Key fobs are incredibly handy accessories in our daily lives, keeping our keys organized and easily accessible. But why settle for a plain, store-bought key fob when you can create a custom, stylish Leather Key Fob at home? In this guide, we’ll walk you through creating a beautiful leather key fob using faux leather and your Cricut machine. This project is perfect for beginners and experienced crafters alike, offering a quick and satisfying way to add a personal touch to your keys or create thoughtful gifts.
Whether you’re looking to elevate your everyday carry or searching for a unique handmade item to sell, these DIY leather key fobs are an excellent choice. They utilize minimal materials, are incredibly fast to assemble, and offer endless customization possibilities. Plus, working with faux leather provides a fantastic leather aesthetic with added durability and ease of cutting with machines like the Cricut.
If you prefer a visual guide, you can also check out our video tutorial on creating faux leather key fobs with a Cricut [link to YouTube video if available – otherwise remove].
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Ready to dive into this fun and fashionable DIY? Let’s gather our materials and get crafting!
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Materials You’ll Need for Your DIY Leather Key Fob
To make these stylish leather key fobs, you’ll need a few key supplies. Here’s a comprehensive list to get you started:
- Cricut Cutting Machine (Maker, Explore Air 2, or Joy): A Cricut machine is essential for precisely cutting the faux leather shapes. While the Cricut Maker is used in this tutorial, the Explore Air 2 and even the Cricut Joy (with a 12-inch mat) are perfectly capable of handling this project using the Fine Point Blade.
- Cricut Strong Grip (Purple) Cutting Mat: The purple mat’s strong adhesive is crucial for holding faux leather in place during cutting. You can find these mats at craft stores like Michael’s, Hobby Lobby, Joann’s, Walmart, and online retailers like Amazon.
- Blue Painter’s Tape: Adding painter’s tape around the edges of your faux leather ensures it stays firmly adhered to the mat, preventing any shifting during the cutting process. You can purchase this at hardware stores, grocery stores, or online at Amazon.
- Faux Leather Sheets: The star of our project! Choose faux leather in your favorite colors and patterns. For a unique look, consider striped faux leathers from Etsy or explore other textures and finishes. Avoid chunky glitter faux leather as it tends to shed glitter.
- Weeding Tool or Sharp Object: A weeding tool from a Cricut tool set or any sharp object will help you lift the cut leather key fob from the mat.
- Faux Suede or Faux Leather Tassels (Optional): Add a decorative touch with tassels! Amazon offers various faux suede tassel assortments in multiple colors, such as this set.
- Two Pairs of Flat Nose Pliers: These are essential for attaching the key fob hardware. Baby Wubbers Chain Nose Pliers and Baby Wubbers Flat Nose Pliers are highly recommended for their precision and ease of use.
- Free Leather Key Fob SVG File: Download our free SVG file from our Resource Library (Design #175). Get the password by subscribing via the form below or at the end of this post.
Step-by-Step Guide to Crafting Your Leather Key Fob
Now that you’ve gathered your materials, let’s get started on creating your own stylish leather key fob. Follow these simple steps:
STEP 1 – Download the Free SVG File
Access the free SVG cutting file for the leather key fob shape in our Resource Library. You can find the password sign-up form above and at the end of this tutorial.
Once downloaded, the file will be in a zipped folder. Save it to your computer, remembering the location for easy access. Before you can upload the file to Cricut Design Space, you’ll need to unzip or extract the files.
STEP 2 – Upload the SVG to Cricut Design Space
Open Cricut Design Space and start a NEW PROJECT. On the left-hand menu, click UPLOAD.
Click the UPLOAD IMAGE button, then BROWSE to locate the unzipped SVG file on your computer.
Double-click the SVG file to upload it to Design Space. If you encounter an “unsupported file type” error, ensure you’ve selected the correct file and that it’s unzipped.
You’ll see a preview of the leather wristlet keychain shapes. Click the green SAVE button.
