How To Crochet For Beginners | Everyone is Making This Beautiful Crochet Rainbow Keychain

If you’ve been scrolling through social media lately, you’ve probably noticed that crochet is absolutely everywhere. From cozy blankets to adorable amigurumi, crafters of all skill levels are picking up their hooks and making something magical. And right now, one of the trendiest, most satisfying little projects taking over the crafting world is the crochet rainbow keychain. It’s colorful, it’s cheerful, it’s portable, and it makes the most thoughtful handmade gift you can imagine. Best of all? It’s the perfect starting point if you’ve never crocheted a single stitch in your life.

This guide is going to walk you through everything you need to know, from understanding your very first crochet stitches to completing your own gorgeous rainbow keychain that you’ll be proud to hang from your bag, your keys, or give away to someone you love. Let’s dive in.

Why the Crochet Rainbow Keychain Is Perfect for Beginners

Before we talk technique, let’s talk about why this particular project has captured so many hearts — especially among beginners.

First, it’s small. When you’re learning a new craft, the idea of committing to a full-sized blanket or a complicated sweater can feel completely overwhelming. A keychain is tiny. You can finish it in one sitting, often in under an hour once you get the hang of the basic stitches. That sense of completion is incredibly motivating, and it keeps you coming back for more.

Second, it uses very little yarn. This means you can experiment with colors, try out yarn you already have lying around, and make as many as you want without breaking the bank. Many crafters find that they start with one keychain and end up making a whole collection to give as gifts.

Third, it’s genuinely beautiful. The rainbow arch shape is a classic, but when you add texture, dimension, and your own color choices, every single one turns out slightly different. There’s a reason these are showing up in craft fairs, Etsy shops, and Instagram feeds all over the world right now.

And finally, it teaches you the foundational skills of crochet in a hands-on, practical way. By the time you finish your first rainbow keychain, you’ll know how to make a slip knot, start a foundation chain, work single crochets and double crochets, switch colors, and finish off your work cleanly. Those are skills that carry over into virtually every other crochet project you’ll ever make.

What You’ll Need

One of the best things about this project is how minimal the supply list is. Here’s what you’ll want to gather before you sit down to start.

Yarn: You’ll want a small amount of yarn in five to seven colors that represent the colors of a rainbow — red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet are the traditional choices, but you can absolutely customize this to your own palette. Pastel rainbows are incredibly popular right now, as are earthy tones or neon brights. Use whatever speaks to you. A worsted weight yarn (also labeled as medium weight or size 4) is the easiest for beginners because it’s thick enough to see your stitches clearly without being too bulky to manipulate. You only need a small amount of each color — a yard or two per color stripe — so this is a wonderful project for using up leftover scraps.

Crochet Hook: For worsted weight yarn, a size 5mm (US size H/8) hook is ideal for beginners. It’s comfortable to hold, creates a nice firm fabric that holds its shape well, and is easy to find at any craft store.

Scissors: Any pair will do. You’ll use them to cut your yarn between color changes and when you finish off.

Yarn Needle (also called a tapestry needle or darning needle): This blunt-tipped needle with a large eye is used to weave in your loose ends when the project is complete. It makes everything look neat and tidy.

Keychain Ring: You can find these at craft stores, dollar stores, or online. A simple metal split ring is all you need, similar to what you’d find on a standard keychain.

Stitch Markers (optional but helpful): These small clips or rings help you keep track of where your rows begin and end, which is especially useful when you’re first learning.

That’s it. Nothing fancy, nothing expensive. Many beginners find they can put this whole supply list together for just a few dollars.

Understanding the Basic Stitches You’ll Use

Don’t let terminology intimidate you. Crochet has its own vocabulary, and it can feel like a foreign language at first, but the basic stitches are genuinely simple once you try them. For this keychain, you’ll primarily use the slip knot, the chain stitch, the single crochet, and the double crochet. Let’s break each one down.

The Slip Knot

Every crochet project starts here. Make a loop with your yarn, leaving about a six-inch tail. Reach through the loop and pull the working yarn (the yarn connected to the ball) through to create a new loop. Slide this loop onto your hook and gently pull both ends to snug it up. Not too tight — you want the loop to slide freely on the hook.

The Chain Stitch (abbreviated: ch)

Hold your hook in your dominant hand and the yarn in your other hand. Wrap the yarn over the hook from back to front (this motion is called a “yarn over”), then pull the yarn through the loop already on your hook. That’s one chain stitch. Repeat this motion to create a row of chain stitches. The chain forms your foundation — the starting base from which you’ll build everything else.

