What's On Your Keychain?

I know I've previously mentioned the Keychains In Movies website, which catalogs keychain sightings in films and other media. Recently, the site did a brief write-up on a sighting from the movie Joker that got me thinking. In the film, the title character keeps his keys on a plain ring. Whoever wrote the post speculated, in a somewhat tounge-in-cheek tone, that maybe this was symbolic of societal emptiness. After I read this I started thinking about why people choose certain keychains for everyday use. You'd think that, when it comes to picking something to store the house keys on, the most important thing would be practicality. However, this does not always seem to be the case, especially for teens and preteens.

Judging by the keychains I've seen for sale in stores like Claire's and Five Below, which mostly cater to a younger crowd, it appears that the target demographic for these stores are drawn to keychains that can be considered 'trendy'. These 'trends' frequently change with time. Llamas were trendy for a while, then it was sloths. But something that most 'on trend' keychains have in common is that they tend to favor style over function. You can't convince me that a giant, faux fur pom-pom keychain is practical. Young people always seem to want to fit in and be considered current. But I think another reason why teens and preteens are drawn to 'trendy' keychains is because they reflect some aspect of the buyer's personality. Nothing says to the world that a person is relaxed and laid back like a keychain with a sloth on it.

Another thing I started thinking about was the fact that I myself keep my house keys on a plain ring.

No one who saw my keys would ever suspect that I'm a keychain collector. The reason I don't use any of the keychains in my collection for my house keys is that I'm afraid of losing them, and with good reason. I actually lost my house keys once when I was in college. I think they must've fallen out of my pocket. At the time I lost them, my keys were attached to a keychain with the name of my grade school on it. I think I was almost as devastated by the loss of the keychain as I was from losing my keys, since I knew I wouldn't be able to replace the keychain, having already graduated from grade school. (The grade school I had attended eventually ended up closing, due in part to declining enrollment.) Ever since, I've kept my keys on an ordinary split ring, so I won't run the risk of losing another keychain with sentimental value.

So now I'd like to know what you think. Do you think that the keychain a person uses daily reflects something about that person's personality? Also, what kind of keychain do you use on a daily basis? Let me know in the comments.

Signed, Treesa

The Panda Post (Panda Keychains)

According to my brother, the TV Tropes website refers to any feel good, human interest segment that's shown at the end of a news broadcast as a 'panda story'. The way that pandas have been depicted in popular culture over the years has helped them develop a 'cute and cuddly' reputation. So I can sort of see the connection between pandas and any news story that is intended to give the audience a 'warm, fuzzy' feeling. In these difficult times, we could all use something to brighten our day and lift our spirits. So I'm centering this post around some, literal, panda keychains. Hope you enjoy.

First we have this keychain, featuring a photo of a panda named Mei Lan. The lettering on the back indicates that this keychain originally came from Zoo Atlanta.

According to my online research, Mei Lan is a male giant panda who was born in 2006 at Zoo Atlanta in Atlanta, Georgia.

Here's another panda keychain. There are no manufacturer's marks on this one except for the word China on the back. I also can't remember exactly where I got this keychain, though I'm fairly sure I bought it second-hand. So there really isn't much I can tell you about this, except that it's cute.

And finally, this keychain from the Knoxville Zoo in Knoxville, Tennessee has a photo of a red panda on it. Despite the name, red pandas aren't closely related to pandas genetically. According to the information I found online, the closest living genetic relatives of red pandas seem to be raccoons and skunks. However both pandas and red pandas have similar facial markings and they both eat bamboo, which might help explain how red pandas got classified as pandas.

I hope these cute, panda keychains added a small 'bright spot' to your day. Stay safe and stay well.

Signed, Treesa

Pokemon Jigglypuff Dreamcatcher Keychain From Etsy

During the state shutdowns and stay-at-home orders triggered by the Coronavirus, I've been doing more online window shopping, mostly on Ebay and Etsy. With most of the brick-and-mortar stores closed, and government issued orders to leave home only for necessities, I can no longer browse nearby retail stores for fun in my free time. So I've settled for browsing online. And since I still have some 'fun money' put aside, I figure I can treat myself just a little, not to mention support the economy, by paying for shipping charges on an online purchase or two.

This Pokemon Jigglypuff Dreamcatcher keychain came from an Etsy shop called Dream A Sweet Dream. The seller mostly specializes in dreamcatchers and paper flowers. I mentioned dreamcatchers and dreamcatcher keychains in my last post, but this one is unique. It's not everyday you see a dreamcatcher with a Pokemon character on it. Also, I know from watching Pokemon cartoons with my younger brother back in the 1990s that Jigglypuff is a Pokemon with the power to make people fall asleep. So the themeing for this keychain is ideal, in my opinion.

