Finally, a keyboard glitter mod that doesn't hold back

Keyboard glue
(Image credit: Redditor lady_renari)

Keyboards are one of the easiest parts of your PC gaming setup to really dial into your own style. First you get to choose what kind of feel you're after, whether you want something specifically for gaming or you're a die-hard mechanical deviant. There are even analogue solutions like our favourite gaming keyboard the Wooting Two He, for those who really want to feel their keys. But the choices don't end there.

Artisan keycaps are a great way to go that extra distance in keyboard customisation. They range from the very simple, like these G-Skill caps that let more light shine through, to the truly terrifying, like these finger-hungry T-Rex caps. Sometimes hardware companies even come out with their own bits of keyboard bling like these RTX ON caps from Nvidia, or the tiny GPU keycap released by Asus.

But the biggest problem with all of these solutions is that they're weak. Sure, a Kerbal-themed keycap might look cute, but it's also safe, boring, and uninspired. Buying sweet keycaps off the internet may be fun, a great way to support small artists, and stylish, but where's the risk? Where's the adventure? Where's the permanent destruction of property you were trying to enhance?

That's why I'm glad someone with some keyboard balls has finally decided to show their face to the modding community. Redditor lady_renari has posted this frankly so-good-it's-upsetting glitter mod video to help inspire us all. Finally, a challenger who knows what they're doing and has a little sense of daring has appeared.

Perfect peripherals

(Image credit: Colorwave)

Best gaming mouse: the top rodents for gaming
Best gaming keyboard: your PC's best friend...
Best gaming headset: don't ignore in-game audio

The video takes us through the step-by-step process of this extremely skilled build. It's fair to say you probably shouldn't follow along with this one, not unless you're incredibly certain of your ability—but it's still nice to watch a master at work.

First, we start with a detailed look at how the specialised glue is applied carefully around the edges of the keys. The glue is expertly applied so as to slide between the keys, leaving the caps as free from mess as possible for a smoother typing experience down the line. The technique used here is just so impressive to watch, it had me holding my breath through the entire application. 

modding_your_keyboard_is_super_simple from r/MechanicalKeyboards

Once the layer of glue has been applied and has evened out, the keyboard begins to resemble membrane-based boards. It's already amplified the look of the original basic board, elevating it to a new category. Despite this, that's not the end of this impressive mod. The final shine has yet to be added.

With an absolute masterclass of brilliance, modder lady_renari then coats the glue with glitter. Different sections of the keyboard all have their own color themes that, when the glittering is complete, show off a clearly segmented board. It's so easy to tell which part of the keyboard is which thanks to the large blocks of glittery colour. A build this good-looking and functional is a rare site.

And of course, they finish the build with a step so many modders forget: a good rinse under the tap. It's a great way to get rid of any loose bits of glue, glitter, or whatever you happen to choose to work with. Unfortunately, the video abruptly ends here, so it's hard to get a look at the final product, but the process was a clear educational treat. I learned so much I can put to use in my own future keyboard-modding projects.

Hope Corrigan
Hardware Writer

Hope’s been writing about games for about a decade, starting out way back when on the Australian Nintendo fan site Vooks.net. Since then, she’s talked far too much about games and tech for publications such as Techlife, Byteside, IGN, and GameSpot. Of course there’s also here at PC Gamer, where she gets to indulge her inner hardware nerd with news and reviews. You can usually find Hope fawning over some art, tech, or likely a wonderful combination of them both and where relevant she’ll share them with you here. When she’s not writing about the amazing creations of others, she’s working on what she hopes will one day be her own. You can find her fictional chill out ambient far future sci-fi radio show/album/listening experience podcast right here. No, she’s not kidding. 

Read more
DirkMcGirk's mechanical cheeseboard on a platter of fruits and crackers
I've never wanted a keyboard with cheese keycaps and a little mouse on it until I saw this one
Asus ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless and Keychron Q3 Max on grey background
Best gaming keyboards in 2025: the fastest, smoothest and loveliest boards I've tested
Wooting 80HE on a desk and controlled by the Wootility.
There's one reason I come back to this one rapid trigger gaming keyboard over the rest, and that's great software
The keys of the Keychron Q3 Max appear blurry behind a clearer frame that carries the words 'PC Gamer. Best Gaming Keyboard 2024.'
PC Gamer Hardware Awards: The best gaming keyboard of 2024
Lemokey L5 HE 8K gaming keyboard with RGB enabled on a desk.
Lemokey L5 HE 8K keyboard review
A close up image of the Drop + The Lord of the Rings Gondor CSTM80 gaming keyboard
Forget Gondor, Drop's latest LOTR-themed keyboard has my approval because it's got a tiny little sword on the Enter key
Latest in Gaming Keyboards
The NES themed 8BitDo Retro mechanical gaming keyboard on a blue background
I love the 8BitDo Retro C64 keyboard but I'd pick its cheaper NES-themed model near its lowest price ever during Amazon's Big Spring Sale
The Razer Huntsman Mini 60% gaming keyboard floats in the teal PC Gamer deal void. The per-key RGB lights are on.
The most adorable Razer keyboard features not only an almost half-size form factor, but an almost half-size price at only $70
SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 on a blue background
My favourite rapid trigger keyboard is back at its lowest price and comes with a cute OLED screen to show game info (or a cat)
a picture of Attoparsec's 'ten hundred letter getter', a keyboard with 1,000 words on it.
'I made the world's worst keyboard': This YouTuber's homemade board has over 1,000 keys and types in words, not letters
The Cherry MX 8.2 Wireless Xaga gaming keyboard sits on a large mouse mat depicting a nebula. This visual motif ties into the shooting star design on the keyboard's space bar. The keyboard's RGB lights are on, but the design on the space bar is opaque, so the RGB lights only shine through the frosted sides of the keyboard's alphanumeric keycaps.
Cherry MX 8.2 TKL Wireless XAGA review
The Cherry Xtrfy K4V2 TKL gaming keyboard on top of a mouse pad depicting a nebula. The keyboard is grey with red accent keys, a grey braided wire, and the bright RGB lights switched on.
Cherry Xtrfy K4V2 TKL review
Latest in News
A mech awakens.
Mecha Break developer is considering unlocking all mechs following open beta feedback
Lara Croft Unified Art
Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics lays off 17 employees 'to better align our current business needs and the studio's future success'
A long bendy arm stealing money from people in a subway car
'You're a very long arm. You steal things. It's a comedy game,' explains developer of comedy game where you steal things with a very long arm
The heroes are attacked by monsters
Pillars of Eternity is getting turn-based combat to mark its 10th anniversary, and that means PC Gamer editors will soon be arguing about combat mechanics again
Image of Ronaldo from Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves trailer
It doesn't really make sense that soccer star Ronaldo is now a Fatal Fury character, but if you follow the money you can see how it happened
Junah beginning a battle in Metaphor: ReFantazio.
Today's RPG fans are 'very sensitive to feeling like they wasted time' when they die, says Metaphor: ReFantazio battle planner—but Atlus still made combat hard anyway