The Single Crochet (abbreviated: sc)

This is the most fundamental crochet stitch and one you’ll use constantly throughout your crafting life. Insert your hook into the stitch (or chain) you want to work into. Yarn over and pull up a loop — you now have two loops on your hook. Yarn over again and pull through both loops. That’s it. That’s a single crochet. It creates a tight, dense fabric that’s perfect for creating structure in small projects like keychains.

The Double Crochet (abbreviated: dc)

This stitch is taller than the single crochet and creates a more open, airy fabric. Yarn over before inserting your hook into the stitch. Insert the hook, yarn over and pull up a loop — you now have three loops on your hook. Yarn over and pull through the first two loops — now you have two loops on your hook. Yarn over and pull through the remaining two loops. Done. Practice these a few times and you’ll have them memorized before you know it.

Slip Stitch (abbreviated: sl st)

You’ll use this stitch primarily to join rounds or to finish edges. Insert your hook, yarn over, and pull through both the stitch and the loop on your hook in one smooth motion. It’s quick and creates almost no height — it’s more of a connector than a building stitch.

How To Crochet the Rainbow Keychain: Step-by-Step

Now we get to the fun part. Follow these steps carefully and you’ll have your first rainbow keychain ready to show off in no time.

Step One: Plan Your Colors

Lay out your yarn colors in the order you want them to appear in your rainbow. Traditional order from outermost arch to innermost is red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. But remember — this is your creation. There are no rules here. Pick whatever palette makes your heart happy.

Step Two: Start With Your Foundation Chain

With your first color (the outermost color of your rainbow), make a slip knot and place it on your hook. Chain 16. This is your foundation chain and will determine the width of your rainbow. If you want a larger keychain, you can chain 18 or 20. If you want a smaller, more delicate one, try chaining 12 or 14. For your first attempt, sticking with 16 is a good choice.

Step Three: Work Your First Row of Single Crochets

Starting in the second chain from your hook, work one single crochet in each chain across. You’ll end up with 15 single crochet stitches. Chain one and turn your work so that the other end is now facing you.

Work another row of single crochet stitches across all 15 stitches. This creates the first color stripe of your rainbow — a flat, rectangular band of two rows.

Step Four: Switch to Your Second Color

To change colors cleanly, work your last single crochet of the current row almost to completion — pull through to get two loops on your hook, then instead of using the old color for the final yarn-over, drop it and pick up your new color. Pull the new color through both loops. Cut the old color, leaving a few inches of tail to weave in later.

Continue working two rows of single crochet with your new color.

Step Five: Continue Adding Color Stripes

Repeat Step Four for each remaining color in your rainbow, always working two rows of single crochet before switching to the next color. After you’ve worked through all your chosen colors, you’ll have a flat rectangular piece of crocheted fabric with beautiful horizontal color stripes. It looks almost like a woven textile at this point, and it’s already quite lovely.

Step Six: Shaping the Rainbow Arch

Here is where the magic happens and your flat rectangle becomes a dimensional arch. Fold your rectangle in half so that the two short ends meet. The right side (the prettier side) should face outward. Take your yarn needle and a length of yarn in one of your colors — or a neutral color — and stitch the two short ends together, joining them at both corners. You’re essentially forming a half-moon shape by bringing the ends together.

Alternatively, and this is the approach many crafters prefer, you can use a single crochet seam to join the two ends. With the right sides facing out, insert your hook through both layers at the corner, attach your yarn, and single crochet across the edge, joining the two layers together. This creates a cleaner, more polished edge along the bottom of your rainbow arch.

Step Seven: Attaching the Keychain Ring

Before you fully join your arch, slide your keychain ring into the opening at the top of the arch — the fold point. Once the ring is positioned in the center of the fold, use a few stitches or a bit of yarn to secure it in place so it doesn’t slide around. Many crafters simply chain a small loop at the fold before seaming, thread the ring onto that loop, and then close everything up.

Step Eight: Weaving in Your Ends

Thread your yarn needle with each loose yarn tail and weave it back and forth through several stitches on the wrong side of the fabric. This secures the ends so they don’t unravel over time. Trim any remaining excess close to the fabric. Take a moment to admire how tidy the back of your work looks.

