the laces in place while photographing.  Typically you will just hold the cords in your hand while starting it.  I generally start the first one for all the kids I am working with and then show them how to build off of it.  Starting is the most complicated part.  If it’s too hard, try taping it down while you work until you get the hang of it.

Cut 2 strands of lacing cord 1 yard each.

#1. Place them like a plus sign.

#2. Take the lace that is resting on the bottom of the plus and loop the top lace down and the bottom lace up.

#3. Next take the lace from each side, weave the lace over the blue lace and then under the second blue lace.

#4. Repeat for the lace on the other side, weave it under the blue lace and then through the last remaining loop.  This last weave through should secure the laces

(refer to picture below)

Once pulled tight it will look like this!  Then pull it a little tighter.  I pull 2 laces in each hands and then rotate and pull again, that way all the laces are pulled evenly and tight.

Now we can proceed to the SQUARE weaving.  This is the simplest and the one I recommend starting with.

Pull tight from the starting knot.  Flip the pink laces over themselves.  Weave the blue lace at the bottom over the first pink lace and under the second pink lace.  Next weave the blue lace at the top over the closest pink lace and under (or through) the last pink lace.  This secures all the laces in place and pull tight.  (refer to the picture below)

With 1 yard of lace, you can make about a 4 inch keychain in the square pattern.

Let’s move on to the ROUND weaving.  After mastering the square boondoggle, try the round.

It starts with the exact same 2 strand weave from the beginning.  Now instead of bringing the laces straight across, they are wrapped on an angle.

The blue top lace crosses diagonally across the pink one next to it.  Then the pink one is brought diagonally across the next blue lace while crossing over the last blue lace.  Then the blue lace you just crossed over is brought up diagonally across the next pink lace.  The final pink lace flips over the blue lace and then through the loop that the first blue lace made.  (refer to the picture below)

It’s still a square weaving pattern, but done on an angle which will make the whole thing twist around.

This one has a fun combination of 3 round weaves and then 3 square weaves to give it a cool pattern.

Now let’s finish it off.  Instead of a bulky knot, there’s a beautiful way to finish it off.  Stop weaving when the laces are about 4 inches long, they will be uneven.

Do one last weave and don’t pull it tight.  Then take each loose lace and wrap it around the lace to it’s left and then weave it up through the center of the laces.  Repeat for all 4 laces.  Then pull tight.

Now use some pliers to add a lanyard hook to the top of the boondoggle keychain.

Trim the laces to the desired length, about 2 inches.

Now repeat!

Once you are comfortable with the 2 strands, you can learn how to make boondoggle keychains using 3 strands. (pictured below)

There are a few different ways to wrap it to get varied effects.  Just like the square and round from above.

These designs can be made with 4 strands.

Or get you can get adventurous and do a 5 or 6 strand keychain!

Make infinity more!  Get creative and make fun shapes.  Mix the weaves for cool patterns.

If you enjoyed learning how to make boondoggle keychains, you might also want to try this fabric wristlet DIY keychain project.

Natalie S

Natalie Shaw is a Craft/DIY blogger at Doodlecraftblog.com. She posts budget conscious DIY’s, crafts of all kinds, jewelry, kid friendly projects, upcycled treasures and other fun 5 days a week. She loves sci-fi, fantasy and video game geekery and that comes out in many of her projects.

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