Needlepoint Finishing: How to Self-Finish a Needlepoint Keychain

My Lazy Girl Method

There’s something extra fun about turning a small stitched design into a practical little accessory you’ll use every day. Keychains are one of my favourites: they’re fast to make, great for gifting, and the finishing doesn’t require anything fancy. In fact, I like to call this my “lazy girl” method — not because it’s sloppy, but because it’s wonderfully simple and super satisfying.

A Selection of self-finished Needlepoint Keychains

What You’ll Need

• Your finished needlepoint design

• Needle and thread for the binding stitch

• Small scissors

• Fusible interfacing

• An iron

• A clean towel (for pressing and for protecting the hardware later)

• Tacky glue

• Fabric clips

• A piece of fabric or faux leather for the backing

• Keychain hardware

• Pliers

Once your needlepoint design is fully stitched, start by adding a binding stitch around the whole canvas. This gives the edges a clean, sturdy finish. After that, trim away the excess canvas.

Learn the Binding Stitch here

Next up: fusible interfacing. Place a towel between the interfacing and your iron, then press everything together. The towel protects your stitching while giving the piece a nice smooth backing.

To finish the back, cut a piece of fabric or faux leather to size. I like using tacky glue because it grabs well without soaking through. Apply a thin layer, press the fabric onto your needlepoint, and secure it with fabric clips until it sets.

When everything feels secure, it’s time for the hardware. Remove the key ring, slide the needlepoint into place, and use pliers to press it shut — always with a towel so you don’t scratch the metal. Pop the key ringback on and…There it is: your custom needlepoint keychain.

It’s quick, it’s neat, and it gives you such a boost when you see your stitches turned into something useful. Perfect for tiny canvases, scrap designs, or that one project you stitched just for fun.

A short tutorial on how to self-finish a needlepoint keychain with the Lazy Girl Method.