Did you see the handprint flower keychain I posted this weekend? It is SO cute! Making crafts with the kiddos is a lot of fun, especially when the result is something that warms your heart. This footprint bear keychain will do just that!
Footprint Bear Keychain
Supplies needed to make your footprint bear keychain
Pro Tip: Clear Shrink Film works best for this project!
- shrinky dink paper
- scissors
- hole punch
- key rings
or round magnets
- brown, red, and black acrylic paint
- paintbrush
- matte sealer
or mod podge
How to make your footprint bear keychain:
Find a spot outdoors or a spot inside that can easily be cleaned. In our house, that’s the kitchen counter or the dining room table. When we use the counter, I spread newspaper around. When it’s the table, I use a shower liner that I spread over the table.
Set a sheet of your shrinky dink paper out on your dry surface. Put brown, red, and black acrylic paint on a paper plate or a paint palette. Using a paintbrush, cover your child’s foot in brown paint. A thin even layer is best. The paint shouldn’t be drippy, you just want enough to make a footprint on your shrinky dink paper.
Steadily guide your child’s foot to the shrinky dink paper, pressing it firmly down then lifting smoothly and quickly. Avoid moving their foot around on the shrinky dink sheet, as it will cause smudging or smearing. Using either their toe or their finger, add ears, arms, and a tail to the footprint to make the bear.
Allow the sheet of shrinky dink to dry completely, then use a paintbrush to add a face with black paint, and a bow (or bowtie) to the bear with red paint.
Using scissors, cut around the bear leaving a thin border or blank shrinky dink all around it.
Use a hole punch to create the hole for the key ring before you bake the shrinky dink paper. You will not be able to hole punch it after baking.
Follow the package instruction to bake your shrinky dink. Oven temperatures and time will vary depending on brand of paper that you use. Using the toaster oven is a great option because you don’t have to heat the whole oven. Shrinky dink paper typically curls up a bit during the baking process but flattens again as they finish cooking. If your shrinky dink has a curl after it’s done shrinking, be sure to use a spatula to press your keychain flat immediately before it cools. Else your bear may have a bit of extra character in the ear… 😉
Allow your shrinky dink to cool completely, then seal it with matte spray or mod podge.
After the sealant has dried, add your key ring and waalah! Now you have a one of a kind key chain! Of course, you could skip the hole punch and add a magnet to the back of this beauty for display on the refrigerator.