Tutorial: Make a Jenga Block Keychain

Tutorial: Make a Jenga Block Keychain 

Follow this easy tutorial to make one of these great keychains, which you can personalize with your own images.

Materials:

Old Jenga Blocks or other similar sized pieces of scrap wood sanded smooth
Papers/Images or your choice
Cording for knot at top
1 Keychain ring per keychain
Drill bit (similar width to the cording), and drill
Glue
Woodburning tool
Sharp scissors
Sharp pointy object like an awl (I use a metal cake tester)
X-acto knife (optional)
Some kind of sealant, I used a glossy, quick dry, polyurethane

First drill a hole in the block (approx 1/2" from the top). Drill straight through till the bit comes out the other side of the block. Be sure to do your drilling on a scrap piece of wood.

Next, take some glue and spread it lightly on one side of the block. Place the block (the glue side) on your paper or image. You can hold the paper up to the window or other light source to see through the paper to find the best placement on the paper.

Once the block is placed exactly where you want it, press down firmly on the paper and smooth it out completely. Then cut the excess paper from around the block. You can use either a sharp pair of scissors or an x-acto knife to do this, whichever you prefer. I also experimented with cutting out the paper before gluing it down and it worked equally well. Do this step which ever way you find most convenient.

Now take your cording and thread it through the keychain ring , then tie a square knot in it.

If you don't know how to tie a square knot, here are the steps: Take the cord and take the right cord end and place it under the cord on the left.

Then take the left cord and pulling it up behind the right cord, place it up and over the right cord. Pull it tight so the loop at the top is not very big.

Then you are going to repeat this process but in reverse. You take the left cord and place it under the right cord.

Then take the right cord and pulling it up and behind the left cord, place it up and over the left cord. Then pull the ends so the knot is fairly snug.

Now, take the knot you just made and hold it on top of your block of wood. Then let the ends of the cord hang down the sides and over the drilled holes. Cut the ends of the cord so they hang down just a bit below the hole. You are going to be stuffing the ends of the cords into the holes.

Take some glue and put it in the hole on one side of the block. Then take your knotted cord and holding it in place on the block, use your pointy object to force one end of the cord into the hole. I find this works best if you start with the very end of the cord and just keep pushing it in firmly. Then flip the block over and repeat on the other side. Remember to add more glue to the other side.

Then, using your woodburner, write whatever words you choose on the reverse side. I did some for gifts and wrote the recipients name. I finished the keychains with two coats of glossy, quick drying polyurethane.

That's all there is too it. Have fun






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