Let’s Get Crafty! - Keychain Fidget

We’re always looking for ways to increase fine motor skill in a fun way. Perhaps you picked up one of our Keychain Fidgets at a recent My Autism Ally event. Good news! Here are the instructions for you.

1. Lay out your beads in order. (Tip: Tape key ring down with painters tape)

2. Lay out the two tail-ends of your cord so it’s easy to tell which end is on your left, and which end is on your right. Pick up your first bead, and slide the right-side tail through the hole first, pushing it through from right side to left side. Then slide the left-side tail THROUGH THE HOLE IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION (in other words, into the side that the other tail just came out of, and out of the side that the other tail started on). By now, the piece of cord that was on the right side at first should be sticking out the left side of the bead, and the piece of cord that started on the left side should be sticking out the right side of the bead.

3 Pull the two ends of cord tight so the bead slides up next to the anchor. Pick up your next bead and put the new right-side tail through the bead from right to left, then the new left-side tail through in the opposite direction (left to right). Pull tight again.

4. Repeat with all remaining beads in your pattern.

5. If you want to be able to slide the rows on your fidget back and forth, then you need to leave a little extra space at the end of your fidget, before you knot off your cords.

6. You can use whatever kind of knot you like, so long as it stays tight., I find it easiest to wrap the two cords around my finger, take the loop off my finger, push the ends through the loop, and then pull them tight – so that the knot is secure, but there’s still some distance between the knot and your final beaded row.

If you more of a visual learner, we’ve got some photos for you to follow below. Have fun and Let’s Get Crafty!