Welcome to HGTV Handmade: Creating Unique Hot Glue Key Chains

Hi guys, welcome back to HGTV Handmade! I'm Karen Kavett, and today we're going to be making some key chains that look like pineapples, gemstones, and hearts. These projects are so easy to make a bunch of them all at once, making them the perfect gift for graduation, birthday parties, or the holidays.

The Key to This Project Lies in Silicone Molds

The key to this project is silicone molds. You can find these marketed as ice cube molds or chocolate molds. I got three for this video - hearts, pineapples, and gemstones, but you can find them in tons of different shapes. When working with these molds, it's essential to use a hot glue gun and a variety of colored hot glue gun sticks. You can buy these online, and they come in a range of colors that will allow you to create unique designs.

Using Eye Pins

You'll also need eye pins, which you can get at any craft store. Use wire cutters to cut down the end of the eye pin so it fits into your mold. Then, use pliers to bend the tip of the eye pin up to a 90-degree angle. This will help create a secure bond between the eye pin and the mold.

Preparing the Hot Glue Gun

Warm up your hot glue gun completely, and for designs where I'm using two colors, I actually like to have two hot glue guns going at once. For the pineapple shape, fill up the stem with one color, and then before it cools down completely, fill up the bottom with a second color. Make sure that you fill the mold all the way to the top - I used an entire glue stick for each one.

Working with Small Molds

The reason why I like to have small molds like this heart one is so that if I want to finish up a glue stick, I don't have to waste all of that glue. Instead, I can just make a bunch of little hearts. So, let the glue cool completely before touching it - I left mine for about 20 minutes.

Removing the Shapes from the Mold

Once the glue has cooled, you can easily pop the shapes out of the mold, and now you've got a tiny little pineapple. You can use small detail scissors to trim some of the extra glue that got outside of the mold, and you can use pliers to bend the eye pin back up.

A Craft Fail and a Warning

There's one more very important step in this project, and before I get to that, I want to share a craft fail and a warning. After making the pineapples and hearts, I decided to make a gemstone, which is a much larger mold. I was having a great time, I was filling up the mold with all kinds of colors, I added the eye pin to the top, everything was going great. And then I realized the mold was at kind of an angle. So I tried to pick it up and then there was glue literally everywhere.

The Glue Melted the Mold

It turns out that the glue was so hot that it actually melted the bottom of the mold. Once it all dried, I did manage to pop it out of the mold, but obviously this is not the shape that we were going for. So, for the next one, I tried setting my glue gun to the low setting so that it wouldn't be as hot. Filled up the mold, but when I popped that one out, the glue hadn't been as liquid as it needed to be, so it didn't fill the mold properly and that one looked terrible too.

Finding a Solution

I set my glue gun back to high, and this time I just tried going a little slower so there wasn't quite so much scalding hot glue in the mold all at once. And, that seemed to do the trick. It took a little longer to fill it up, but after letting it dry completely, I think that looks pretty cool.

Attaching the Eye Pin

Once you've removed the shape from the mold, attach the eye pin using pliers. This will help create a secure bond between the eye pin and the shape.

Adding a Finishing Touch

For the hearts, which don't have an eye pin in them, you can glue them onto hair pins or flat-backed pins. And that's it! I think these look so cool and they look like you bought them in a store, but you made them yourself.

Conclusion

I hope this tutorial has inspired you to try making your own hot glue key chains at home. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them down below. Don't forget to like this video if you liked it and subscribe for new DIY videos every single week. I'll see you guys later this week with even more Mother's Day DIY videos. Bye guys!

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enHi guys, welcome back to HGTV Handmade.I am Karen Kavett, and today we are goingto be making some key chains that look likepineapples, and gemstones, and hearts andthey're super cute.They look like you bought them in a store,but we're going to make them ourselves.This project is so easy to make a bunch ofthem all at once, so it is the perfect giftfor graduation, or your friends' birthdays,or the holidays.Let’s get started.The key to this project is silicone molds.You can find these marketed as ice cube moldsor chocolate molds.I got three for this video - hearts, pineapples,and gemstones, but you can find them in tonsof different shapes.You’ll also need a hot glue gun and a varietyof colored hot glue gun sticks, which youcan buy online.And you’ll need eye pins, which you canget at any craft store.Use wire cutters to cut down the end of theeye pin so it fits into your mold.Then use piers to bend the tip of the eyepin up to a 90 degree angle.Place that in the mold.Now, warm up your hot glue gun completely,and for designs where I’m using two colors,I actually like to have two hot glue gunsgoing at once.For the pineapple shape, fill up the stemwith one color, and then before it cools downcompletely, fill up the bottom with a secondcolor.Make sure that you fill the mold all the wayto the top - I used an entire glue stick foreach one.Now, the reason why I like to have a smallermold like this heart one is so that if I wantto finish up a glue stick to switch colors,I don’t have to waste all of that glue,instead I can just make a bunch of littlehearts.So let the glue cool completely before touchingit - I left mine for about 20 minutes.Then you can easily pop the shapes out ofthe mold, and now you’ve got a tiny littlepineapple.You can use small detail scissors to trimsome of the extra glue that got outside ofthe mold, and you can use pliers to bend theeye pin back up.Now, there’s one more very important step,but before I get to that, I want to sharea craft fail and a warning.After making the pineapples and the hearts,I decided to make a gemstone, which is a muchlarger mold.I was having a great time, I was filling upthe mold with all kinds of colors, I addedthe eye pin to the top, everything was goinggreat.And then I realized the mold was at kind ofan angle.So I tried to pick it up and then there wasglue literally everywhere.It turns out the glue was so hot that it actuallymelted the bottom of the mold.Once it all dried, I did manage to pop itout of the mold, but obviously this is notthe shape that we were going for.So, for the next one, I tried setting my gluegun to the low setting so that it wouldn’tbe as hot.I filled up the mold, but when I popped thatone out, the glue hadn’t been as liquidas it needed to be, so it didn’t fill themold properly and that one looked terribletoo.So, I set my glue gun back to high, and thistime I just tried going a little slower sothere wasn’t quite so much scalding hotglue in the mold all at once.And, that seemed to do the trick.It took a little longer to fill it up, butafter letting it dry completely, I think thatlooks pretty cool.So, now that you’ve got the hang of theprocess, you can make tons of these in anafternoon by working between all of the moldsall at once.And feel free to experiment with mixing colors,maybe swirling the colors together, just havefun with it.I have to admit though, I do prefer the smallermolds to the larger gemstone one, becauseyou can make them much faster, and if youdon’t like how they turn out, you don’tfeel like you’ve wasted quite as many gluesticks.So once you’ve got all of your shapes made,there is one more crucial step and that isto spray it with a clear sealant.Trust me, if you don’t spray them, the rubberytexture of the glue will pick up all of thedust and it’ll just feel really gross aftera few days, so be sure to spray one side,let it dry, and then flip them over to spraythe other side.Once the sealant is dry, you can bring outyour jewelry supplies to turn these into anythingyou like.I made the pineapples into key chains by attachingjump rings between the eye pin and the keyring.And I did the same thing for the gemstone.For the hearts, which don’t have an eyepin in them, you can glue them onto hair pinsor flat backed pins.And that’s it.I think these look so cool and they look likeyou bought them in a store, but you made themyourself.So, let me know in a comment right down belowwhat shapes you would want to make your hotglue key chains in and what colors you woulduse.Be sure to like this video if you liked itand subscribe for new DIY videos every singleweek.And I’ll see you guys later this week witheven more Mother’s Day DIY videos.Bye guys.\n"