The shop featured many other themed dreamcatchers as well. Some were wall hangings, but others were in keychain form. The Jigglypuff on this particular keychain is a character shoe charm, like the type used to decorate foam clogs. Although the keychain is a bit larger than I expected, when I went back and looked at the listing again it did specifically state that this item is 3 inches long. After my previous experience trying to make a dreamcatcher keychain myself from a kit, which I discussed in my last post, I really appreciate the workmanship that went into this. Based on the quality and the creativity of this keychain, I would definitely recommend the Dream A Sweet Dream Etsy shop. Granted, this Pokemon dreamcatcher might not be the most practical keychain. But I love it.

Also, according to the shop's mission statement, 15 percent of the proceeds from each sale are donated to charity to bring awareness to mental health issues.

Signed, Treesa

Mac Enterprises Kit #IJ-10 Dreamcatcher Keychain

I first learned about dreamcatchers at girl scout camp. The story I heard was that dreamcatchers were used by Native Americans to catch the bad dreams before they could reach people. The dreamcatcher would be hung above a person's bed and the bad dreams would get caught in the net. Good dreams would travel down through the feathers hanging from the bottom of the dreamcatcher to the person sleeping.

As a child, I was fascinated by anything remotely 'Native American'. When, after years of saving, I finally had enough money to buy an American Girl doll, I chose the pioneer girl character because she had a Native American friend in one of the tie-in books. It wasn't until years later that American Girl actually produced a Native American character doll. But if that doll had been around in the beginning, I probably would've picked her instead. As it was, I used to pour over the section of the Magic Attic doll catalog designated for 'their' Native American character doll, Rose, even though I couldn't afford to buy another 18 inch doll.

But to get back to the subject of dreamcatchers, I never actually learned to make a dreamcatcher in girl scouts, though some of my sisters did. However, I do have a number of dreamcatcher keychains in my collection.

Most if not all of them were originally 'free gifts' sent by charities that work with native people. Charities, especially Christian based charities it seems, will sometimes send these sorts of things by mail to encourage people to send donations. However, I picked up the ones in my collection second-hand.

I can't remember where or how I originally got a Dreamcatcher Keychain Kit by Mac Enterprises. I only know that I rediscovered it while I was going through a box of my jewelry making supplies and decided that it was about time I actually used it. Here is the sample picture that came with the kit.

And here is a photo of how my dreamcatcher turned out.

First off, I would like to start by saying that I'm convinced the cord used to make the sample keychain was thinner than the cord that came with my kit. I also had some problems with the instructions.

When attempting a new craft project, I tend to have an easier time if the instructions include step-by-step photos or diagrams. For some reason, I have more difficulty interpreting written directions without visuals. It's just the way my brain works I guess. Anyway, the instruction sheet that came with this kit did provide a series of pictures that demonstrated how to loop the cord. But the black and white sketches were hard to follow, in my opinion. The written instructions seemed thorough, but again I'm the type of person who has difficulty making sense of written directions alone. So my poor dreamcatcher ended up looking...off. I don't think that making dreamcatchers is a craft I'll be tempted to try again. But if I do decide to give it another go, I'll probably look up some online video tutorials.

Signed, Treesa

Christmas Gifts: 2019

This past holiday season my third sister, A., proved just how well she knows me. She gave me keychains for Christmas!

Here's a photo of my Christmas keychain haul. My sister picked these up at various places she stopped while driving home for the holidays, after her seasonal position in the Great Smoky Mountains was over. Anyway, let's take a closer look.

This first keychain came from Goats On The Roof in Tiger, Georgia, a tourist attraction that seems to defy description. While researching the location online I saw it alternately described as a restaurant, a country store, and a petting zoo.

These two keychains came from the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The purple rocket keychain is 3D printed according to my sister, and the circular keychain looks like it was made from a poker chip. There's a cool looking NASA logo on the back.

I forget where my sister said she bought the keychain pictured below.

I also don't know enough about boats to definitively identify the shape and form. But from what I found online, I think this keychain is meant to be some kind of canoe with outriggers. What I can tell you is that it's made from varnished wood.

This red, bear-shaped keychain is made of metal. I've seen similar keychains in other animal shapes before, and I'm reasonably certain that the bear's front claw is meant to be used as a bottle opener. I researched the website printed on this keychain, and discovered that it's an informational site providing safety tips for people who live in the same territory as black bears.

My sister wasn't the only one who gave me something for my collection this past holiday season. I found this little guy in my Christmas stocking. He's an Elf On The Shelf Plushee Pal. I've replaced the plastic clip with a metal split ring, as I normally do. Add this to the keychains my sister gave me, and I'd say I got a pretty good haul.

Signed, Treesa

Converting Backpack Clips Into Keychains (A DIY Project Post)

It's probably happened to all keychain collectors who shop secondhand. You're at a flea market or yard sale and ask the seller if they have any keychains, and they hold up something with an oversized plastic clip that there's no way you could store keys on. Or you're on your favorite online auction site and type in the search term 'keychain lot', only to have your search results come back riddled with these oversized plastic backpack clips. I know there are some collectors who don't see this as an issue. Large or small, metal or plastic, they collect them all. But as far as my personal collection goes, I happen to think that if something is being sold as a keychain you should be able to actually put keys on it.

