Let’s talk charms! Charm bracelets can be a great way to showcase individual style. We’ll cover how to make a charm bracelet from start to finish: add charms, select the correct jump rings, and create interchangeable charms.
Charm bracelets can be a great addition to your boutique or jewelry line. They’re an easy addition that allows you and your customers to show their personality! In this blog we’ll cover the base bracelets that work best, how to select jump rings for charms, attaching charms, and how to create interchangeable charms. You will have all the information you need on how to make a charm bracelet.
Charm Bracelet Base
When it comes to selecting the base bracelet for your charm bracelet, you’ll want to consider a few things. You want to look for larger diameter links, at least 2mm, that are nice and open. Tight links will be difficult to attach your charms through. Most charm bracelet links are roughly 2mm - 5mm wide. Larger chains with chunky links can be more challenging to work with.
You will also want a bracelet that has plain links - this will let your charms shine! Halstead’s silver charm bracelet and gold-filled charm bracelet are perfect options.
Selecting Charms
You will want your charm bracelet to look balanced. Try to choose charms that are similarly sized. Aim for selections in the 6mm - 15mm size range. Larger charms will be annoying to wear. Most charm bracelets feature between four to six charms so you can space them out along the links of the chain and see each one. Some people like charms evenly spaced along the entire bracelet. Others prefer the charms to be grouped closer to the center so they show on top of the wrist.
Tools You will Need
Attaching charms is easy with two pairs of chain nose pliers. Even standard hardware store pliers will work if they have small tips to handle the tiny components you will be working with. Our tutorial video below shows how to make a charm bracelet with these simple tools.
How to Select Jump Rings
Sometimes silver charms or gold-filled charms will not come with a jump ring already attached. The teardrop charm shown here is an example of a charm without a jump ring. Note that the connection loop is fully closed so there is no way to open it and attach it to your chain. So, you will need open jump rings to connect your charms to the bracelet. Jump rings are simple, tiny wire loops with a cut so you can twist them open and closed to link together your charms and chain. Jump rings are inexpensive and widely available. It is helpful to keep a package on hand. The most commonly used jump rings for charm bracelets are 4mm-5mm wide and 20 gauge thick.
How to Attach Charms to a Bracelet
Check out the video below for how to attach your charms to the bracelet! Grasp a pair of pliers in each hand to twist open your connection jump ring. Thread your charm and one link of your bracelet chain through the open jump ring. Then, twist the jump ring closed again. Repeat for each charm you want to connect.
Tiny Charm Bracelets
Dainty bracelets are a popular look. However, they are more difficult to make. We recommend starting with the materials and sizes described above for your first attempts. Once you have mastered the basics, you may want to tackle charm bracelets with smaller design components.
When using very small charms that are less than 6mm wide, you may need to look closely at several different product measurements to choose compatible jump rings. Or, you may want to purchase a range of jump ring sizes to keep more options on hand with your supplies. However, if you want to buy exactly what you need, you must start looking at the detailed size specifications of the components you choose. The first thing you will need to look at is the size of the inner diameter (ID) of the loop or punched hole on your charm selections. You can find this info on each product detail page of the Halstead’s website in the long description.
Knowing what the inner diameter of the hole is allows you to select the correct thickness, or gauge, of jump ring. For example, if the ID of my charm loop is 1.2mm, I won’t want to select anything bigger than a 16g thick jump ring.
The next thing you want to consider is the thickness of the chain link on your bracelet. When you select your jump ring, you want to make sure it’s large enough to fit around your chain link and have wiggle room for the top of the loop on your charm.
On Halstead’s website you can scroll down to the bottom of the product listing page for charms to the “Compatible With” section that will list jump rings that can fit a variety of bracelets and will always fit through the hole on your charm.
Creating Interchangeable Charms
A nice option for your customers is to have interchangeable or add-on charms. They can purchase a charm bracelet and over time add charms for special events, birthdays, milestones, and more, without needing to have you add them. It also means they can swap out charms if they want!
To create an interchangeable charm, all you need to do is add a lobster clasp to it! You may want to select a small attachment jump ring to make your connection. These charms are easy to snap onto wide link bracelets or other accessories. Customers love the versatility without having to fuss with tools.
