Here are twelve ways to make and use charms

Here are clever ways to make and use charms. From jewelry to pottery – there are so may creative ways to add dashing dangles!

Whether you have a stash of vintage findings or a bag of odds and ends, charms are perfect to tell a wearable story.

We’ve been all about adding charms to everything, including coffee mugs!

But why stop there? Here is a round-up of twelve easy-peasy charm projects from the blog archives to get your creative juices flowing.

Here are some ideas to make and use charms

Scroll down to the bottom for my tips, as well as ideas for making your own charms!

Classic Charm Earrings

Why settle for plain hoops when you can dangle some personality from your ears? Learn how to select the perfect balance of charms and beads to create happy dangles.

Toy Animal Charms

Drill a hole in small plastic animals, add paint and an eye hook for some super adorable charms!

Beaded Tree Charms

Combine bead wrapping with one-off pieces or even small ornaments. These are fun for hanging on tree branches or gate fences. I’ve done both!

Bandana Necklace with Charms

Want to bring a little festival-ready, boho-chic energy to your outfit? This tutorial shows you how. Use a simple fabric bandana and transform it into a wearable textile necklace.

Purse charms are having a major moment! Make them out of resin! It opens up a whole world of color and sparkle. Here’s how to embed glitter, flowers, or tiny icons into resin shapes. Next, connect them to heavy-duty hardware to give your favorite tote bag an instant upgrade.

Charm Bracelet and Rings

There is nothing more satisfying than a classic charm bracelet clinking on your wrist. Well, except maybe matching rings! This post is a deep dive into combining beads and metal charms for a maximalist, stacked look.

Charm Necklace Using Gold Milagros

Milagros are traditional folk charms used for hope, healing, and gratitude. This tutorial guides you through assembling a stunning, high-vibe statement necklace. You’ll use bright gold milagros that feel both deeply spiritual and incredibly stylish.

Mug Charms

Here’s how to add some fantastic dimension to a mug. There are so many themes to choose from, and it making sipping cafecito even more satisfying!

Letter Charm Necklace

Personalized jewelry makes the absolute best gift! Great for a best friend or yourself! Here is how to source and arrange metal alphabet charms to spell out initials, a favorite word, or a meaningful mantra on a chain.

Spanish-Language DIY Metal Stamped Charms

Ready to get a little loud with your hammer? Metal stamping is sooooo incredibly therapeutic. This post walks you through how to stamp beautiful Spanish-language words, phrases, and blessings into metal blanks.

Tassel Charms

This one simply uses embroidery thread. This is if you want to add a fiber vibe to your bag charms!

Necklace Bag Charms

You can use this method for adding a necklace style bag charm set or even on clothing! I found this video, I plan to try this next!

Tips and tricks for attaching charms

When it comes to building your charm collection, the right tools and techniques are everything for creating pieces that last.

RELATED: Jewelry tool basics.

For most projects, you’ll want to skip the heavy household tools and invest in:

Two pairs of smooth, chain-nose jewelry pliers; having two pairs allows you to grip both sides of a jump ring simultaneously for maximum control.
Jump rings! When choosing jump rings, always match the metal gauge to the weight of your project—heavier items like resin bag charms need thick, sturdy rings, while delicate chain earrings do best with lightweight ones.
The absolute golden rule of jewelry making is to never pull a jump ring apart into a “U” shape, which weakens the metal and ruins its perfect circle. Instead, hold the ring with both pliers and gently twist the ends laterally past each other like a swinging door, slide your charm on, and twist it back until the ends click perfectly flush.

Ideas to make your own charms!

Here are some creative ways to make your own custom charms from scratch, using both classic craft supplies and everyday items you probably already have lying around the house:

Shrink Plastic (Shrinky Dinks): Draw your own custom doodles, slogans, or vibrant illustrations on shrink plastic sheets, punch a hole in the top, and bake them in the oven. They will shrink down into thick, durable, glossy mini-charms!
Upcycled Soda Can Aluminum: Wash out empty soda or sparkling water cans, carefully cut them flat, and use craft paper punches to stamp out shapes like hearts, stars, or discs. Sand the edges smooth and punch a hole for a lightweight, shiny metal charm with a cool pop-art graphic on the back.
Wine Cork Slices & Bottle Caps: Slice synthetic or real wine corks into thin coins and stamp them with ink, or flip vintage metal bottle caps over and fill them with a layer of clear resin or dimensional glaze over a favorite photo or magazine clipping.
Polymer or Air-Dry Clay: Roll out small scraps of clay and use tiny cookie cutters (or the cap of a marker) to cut out shapes. You can press textures into them using textured fabric, stamps, or even an old coin before baking and sealing them with a glossy topcoat.
Upcycled Broken Costume Jewelry: Don’t throw away that broken statement necklace or single orphan earring! Use your jewelry wire cutters to snip apart the individual elements, filigrees, or rhinestones, then add a fresh jump ring to give them a second life as a brand-new charm.
Puzzle Pieces & Game Tiles: Take old, incomplete board games and turn the pieces into art. Paint over old puzzle pieces, or use a fine-tip permanent marker to doodle on wooden Scrabble tiles, then screw a tiny metal eye-pin into the top to turn them into instant pendants.
Git cards: Yup. Cut them up in pieces, trim with a gold pen, punch holes. Great to do with kids!