What Is an Elastic KeyChain?

Hello,

Do you like to make the best out of waste? Something special to you? This might be the craft for you. You can put your old shoe laces to use by turning them to brand new keychains. And you can machine wash them too if you are cleanliness freak like I am :P

Supplies

1. A pair of old shoelaces
2. Key ring

Step 1: Creating the Base

1. Pass both the shoe laces through the ring, keeping the length of shoe laces almost equal on both sides
2. Create a loop d loop knot at around 2 inches from the key ring. (You can keep the knot distance as you like, I prefer longer key chain, hence the 2 inch choice :) )
3. Now we will treat this knot as the base, and point the 4 laces coming out of the knot to north - south - east - west direction (exact navigation is not necessary, but the key is to have them laid out in a '+' sign)

Step 2: The Bravest and Toughest Step

Okay, so this is the most important and the hardest step. Once we are done with this, it's all smooth sailing after.

The essence of this step is to keep looping the laces in a clockwise fashion.

1. Bring the north lace down to south as shown in the figure.
2. Bring the right lace, over the previous lace, to the left.
3. Bring the south lace, over the previous lace, to north.
4. Bring the left lace to right by passing it through the loop that was created by the first step.
5. Pull all four laces tight and you will see a square formed. Voila!

Step 3: The Anti-clockwise Step

Since we went clockwise in our base step, we will go anticlockwise in this one.

1. Bring the north lace down to south.
2. Bring the left lace, over the previous lace, and to the right.
3. Bring the south lace, over the previous lace, to the north.
4. Bring the right lace over the previous lace and through the loop that was created by the first step.
5. Pull all four laces together, and a square will form.

Step 4: The Clockwise Step

This step has the exact same steps as we used to make the first square. This step is much easier though since we have a strong foundation (and some practice) now :)

1. Bring the north lace down to south as shown in the figure.
2. Bring the right lace, over the previous lace, to the left.
3. Bring the south lace, over the previous lace, to north.
4. Bring the left lace to right by passing it through the loop that was created by the first step.Pull all four laces tight and you will see a square formed.

Step 5: The Anti-clockwise <-> Clockwise Cycle Continues....

Since the last cycle was clockwise, we will form this square as anti-clockwise, and the next one as clockwise, and so on.

We will continue this way till we have a key chain of our desired length.

Step 6: The Touch Ups

Now once you are at your last step, you can unleash the creativity in many ways.

You could glue the square, and cut off the extra laces.

OR

You could glue the square and keep the extra laces.

OR

Anything else you like.

I prefer it simple so I just tie the opposite laces together, creating two knots, one on top of another.

Now, my friends, your key chain is ready for a ride :) Enjoy ;)