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Product Guide: Using Charms in Beading and Jewelry Making

Using Charms in Beading and Jewelry Making

Charms are small decorative and themed elements that are often used for bracelet and necklace projects, but can also be used for earring and mixed media designs. They are available in a wide range of popular shapes and themes including flowers , hearts , letters , animals , holidays and more. With so many options available, charms offer an easy way to personalize a design and to create countless variations.

How to Use Charms

Charms are designed with loops or holes for attaching a jump ring . Use the jump ring to hang or connect your charm to other components. Many charms come with a jump ring included, but if not, our designers have found that 5mm 20 gauge jump rings work well in most projects. This size works especially well with expandable charm bangles.

To use charms, begin by opening the existing jump ring on your charm or attaching a new jump ring. See our guide on How to Open and Close a Jump Ring for the correct technique. Once opened, add other components to your jump ring such as an earring hook or connector, or use the jump ring to attach your charm onto chain, wire or a bracelet finding, then close the jump ring. You can instantly personalize a piece of jewelry by adding an initial using a letter charm. You can also use charms with birthstone colors or meaningful designs to create a custom piece. Make numerous variations of a project by using different charms. Pair sterling silver charms with sterling silver components (or gold filled with gold filled) to create high quality jewelry. You can create one-of-a-kind pieces by mixing and matching charms with beads, chain, cord and other components.

Instructional Videos on Using Charms

See how to create jewelry using charms with instructional videos from our designers.

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Jewelry Project Tutorials with Charms

These project tutorials will teach you some tips and techniques for creating jewelry using charms. Make the project as shown or use as inspiration for your own designs.

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Supplies

Browse our wide selection of charms by color and material or by theme. Use charms with jump rings to attach to other components including bracelets and bangles, chain, earring findings and cord.

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