DIY Legend of Zelda Key Holder

My latest project was inspired by this key holder on Etsy.

From time to time, my boyfriend has a hand in the crafting projects I attempt. For example, we have spent hours perfecting our technique of watching tutorials and producing miniature clay food. He has proven to be an awesome crafting partner. (Thank goodness!)

Anyway, my boyfriend has a close friend who absolutely loves Legend of Zelda (he has a giant sword from the game tattooed on his back, if that gives you any idea.) We found the Etsy website and decided it would be a perfect gift for this friend's house-warming party, but then had the crazy idea to make it ourselves.

So, dear reader, here is how we constructed a DIY Legend of Zelda Key Holder.

Materials:

- wooden plaque

- black paint and paintbrushes

- Mod Podge

- 2 hooks

- colour printer and paper

- scissors

The required materials vary. For example, you may want to find a wooden plaque at the craft store. We found that a cutting board from the dollar store worked just as well. As well, it would be nice if the image had fit the entire plaque, but to fix this we painted the whole board black:

Once the paint has fully dried, you will need to have your printed image ready. It is best to find a high-resolution image, like this. Use the scissors to cut it down to size and make sure all white edges have been trimmed away.

Use a paintbrush to spread an even coat of Mod Podge across the wooden plaque. Then, spread an even amount of Mod Podge on the back of the printed image. Carefully place the paper onto the plaque. You have a minute or two before the substance starts to dry, so use this to arrange the paper in the centre. There will be many air bubbles under the paper, so you will need to slide your hands across to eliminate as many bubbles as possible. Allow this to dry for 15-30 minutes.

When the paper has dried, you then spread Mod Podge over the entire plaque to seal the image to the wood. The substance will be white, but be sure to cover everything as it will have a clear, glossy sheen when dry. Allow this to dry for 1-2 hours.

The final piece of the project is attaching the hooks. 

There are various ways to do this. For example, you may choose to put the hook over the sword in the centre. We decided to place two hooks on either side of the sword. My boyfriend took over this part, carefully turning the hooks until they screwed into place. To aid with this process, you may want to drill a small pilot hole before trying the hooks.

In order for the key holder to hang on the wall, you should then attach a wall hanging device. Unfortunately, we ran out of time and had to bring the gift sans wall hanger. These devices can be found at the dollar store, a craft store, or Walmart, and are fairly easy to install.

We have plans to make more crafts like this. Share your ideas for other key holders in the comments below!

- Katie