iPod Shuffle keychain cap on the cheap

I recently picked up two refurbished iPod Shuffles from Apple. They're selling them cheap now that the new model is out. They seem to be sold out of the 512MB model for $29, but as of Nov. 9 2006, they still have the 1GB model for $59. My wife and I wanted to throw them on our keyring so that we'd always have them around if we found ourselves in a waiting room, etc.

The problem is, the caps that attack to keyrings are either stupidly expensive for what they are, or they come with a whole "case system" of lanyards and cases and crap we don't want. Since Apple included a lanyard cap in the box, I started looking around my desk to see what I could do. A few minutes later I had a working keychain cap.

Step 1 Materials and Step 1

First I looked around for something I could use to clip it on and off my keyring. I found a wrist strap from an old cell phone case at the bottom of my junk drawer, and the spring-loaded clasp fit the bill perfectly. I cut the strap off. Then I pulled the Apple lanyard apart at the seam. I held the little plastic bit so only one end popped out.

Next, I trimmed the length so that it would make a nice, slightly loose loop when put back together. Basically it's just making the long neck lanyard into a little teeny loop.

Comments

[connorcancount!]

i like the fact it is like a little keychain

[jammis]

I just used a zip tie and a caribener and slipped the zip tie end in to the cap works well.

[stark23x]

That would totally work, I was just trying to make it a little cleaner without spending any money. :)

[Sinner3k]

Nice. Simple and elegant. One question, though. Where do you keep your headphones?

[stark23x]

In a little case I got for free with a CF memory card. It also has a keyring on it!