How to Make a Pony Bead Fish Keychain (Free Pattern!)

Pony bead crafts are all the rage right now and purse charms and backpack charms are popular, too. So why not combine them both into a DIY pony bead fish keychain that can also be used as a bag charm?

A keychain made of blue, white, and red beads in the shape of a fish is attached to a brown leather bag.

If you are wondering how to make a pony bead fish keychain, this is the easiest tutorial you will find to make these fashion accessories.

These keychains are perfect for adding to purses or backpacks.

They also make a great craft project for Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes or Vacation Bible School.

They are so easy to make, you will find yourself making quite a few to give to friends!

Three fish-shaped beaded keychains in purple-pink, blue-white, and green-orange patterns displayed on a wooden surface.

Supplies

Pony Beads (for this fish pattern I used 1 red, 40 blue and 46 white; you will need 87 beads in total)
5 feet (1.5 meters) of Pony Bead Lacing
Key Ring

If you are making these keychains for Operation Christmas Child or church craft projects, you may also like our Fishers of Men Free Printable Tags.

Jesus stands by a boat with two children sitting inside on a river, each holding a colorful pony bead fish keychain; text reads, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Matthew 4:19.” The scene is repeated four times.

Pony Bead Fish Keychain Free Pattern

Fold the lacing in half and find the center loop, then pull it through the middle of the key ring. Take the two cut ends and push them through the lacing loop, then pull tightly to secure. (Known as a Lark’s Head Knot or Cow Hitch)

A gold metal ring lies on a wood surface with a white zip tie looped through it and fastened closed.

Using the photo below as your guide, lay out the fish pattern in pony beads.

A fish shape made from white and blue beads with one red bead for an eye, arranged on a wooden surface.

Moving left to right, string the top row of 2 beads onto the left lacing.

Perler bead fish design in blue, white, and one red bead beside a key ring with a bead on a white cord, on a wooden surface.

Thread the right lacing up through the bottom of the beads.

A gold key ring with two pale purple cords, each threaded through two white beads, lies on a wooden surface.

Then pull the right lacing through the beads and to the left, while also pulling the left lacing to the right.

A gold keyring with a white elastic cord looped through it, holding two white beads, is displayed on a light wood surface.

Continue pulling on the lacing until taut.

A gold ring with a white elastic strap threaded through it, secured by two white beads, on a wooden surface.

Thread the next row of pony beads, repeating the same process as above.

A gold keyring with a loop of clear cord, threaded with three white beads at the top and three beads (two white, one blue) at the bottom, placed on a wooden surface.

Continue adding rows one at a time, moving from top to bottom through the fish pattern, until all of the rows are added. Make sure the lacing is pulled taut through all the rows.