How to Make a Lizard Bead Keychain

A step-by-step guide to making the most rambunctious reptile at school

Co-authored by Lois Wade

Last Updated: November 8, 2022 Approved

Preparing the Body

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Making the Head & Neck

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Building the Legs

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Finishing the Body & Tail

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Video

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Q&A

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Tips

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Things You'll Need

Need a cute, fun, and creative afternoon activity you can show off on your backpack or even wear as a necklace? Introducing the beaded lizard! This neat project is simpler than it looks, and all it takes are some beads, string, and a keychain clasp. In this article, we’ll show you how to create this reptilian masterpiece step by step. Let’s get beading!

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Preparing the Body

1
Cut a roughly three-foot length of 1/8th-inch ribbon or string. The longer the string, the longer the lizard. Three feet is a good start.
2
Fold the string in half so that the two ends meet. This will lead to a loop at the other end of the string.

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3
Take the loop and run it through the bottom of a keychain clasp. Really, any sort of clasp will work. All you need to do is create a slipknot around the clasp. You should have your loop on one side of the clasp, and the long excess string on the other.
4
Pull the ends through the loop to create a slipknot. Reach into the loop and pull the strings through, pulling until tight. This creates a simple slip knot that will hold the lizard in place as you work.
5
Tape the clasp down to the table so that the strings drape towards you. Make sure the strings are not tangled up, and that you can clearly tell which string is the left string and which one is the right.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Making the Head & Neck

1
Add two beads to the leftmost string. These beads will be your body, so choose the color you want for the bulk of the lizard. Don't feed the beads all the way down; just let them dangle a bit towards the end. In this video, the body will be yellow.
2
Thread the right string through the beads the opposite way. If the leftmost string enters through the left, thread this one through from the right. You'll have both string going through the center of the two beads in opposite directions.
3
Pull both ends of the strings until the beads slide up to the keychain clasp. Lightly pull on the opposite ends to force the beads up to the top.
4
Feed three more beads -- two eyes and a body color -- onto the leftmost string. You want to sandwich the body bead with the two eye colors. Here, the eyes are green and the body is yellow, so you'd put them on as green, yellow, green.
5
Slide the right side through the beads and pull both ends until the beads slide to the top. Repeat the same procedure as you did with the first two body beads. Slide the three beads on the left string, thread the right through them, then pull both strings to move the beads to the top.
6
Repeat the whole procedure with two more beads to make the "neck." Take two body colors, thread them on the left, slide the right through, and pull tight. This is your neck.
7
Take three more body beads and pull them through. Again, it is the same procedure. For a little flair, you can use a different color for the center bead here, allowing you to put a "stripe" on your lizard's back.
- These three beads are the beginning of the "back." You'll need to start the limbs after this.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Building the Legs

1
Set aside two beads for the body and three other beads for the feet. Here, the body beads are still yellow and the feet will be black.
2
Thread the two body beads on the left string and slide them down close to the body. Push them almost all the way to the body. These are your legs.
3
Slide the black beads on, just above the legs. Keep them close, but separated.
4
Thread the end of the left string through the two beads for the leg. You just want to thread through your two yellow beads, not the three for the feet.
5
Pull the string tight to pull everything together, adjusting slightly as necessary. Use your fingers to make sure nothing bunches up. This is your first leg! Note how it only requires the left string to make -- you should never touch the right one when making the left leg.
6
Repeat the process with the other string to make the right leg. Once done, it is time to move back to the body.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Finishing the Body & Tail

1
Build three more body rows identically to the first. Put three beads on the left string, remembering to alternate them if you're doing a two-colored body. Then slide the right string in the opposite direction as the left and pull the two ends to slide the beads up to the body.
- You need three more rows before starting the feet again.
2
Make two more legs the same way you made the first two. After the three lengths of the body, add two more legs. The process is identical.
3
Add two more body beads, to make the base of the tail (identical to the neck). You should have the process down pat by now. Two beads on the left string, feed through the right string and pull tight.
4
Slide the first tail bead on the left string, thread the right string through the opposite side, and pull. The tail is simply the same process as the body, but its only one bead per layer. You can choose any color you want. Alternating looks great too, and you can use as many beads as you want for the length of tail you like.
5
Tie a double knot at the end of the tail to keep the beads in place. You can tie any knot you want, but a simple square knot will do just fine. You can use the knot used to tie your shoes as well, but make sure you double knot it.^{[1]
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Community Q&A

Question

What can I do if I have lost 2 beads?

BobsonJoe

Community Answer

A good way to solve this without doing much damage would be to shorten the tail by two beads.
Question

What size beads should I use?

Community Answer

The best beads to use are pony beads. Pony beads measure about 6 by 9 millimeters, and the hole is about 4 millimeters.
Question

How can I give the lizard a longer nose?

BobsonJoe

Community Answer

After you secure the string to the clasp, you could first tie one bead on the string. Then you would make the lizard as explained in the article, which would give it a slightly longer nose.