If you’re looking to make some fun butterfly crafts, these easy soda tab butterfly keychains are a win! You might also want to check out my paper clothespin butterfly templates. This post contains affiliate links.

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When I picked up a huge pack of pop tabs to make a soda pop tab bracelet tutorial, I knew I had to continue with more fun, colorful crafts. I ended up making these butterfly keychains using chenille stems and pony beads.

You’ll see lots of creators make soda tab butterfly keychains that look more “real.” My goal was to adapt that craft, and turn it into something more kid-friendly.

While you can create these with wire and glass beads, chenille stems and pony beads are easier to manipulate and make something much more colorful and fun.

Why we love soda tab butterfly keychains

Some craft projects require a pile of supplies and an hour of patience. This one doesn’t. You need a few basic materials – some of which you probably already have – and about 15-20 minutes. Want to craft more? Just make more of them!

The supplies are easy-to-find and cheap and you’ll love making this on repeat.

There are so many ways you can use soda tab butterflies. Clip one to a backpack zipper. Add beaded strands to make bag charms. Attach them to a key strap. Make a batch as party favors. Set them near the checkout table at a craft market. Tie one onto a wrapped present instead of a paper tag.

This version of DIY soda tab butterfly keychains is so playful and full of texture. It embraces the unconventional craft material and makes the most of it.

The chenille stem adds some plush that make these so much fun. The pony beads add color and character.

And I even used colorful ball chains to finish these off just to up the playful factor – because butterflies should be playful.

Design Variations and Styling Ideas

The materials we used

Any time anyone looks at my soda tab crafts, they ask “wait – you actually bought soda tabs?” My answer is yes. I didn’t have patience to collect so I bought. You can of course upcycle soda tabs. You’ll want to make sure there are no sharp edges, but it works.

You can even paint them with nail polish if you want the solid color look of mine. Just paint them before crafting.

And the ball chains can definitely be replaced with classic keychains, carabiner clips, or whatever floats your boat. I used colorful ball chains because I felt like it!

Chenille stems in a as standard size were used here – something you can swap out with aluminum wire (that is, thick easy to bend wire). Or use jewelry wire for a more mature look.

And pony beads can be swapped for any bead that fits on your wire.

More variations

Once you get the hang of the basic shape, you can really get creative with it. Change the whole mood with color, bead count, or build style. I even show this by wrapping my chenille stems in two ways in the images.

Match your colors to keep things looking more polished. Think purple stem with purple beads, or blue on blue for a cleaner finish. You can even match your soda tab color and keychain color. Mixed beads feel brighter and more casual. Orange, teal, pink, and yellow are great butterfly color if you like a cheerful look.

You can also adjust the shape. Fewer beads keep the butterfly light. A few extra beads make the center stand out more. You can even play around with single-tab wings for smaller butterflies!

Seasonal colors are easy too if you want to craft this beyond summer. Try pastels for spring or red and pink for Valentine’s Day. You can really add lots of character with color.

The charm is in the repetition

Your first butterfly doesn’t need to be fancy. Keep the shape simple, get the wings balanced, and make the center wrap tight. That’s what gives the piece its clean finish and durability. These really are strong – the wings are rigid if you do it right.

After that, repetition does the work. The second one comes together faster. The third one usually looks even better. Once the base pattern feels natural, color is where you can switch up your craft

How to make DIY Soda Tab Butterfly Keychains

You’ll need

• Soda tabs
• Chenille stems
• Scissors
• Pony beads
• Keychains

Watch the video

Watch the full-length video on YouTube if you prefer to learn that way! Or scroll down for written instructions with photos. I did show a slightly different method of wrapping in each one, so you can see both and choose your favorite!

Step by step instructions

1. Take four soda tabs. Arrange them as pictured: One horizontal with the round end pointing to the left and one vertical so that the squared end matches the squared end of the horizontal one – the round end facing down. Do the same to the right with the round side facing right.

2. Take a chenille stem. Wrap the end a few times around where the two tabs form a corner. Don’t worry yet about exact positioning.

3. Take the other end of the stem and wrap it around the other pair of tabs a couple of times in the same spot – the inner square corner. The two sets of tabs should be touching or almost touching. Trim any remaining chenille stem.

4. Reposition your tabs. Your chenille stem is sitting on the inner side through the top hole of the tabs.

5. Take a second chenille stem. Fold it in half. Thread a bead on one side and place it in that center fold. This will serve as a stopper bead.

6. Thread on three more pony beads.

7. Place the stem over your wings so that the beads sit just below the wrapped portion.

8. Wrap each side of the stem around that center twist – one on each side. Go over the top, around the back to the bottom, and bring it back over to the frong.

9. We now have the base for our antennae. Thread a pony bead on one side of your stem about an inch from the wings Fold over and twist it around the length of that inch.

10. You should have a bit of a tail leftover from that antennae. Push it down through those three center beads.

You’ll have a bit of chenille stem leftover that came through above that base blocker bead.

11. Wrap that little extra through the bottom hole of the vertical soda tab on the same side as the antennae and back around the center stem until your chenille stem is fully used. This secures the wing against the body.

12. Repeat steps 9-11 with the second antennae on the other half of your soda tab butterfly.

14. I used the extra scrap from my first wraps to wrap a bit between the vertical and horizontal soda tabs to secure it more. You don’t have to do this, and the style of wrapping I show in the video doesn’t need this but you can if you want. At this stage, play with your butterfly, reposition things as needed. and make sure you’re happy with how it looks.

15. Add a keychain! You can thread it through an antennae bead, a soda tab hook, or wherever you’d like!

And here’s a peek at the other style of wrapping. The main difference is that we just wrapped that first wrap around the top of the hole instead of the inside.

I hope you had a blast making DIY soda tab butterfly keychains!

FAQs for making soda tab butterfly keychains

What size soda tabs work best for butterfly keychains?

Standard soda can tabs are usually the best option. They’re easy to find, easy to match, and they give the most consistent shape.

Can chenille stems hold the wings without glue?

Yes, most of the time they can. A tight center twist is usually enough. Glue is optional if you want extra hold on a charm that will get bumped around a lot.

Are these safe for kids to make?

They can be, with adult supervision. Clean tabs can still have sharp edges, so I recommend purchased tabs for younger kids. Tight twisting can be tricky for younger kids. Pre-check the tabs and help with the final twists if you’re working with little ones. Tweens should get the hang of this and be able to craft it independently.

Another concern is the chenille stems. They can be pokey, so proceed with caution!

Can the same pattern work with different bead colors?

Yes. The structure stays the same, and the color swap changes the look completely. That’s part of why this project is so easy to repeat without getting boring.