Keyring upcycle with Sugru and beads

Since I received some Sugru to review in my crafting I've been thinking of more and more ways that I can use it. Although it's similar in many ways to other polymer clay type products, a big advantage is that Sugru cures at room temperature, so you can use it for things that you don't want to put in the oven, for example if you are using it to customise objects.

I wanted a more individual keyring for my keys, so I used some Sugru and some small wooden beads to upcycle this old metal keyring.

 It was very easy to do. First I came up with a few designs, and chose the one that I liked best. I planned it out with the beads on my desk first, and took a photograph on my phone that I could refer to as I went along. Then I rolled out the Sugru and flattened it down to cover the keyring. One 5g pack was sufficient for this project. You can get the Sugru pretty smooth with your fingers, but I quite liked leaving it a little bit bumpy and uneven.

Then I pressed the beads into the Sugru in my chosen pattern. I found it easiest to use tweezers to place the beads where I wanted them, and then pressed down with fingers. I left the keyring resting on a piece of cling film while it cured, as it's one of the only things that Sugru doesn't stick to and I didn't want it permanently attached to the desk! Sugru remains pliable for about half an hour after you open the packet, and then you need to leave it to cure for 24 hours.

I'm loving my new keyring! If you are looking for more crafty ways to use Sugru you might like this post - Crafting with Sugru, a round-up of ideas.

I received both the beads and the Sugru that I used for this project as review products.