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I have small, square, plastic keychains that I've mounted tiny, cross-stitched pieces to. I want to seal them with something that will both keep the stitching from falling off and also keep it free from dirt etc.

I generally use something like Mod Podge for this, but it takes forever to dry, and this is how they currently turn out:

enter image description here

It's not very tidy, and it ends up bumpy and bubbly and doesn't always dry clear. Is there a better way to seal these, or a different method I should be using?

The keychains are actually meant to hold photos - so they have the square part in the picture and then another clear plastic square that is meant to be placed over a photo to hold it in (I assume with some glue). I take out those squares, and put the construction paper/cross stitch in. There's a little bit of a lip around the edge of the keychain, but the cross stitch ends up sitting higher than this lip.

  • There is currently a campaign to get rid of the technique tag. – Matt May 21 '16 at 18:28
  • It the yellow and purple already attached and part of the keychain before you added glue and crossstiches? I mean is there room for you to pour something in there or is the crossstitch on top of the keychain. – Matt May 21 '16 at 19:01
  • @Matt That's just construction paper - I glue that down first, wait for it to dry for a few days, then keep going. I know my gran used to use ModgePodge for sealing all sorts of things but I don't seem to be having as good of luck. –  May 21 '16 at 19:02
  • I added more to my comment. Can you check the last sentence as well and let me know if you understand what I am asking – Matt May 21 '16 at 19:04
  • @Matt I added more to the question to kind of describe what I am using. –  May 21 '16 at 19:07
  • If you use relative thick Mod Podge like this, tap the piece on the counter a few times to encourage air bubbles to rise out and pop before it solidifies too much for them to escape. That helps minimize bubbles in the final product. – Erica May 21 '16 at 19:56

1 Answers1

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If you are willing to experiment on my behalf my suggestion would be to use 2 part epoxy resin. It is self leveling, and dries hard, clear, and smooth (if done well).

Most people use resin for larger projects so instead of buying large containers of the stuff for small projects like this you might be able to get away with the smaller ones that you would find in dollar stores and hobby shops. The are advertised as a repairing glue. Small container with 2 tubes that keep the resin and hardener separate. A single plunger extrudes both at the same time. You would have to glue down the stitch to the frame separately in case it tried to escape as it dried (Most recommend 24-48 hours)

If you do try this make sure you mix the compound before you apply it to the final product i.e don't dispense right into the frame using the plunger.

The only potential issues I see here is from the height of the recess in the keychain:

There's a little bit of a lip around the edge of the keychain, but the cross stitch ends up sitting higher than this lip.

This might not be an issue. If done well and if the height difference is not too large, the resin can raise over a little without going over the edge. (This is called surface tension. It is what liquids do when you fill a cup too high).

You could consider replacing the construction paper with something else like paint or marker. The paper likely does a better job of covering the back of the cross stitch, though. You might fare better with a lightweight card stock.

Not sure if this applies to the think Mod Podge as it is setting but you could try to remove bubbles with a little non-direct heat like that from a hair dryer or heat gun used at a distance. Another simple trick that would be easier is to exhale (Not blow) over. These work for removing bubble for curing resin. Would not be surprised if they apply here as well.

Matt
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