Around the House Charms

July 13th, 2008 in jewelry making, memory making

Lilly Campbell, contributor

These were my favorite around the house finds... all I need is the bracelet

Etsy member poetsummer sells gorgeous charm bracelets.

You can visit poetsummers blog for more about her charm bracelet-making.

These were my favorite around the house finds... all I need is the bracelet

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I love charm bracelets… they’re cute, fun, and best of all each little charm says something about who you are. But the more I looked at charm bracelets online and in stores, the more I realized that I didn’t want charms that meant something special to someone else. The best charms were not the gold-plaited ones that would empty my pockets at the mall but things that would trigger special memories for me right from my home. That is when I decided to do a full-house charm search. Here are some of my best finds:

Toolbox: washers, tiny lights, bike chain links
Great Outdoors: seashells, sea glass
Game Corner: mini puzzle pieces, scrabble tiles, monopoly pieces (or place-markers for other games: Sorry and Candy Land come to mind), dice, doll or action figure accessories (Barbie’s fun shoes, purses, brushes, etc.), lego pieces
Desk: pencil or crayon stubs, pencil-end erasers, paper-clips
Scrap Drawer: keys (esp. diary keys!), key chains (think of all the cute ones you have picked up during vacations), old dog tags
Sewing Box: thimble, buttons, snaps, bells, zipper ends, belt buckles
Recycling: bottle caps, soda tabs
Jewelry Box: rings, earrings, watch face, barrettes, watch gears

Of course, depending on the object you might want to apply a couple of coats clear finish (I certainly wouldn’t want an uncoated crayon or eraser hanging on my wrist) or you might even want to paint it with a metallic finish to give the bracelet a more classic/vintage feel. Transforming objects into charms can get tricky too but in most cases a wire cutter, some thin wire, a hole puncher/drill, and super-glue or specialty gem glue will do the trick.

Don’t miss Diane Gilland’s cold porcelain tutorial, either, for more charm-making inspiration. And let me know—what charms are hiding in your home?

posted in: jewelry making, memory making, Jewelry, necklace, bracelet

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Comments (1)

byabpryor writes: OMGosh I LOVE this site... you inspired me to make things out of weird things like vintage key chains and car emblems (lol)

I have a TON... literally hundreds of key chains (purchased from an estate sale) I will now dismantle & use in other recreations... Thank you!!!!! Posted: 6:08 pm on August 1st

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