In 5 minutes, you’ll learn how to create, personalize, and sublimate keychains and bag tags for kids with this easy to follow sublimation tutorial. We have both the video and written step by step instructions.
The sublimation design is a cute llamacorn on a tie dye background with enough space for your personalization. These sublimated keychain and bag tags can be used for your little girl’s backpacks, lunch boxes, dance bags, gymnastics bags, and even sports bags.
This is a beginner sublimation project but even the experienced ones can create these for their kids using our free sublimation keychain design. It’s a great back to school accessory!
Video Tutorial
Learn how to sublimate a personalized keychain in our quick, 5-minute sublimation tutorial. Watch and follow along to make these for your kids.
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Materials, Equipment, and Accessories
Sublimation Blank
For this keychain project, we used a 2-inch round sublimation keychain. It has a white faux leather (PU-polyurethane) sublimation side. The backside is black with a glitter finish. It also comes with the jumprings (key rings) so it’s ready to be used for your kid’s backpacks and lunch boxes.
2″ Round Sublimation KeyChain Blanks
- White PU (faux) leather sublimation side
- Black Glitter finish on the back
- Includes jump rings (key rings)
- Easy to sublimate
Sublimation Design
The Llamacorn Sublimation Design for keychains and bags is created by AtoZofSublimation and provided to our valued readers for no cost for your personal use only.
Get the Free Llamacorn Tie Dye Keychain Design here.
Please review the Terms of Use of this free design. By downloading the design, you are hereby legally bound by our terms.
Sublimation Printer
We used a converted Epson Ecotank ET-2803 to print this design.
Read our Full Review of the Converted Epson ET-2800 ET-2803 which includes the sublimation ink and the set up process. We also included our print settings for both Windows and Mac in our printer review.
Epson Ecotank ET-2800 ET-2803
- Easy to convert to sublimation
- Max print width of 8.5″
- Great value
If you want a “true” sublimation printer that does not need to be converted, the Epson SureColor F170 is a great choice. Read our Review of the Epson F170 Sublimation Printer to see what makes this a great printer with an affordable price.
You may also use other printers to create one of these sublimated personalized keychains and bag tags. Our List of Epson Printers That You Can Convert For Sublimation will give you ideas of which other printers are capable of printing this keychain design.
Here are a few of the ones we mentioned in our equipment lists linked above:
Sublimation Paper
Our go to sublimation paper is the Texprint DT Heavy. It came out on top when we tested several sublimation papers. You can see the print results in the Sublimation Paper Comparison Test.
As usual, you also have the option to use any paper and these are the other brands we tested.
A-Sub Sublimation Paper
Koala Sublimation Paper
Printer’s jack Paper
Sublimation Ink
All converted Epson printers use a third-party sublimation ink. We use Cyclone Ink in our ET-2803 because they have great customer service and they are based in the USA. Our unboxing video on YouTube shows you what you get from Cyclone Ink.
You also have the option of using other sublimation ink, such as:
Heat Press
The GeoKnight DK20S is a workhorse and has not let us down since we got it several years ago. The best thing about the swing away style is that you reduce the chances of burning your knuckles as compared to a clamshell.
George Knight Heat Press DK20S
- Swing Away Style
- Made in the USA
- Lifetime warranty on heat platen
- Excellent customer service
Adhesive
We used Conde’s Prospray for this project instead of heat tape. It does not leave any residue and keeps your printed sublimation design adhered to your sublimation blank during the pressing process.
When we tested the keychain blank using heat tape, the area that the tape touched ended up melting.
Prospray Adhesive
- Repositionable
- Lasts for hundreds of uses
- Prevents your print from shifting
Butcher Paper
This keeps your design from being transferred to your heat platen during the heating process. Paper is recommended because it does not hold moisture like teflon.
Butcher Paper
- Protects your heat platen from getting sublimated with the image
- Does not hold moisture like teflon
Jump Ring Pliers
Save your nails!
Don’t use them to open the jump rings and key rings to slide the keychain back into it. These handy pliers easily opens and hold those jump rings open.
Jump Ring Pliers
- Holds the jump rings and key rings open
- Saves your nails from chipping or breaking
Sublimation Font
We used “Chunk Five” font for this sublimation tutorial. We chose a thick heavy font because it is easier to read. It’s a free font from Canva.
If you need some font ideas, check out our Free Playful Kid-Friendly Fonts that you can download and use at no cost. Hurry, the free offer can expire.
Sublimation Design Software
In this tutorial video, we used Canva to personalize the keychain. This online based, graphic design app is beginner friendly. Get started using it for sublimation with a free Canva account then follow along our sublimation tutorial.
We downloaded our design as a “PDF Print” format because it saves it as a 300dpi image. This is the recommended image size to use for sublimation to make sure your images are crisp and clear.
What Makes Canva Pro Great?
- Beginner-friendly design program for sublimation.
- Download 300dpi images for sublimation.
- Capable of social media content creation, video editing with audio, and social media scheduling.
- Includes 40,000+ templates.
- Low cost monthly charge with no contracts.
You can also use other design softwares and apps to personalize this Llamacorn Keychain. This complete list of graphic design softwares for sublimation includes the pros and cons of each app.
Sublimation Steps
Here are the steps we used to create this personalized keychain and bag name tags for kids. Watch it on our Youtube Channel so you can follow along the sublimation process
- Download the free Llamacorn sublimation design from us.
- Upload to Canva.
- Personalize it.
- Download from Canva as a “PDF Print”.
- Print your sublimation design.
- Attach your design to your sublimation blank using ProSpray.
- Press for 50 seconds at 400°F with a light pressure.
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