The problem is that some of these 'backpack clips' are just too adorable for me to pass up. So in this post, I'll be discussing how to replace the plastic clips with actual keychain findings, just in case there are other collectors out there as neurotic as I am. To start this project, you'll need a backpack clip. Backpack clips are usually fairly easy to find second hand, because many fast food restaurants use them as premiums in their kids' meals. And when a family with young children is having a yard sale, fast food toys are often some of the first things that are put out for sale.

I've chosen a plush Simba character from Disney's The Lion King for this example. According to the tag, this clip originally came from The Disney Store, so the quality is probably a little better than your average fast food backpack clip. The important thing when choosing a backpack clip to modify is to make sure that the clip part is made from plastic, the softer the better. In this demo, the plastic clip is attached to the top of Simba's head with a small loop of ribbon. The trick for me is to remove the clip without damaging this ribbon loop, since I'll need it later to attach a keychain finding. The easiest way I've found to do this is to cut off the clip with an inexpensive pair of medium sized wire cutters, like the ones pictured below.

I would not recommend using expensive wire cutters for this project. Cutting plastic is probably not one of the approved uses for this tool, and most likely dulls the heck out of the cutters. Now, the ribbon loop on Simba's head is threaded through a plastic loop at the bottom of the clip. I carefully shift the ribbon over to one side, then cut through the opposite side of the plastic loop. I then make a second cut below the first one. If both cuts went all the way through, this will cause a chunk of the plastic loop to fall out, leaving a gap in the loop where I can remove the ribbon.

You may want to wear eye protection while you're cutting, just to be safe. Keep in mind that some types of plastic are softer and easier to cut through than others. Also keep in mind that the edges of the gap might be a little rough or jagged. Be careful not to snag the ribbon as you remove the clip.

After removing the plastic clip from Simba, I replaced it with a gold tone metal split ring.

I felt that the gold would coordinate better with Simba's coloring than silver.

If the backpack clip you want to modify uses a metal clip, there are ways to work around this. In the photo below I took a Cancun souvenir clip and added a split ring to it.

You can see that the original metal clip is still there. But manufacturers have, in the past, made keychains that feature both a split ring and a clip so I'm not that worried about it.

Very rarely, you'll find a metal backpack clip like the one pictured below. The metal was so thin and lightweight (it felt like aluminum, or something similar) that I was able to cut right through it.

Originally this clip was attached to a Disney princess coin purse. I replaced the clip with a split ring. You can see the end result in the photo below.

Of course, there are some items used on backpack clips that are too oversized to work convincingly as keychains, even if they are converted. Keychains are generally pocket-sized, though I've been known to stretch this a little in my own collection. Your best bet is to use your own judgment when choosing backpack clips to convert into keychains.

Like I said at the beginning of this post, not every keychain collector is as neuerotic as I am. I wouldn't be surprised if there are some collectors who think I'm insane for spending so much time and effort replacing backpack clips with split rings and other keychain findings. But for collectors like me who have placed certain limitations on their collections, I hope that this post helps to open up new avenues to explore on their collecting journeys.

Signed, Treesa

Converting Figurines Into Keychains (A Quick DIY Project Post)

I bought this C3PO Star Wars figurine by Hasbro at a flea market for fifty cents a while back, specifically with the intention of turning him into a keychain. The reason I chose this specific figure was because of his arms. More specifically, each arm is positioned so that it forms a closed loop, leaving an open space next to his body that is perfect for attaching a keychain finding.

With C3PO I chose to use a ball chain finding, since it was the easiest option. However, other types of keychain findings can be used for this kind of project. In the example below, I used jump rings to attach a split ring and a swivel connector to a Clarabelle Cow Disney figurine that I bought secondhand.

Because the positions of both figures' arms resulted in two open spaces next to the body, I actually had a choice of where to place the keychain findings. In C3PO's case, I tried both options, and discovered that the figure hung better from the chain if I used the upper opening.

I'll admit, the C3PO figure was a bit scuffed up when I bought him. But I felt this added to the overall look, giving C3PO a weathered appearance. Of course, if this keychain was subjected to heavy use there's a good possibility that it would quickly become more 'weathered' than I'd like. However, since it was intended for my personal collection it shouldn't be subjected to too much wear and tear.

Here's one final example of a figurine that I've converted into a keychain.

This Disney Crossy Road Mini Figurine of Woody from the Toy Story films was manufactured by Moose Toys. The 'pixilated' art style used for these figures is certainly unique. However, I doubt that I'll be going out of my way to get more of these. Of course, if I happen to find another one in a box of odds and ends at a flea market like I found this one, then who knows.

Signed, Treesa