Hello, /diy/! Do you know how these type of keychains are made?

They're typically ordered from china for a few cents a piece.

You submit your drawing, they print and cut on vinyl, laminate it between two sheets of acrylic, and cut it out for you.

>>1084847
You have to order a shit ton at a time. You can't just have one made and pay 5 cents.

try elecrow.

>>1084847
this guy gets it.

>>1084922
minimum order 1:
https://bgd.en.alibaba.com/product/60137293974-800627033/Custom_anime_acrylic_keychain.html

If you want to be a cheap fuck about it & are just looking to make some for yourself, shrink plastic (aka shrinky dinks) is the way to go. There are versions suited for inkjet printers, as well as the "regular" version that you draw on. Clear & sanded (usually called sanded clear or sanded white) are the two most typical shrink plastics. Compared to ordering online, the downside for shrink plastic is probably trying to assemble a double sided charm. I would imagine it'd be easier with inkjet, as you'd have the upside of using whatever image editor you want & print preview. Cutting them out could also be an issue I guess. It is easy for the non-heated plastic to tear and give nasty edges.

I don't know much else about the inkjet version, but messed around with the others before. At this point I have preference for sanded, but it's up to you.

You'd have to go by package instructions & test pieces beforehand to get a better feel on the sizes. It'll also be helpful for checking out how small an opening will be if you used a hole puncher, too. The cost for the plastic isn't too bad, but the supplies needed to make charms will add up if you don't have shit on hand already. Jump rings, keychains, colouring tools, hole punchers - shit like that.


post was too long, so bullshit in next one

>>1085025
Clear is annoying to work with. You can really only use permanent markers (like sharpies or bic markers). No water-based or alcohol-based markers, as they'll bead up. Pieces will be translucent after shrinking, of course. It's easier to do linework on one side, and colour on the other. Be careful with adding colour, since it will go a few shades darker once shrunken down. It is best to test out whatever you plan to use on some scrap shrink plastic. I've tried to use several ink types (on this & sanded), but anything that isn't a permanent marker didn't work so hot. I only have one paint marker (it is probably oil-based) and that worked ok, so if you have those laying around, that's an option too. For shits & giggles I tried out those Winsor & Newton pigment markers (since I have some laying around), and they actually stuck on ok. Streaky as fuck, but it gets the job done. An expensive medium to use for this if you don't have them already lying around.

Sanded has one smooth side, and another rough side to use with a wider selection of media compared to the clear plastic. The rougher texture really shines with coloured pencils, so using that medium is the way to go. When it shrinks down, it'll be slightly more opaque with most "blank" spots being a whitish colour (I think there are different colours but idk). Linework goes on the smooth side of the plastic, so it'll be easier to colour everything in. I kind of do it a bit different though: after everything is coloured in on the sanded side, go add linework on top of the colours. that first set of lines will act as a guide so you won't fuck up too much. Colour variation isn't as drastic as clear, but there is still a shift.

>>1085028
Oh yeah, the final result of the shrunken down plastic is alright. It really depends on how well you took care of it during the heat process. The plastic is durable enough, and it could potentially get sharp if you didn't smooth the edges out correctly. I've never attempted to bend or break it, and wouldn't know the exact strength needed to try to do such a thing. Optional, but some folks like to glaze them or overlay them with resin (UV for quickest & easiest cure). If you do the resin thing & there's a hole added for turning it into a charm, I'd reckon it would be a good idea to insert the jump ring before you cure it. Don't want to fuck up & seal off the hole.

I don't know if using a drill with an appropriate bit would be good to use on the shrunken plastic. Feel free to use it if you want, but test on scrap finished plastic first.

Also, be careful of things sticking together during the heating process. I had this happen a few times & it was a bitch to try to keep them straightened out without having it cool & harden. If you already have a heat gun, trying to control the shrink plastic will be a little bit easier. You'll need to have some sort of heat resistant surface with high walls so the heat gun won't blow the plastic out while trying to shrink it.

I haven't really used the shrink plastic for charm making just yet. Outside of testing it, I used some finished pieces for embedding into resin. Then I'll turn the resin into a charm. It's arts & crafts as fuck, but hey I like it. Would not recommend it at all if you want to mass produce. If you are just going to work small scale for yourself & a few friends, it doesn't hurt to try it out.

Definitely look into the inkjet version a lot more if double-sided is what you want. Surely there are videos around to demonstrate the process.

ok i think i'm done. that's a lot of bullshit written up but i hope it helps out somehow

>>1085039
one more thing, since i was a schmuck with it: i was being a wise ass & tried to test securing a piece of paper in between two slightly larger pieces of clear. to not much surprise, it all scrunched up & shrunk separately when using heat on it. i don't think sandwiching something on regular paper with shrunken down plastic will work so well... if you wanna test it out, good luck i guess. i'm sure there's a bunch of nuance to it that i'm missing or forgetting to add here.

>>1084837
shrinky dinks?

>>1085051
kek
I was thinking about this.
Just have to find a plastic that reacts this way and print onto it.

File: 39087932f111ccbfe1de27f9ede837ab.png (1020KB, 2119x1205px) Image search: [Google]

1020KB, 2119x1205px

>>1085067
there are printer versions that >>1085025 mentions, pic related

not so related, i've seen some diy videos from people using those take out salad containers as a substitute for this shit. could be useful for the especially cheap fucks out there:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z12ptuE9S_Y