Step Nine: Finishing Touches

Flip your rainbow to the right side and gently shape it with your fingers. You can lightly press it with a damp cloth if you want the shape to be more defined, or just let the structure of the yarn hold its form. If you used a firm, high-twist yarn, the arch will hold its shape beautifully on its own.

Tips for Making Your Keychain Even More Beautiful

Once you’ve made your first one and gotten comfortable with the process, there are so many ways to customize and elevate your rainbow keychain.

Adding fringe along the bottom of the arch is one of the most popular variations right now. Cut small lengths of yarn in your rainbow colors, fold them in half, and use your hook to pull them through the bottom edge of the arch, knotting them in place. Trim the fringe to an even length for a polished look, or leave it deliberately uneven for a boho feel.

You can also experiment with different stitch textures. Try working your color stripes in half double crochet (hdcs) instead of single crochet for a slightly taller, softer fabric. Or try a simple textured stitch like the moss stitch, which alternates between single crochets and chain stitches for a lovely woven appearance.

Beads are another gorgeous addition. String seed beads onto your yarn before you start crocheting, and push one bead forward as you complete each stitch along certain rows. The beads sit on the front of the fabric and catch the light beautifully.

For a more whimsical look, try adding small crocheted cloud shapes to each end of the rainbow arch. These are simply oval shapes worked in white yarn, slip stitched to the corners, and they instantly make the keychain look more playful and finished.

Common Beginner Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Every new crocheter makes the same few mistakes, and knowing about them in advance can save you a lot of frustration.

Tensioning is the most common challenge. If your stitches are too tight, your hook will be difficult to insert and your fabric will feel stiff. If they’re too loose, the fabric will be floppy and the stitches will look uneven. The goal is a consistent, moderate tension. Practice makes this feel natural much faster than you’d expect.

Another common mistake is losing your stitch count. It’s very easy to accidentally add or skip a stitch at the ends of your rows. Always count your stitches at the end of each row until you develop a feel for the work. This is where stitch markers are genuinely helpful — clip one to the last stitch of each row as a reminder of where the row ends.

Many beginners also skip the step of weaving in ends properly and instead just cut them close to the surface. This almost always leads to unraveling over time. Take the extra minute to weave them in well. Your future self will thank you.

Finally, don’t worry if your first keychain looks a little imperfect. Every single experienced crocheter has a collection of wonky early projects somewhere. The beauty of crochet is that even slightly uneven work is still handmade, still beautiful, and still made with love. The imperfections are part of the charm.

Making It a Gift

One of the most wonderful things about the crochet rainbow keychain is how gifting-friendly it is. It takes very little time to make, costs almost nothing in materials, but carries so much meaning because it’s handmade.

Consider making a set in someone’s favorite colors — even if that means working outside the traditional rainbow palette. A keychain in shades of dusty rose, lilac, and sage is just as beautiful as a bright, bold one. You can tuck it into a card for a birthday, hang it on a wrapped gift instead of a ribbon, or simply press it into someone’s hand with a smile.

They also make excellent fundraiser items if you’re involved in school events, charity sales, or craft fairs. Once you’ve made a few and gotten your rhythm, you can produce them quickly and they sell well because they’re charming, practical, and affordable.

Your Next Steps in Crochet

Finishing your first rainbow keychain is a genuine milestone, and you should be proud of it. But it’s also just the beginning of what crochet has to offer.

From here, you might try making a small coin pouch, a set of coasters, or a simple dishcloth — all of which build on exactly the skills you just practiced. When you’re ready for something a little more complex, the world of amigurumi (crocheted stuffed animals and characters) is endlessly fun and uses many of the same basic stitches in creative ways. And eventually, when the idea of a cozy handmade blanket or sweater calls to you, you’ll already have the foundation you need.

The crochet community is also one of the warmest and most welcoming creative communities you can find online or in person. YouTube tutorials, crochet-specific forums, and social media groups are full of people who are genuinely happy to help beginners troubleshoot, find new patterns, and celebrate their finished projects. Don’t hesitate to share your rainbow keychain when you finish it — you’ll find plenty of encouragement waiting for you.

Most importantly, enjoy the process. There is something deeply satisfying about making something with your own hands, about the rhythmic motion of the hook and the way colors build row by row into something real and beautiful. That feeling doesn’t go away, no matter how experienced you become.

So pick up your hook, choose your colors, and make your first stitch. Your rainbow keychain is waiting to be made, and it’s going to be wonderful.