After saving, your uploaded design will appear as the first item in your “recently uploaded designs.” Click on it to highlight it in green, then click the green INSERT IMAGES button in the bottom right corner.
STEP 3 – Prepare Your Design for Cutting
The SVG file includes two wristlet shapes: 1 inch and 1.25 inches wide. Choose the shape that matches your key fob hardware width and hide or delete the other. Your canvas should now display your chosen shape, ready for cutting.
Important: Do not resize the rectangles unless they’ve uploaded incorrectly. If resizing is needed, select both shapes and set the height to 11 inches, ensuring the padlock icon is locked to maintain proportions.
For enhanced durability and a refined edge, we’ll apply heat transfer vinyl to the back of the faux leather before cutting. Note: this method may not be ideal for thick glitter HTV. For alternative methods with glitter HTV, refer to our YouTube video tutorial [link to YouTube video if available – otherwise remove].
Click the green MAKE IT button in the top right corner.
The mat preview will show the shape’s placement on your purple cutting mat. Adjust the position if needed to utilize a stickier area of your mat.
Click CONTINUE.
Select your material settings. For faux leather, we recommend the “Faux Leather (Paper Thin)” setting, which automatically performs a double cut. Increase the pressure to “MORE” from the Pressure dropdown menu for a cleaner cut.
Cricut Explore Air 2 users should turn the Smart Set Dial to “Custom” and select “Faux Leather (Paper Thin).” Cricut Joy users need to use the 12-inch mat. See this tutorial for detailed instructions on cutting faux leather with Cricut Joy.
STEP 4 – Fuse Faux Leather and Heat Transfer Vinyl
The secret to a professional-looking leather key fob is bonding heat transfer vinyl to the back of the faux leather before cutting. This technique creates beautifully finished edges.
Cut a piece of faux leather and heat transfer vinyl slightly larger than your wristlet shape. Place them back-to-back, with the faux leather’s decorative side facing up and the vinyl’s shiny side facing up (against the back of the faux leather).
Place this “sandwich” on a heat pressing pad and cover with a Teflon sheet or parchment paper. Press with an EasyPress Mini on the lowest setting, a regular EasyPress, or a low-heat iron (no steam) until the vinyl is fully adhered to the faux leather.
Carefully peel off the vinyl’s clear cover sheet. If bubbles appear, replace the sheet and press again. Ensure complete adhesion across the vinyl surface.
Once the clear sheet is removed, replace the cover sheet and press again for a few seconds to secure the bond.
STEP 5 – Cut the Leather Key Fob with Your Cricut
Position your faux leather face down (decorative side down, vinyl side up) on your purple StrongGrip mat in the location indicated on your mat preview.
Ensure the white star wheels on your Cricut are moved to the side to avoid rolling over the faux leather.
Secure the faux leather to the mat on all sides with blue painter’s tape. Load the mat into your Cricut and press the flashing C button to begin cutting.
After cutting, use your weeding tool to gently lift a corner of the cut shape and check if the cut is complete. If not, press the C button again to repeat the cut without unloading the mat. Repeat as needed.
Unload the mat and remove the cut leather key fob shape. Press one more time with a cover sheet to smooth the edges of the vinyl along the cut lines.
To further enhance the edges, you can use Sharpie markers to color any white edges of the faux leather. This simple trick adds a polished, finished look to your leather key fob.
STEP 6 – Attach the Key Fob Hardware
Fold the cut leather key fob shape in half, aligning the ends.
Insert the folded edges into the jaws of the key fob hardware. Using the pliers that came with the hardware kit, firmly clamp down until the jaws securely close around the faux leather edges.
For an extra decorative element, add a tassel. Open a jump ring, slide on a tassel, attach the key ring, and close the jump ring. Your custom leather key fob is now complete!
Are you excited to create your own leather key fob wristlets? We’d love to see your creations! Share them with us on Instagram by tagging @keyfobxofficial!
Explore more Cricut earring and jewelry tutorials here: DISCOVER MORE PROJECTS
Until our next DIY adventure, happy crafting!
