12Squared Simple Holiday Gifts - Holiday Countdown Charm Jewelry
HO! HO! HO! Happy Holidays! In honor of the last minute crush most of us feel when we realize that Halloween is just over and the "big holidays" are just around the corner I am offering some crazy simple and fun projects that you can use to stuff or adorn stockings, gift and make for your own stash and do quickly.
Today, on Day One: Countdown Charm Jewelry!
Requires only basic/beginner jewelry making knowledge - pliers make this much easier, and are not required.
A necessary note: Not everyone in the world has 10,000 charms of every size and type in their stash. I find the best charms on Etsy. Many sellers have small assortments already made or can help you build a theme. And the ones I love best can also help you do this cheaply. The same goes for the findings that I will mention. Split rings are like tiny keyrings, jump rings are circles of metal that can be opened and closed with pliers.
JoAnn's, Michaels and other craft stores will have most of the things you need, and you'll have to go with your gut whether you'd rather shop there or go online.
Below the post are my favorites, they are sellers that I buy from all the time, I trust them and I've double checked with them that your questions are welcome. :D
LETS MAKE SOMETHING! Photos below are of a charm necklace, because the assembly is child simple. (add pics of the charm bracelet as well.)
1. I bought necklace cords like this one that can be found at theVioletRoom because the end with the extender chain will slide right down into 8mm jump rings, even with the chunky plastic gumball charms. Mine are a silicone necklace that can be bought here from SunandMoonCraftkits.
2. I used large hole beads (called euro beads) as spacers so that there was something on the necklace when it was received. On bracelets I just added charms.
3. I laid everything out before I got started.
And, as promised, everywhere I went to get all the things I used. :D
For supplies like jump rings and split rings, even tools and charms:
theVioletRoom - Natasha is the ONLY seller I will give a warning about, and it's because of a GOOD thing... she JUST had a baby (like, a day or two before or after this post)... so answers might be translated through her husband who will be handling the shop while she spends time with their new baby girl. All shipping and ordering will be smooth and awesome as always, and I highly recommend the quality and prices of everything in the shop. Yeah, they're THAT awesome!
For charms, sets of charms and gorgeous dangles I have only a few places I trust:
Adorabilities - Not only does Ariana have plans to do something similar to this project in her own shop, she sells many of the beads and trinkets and charms that I use in my own jewelry. Little squishy dolls? Gorgeous glass bead charms? Flowers for hours? All there... and color coordinated or all one color in different hues as well, so she can even take the guesswork out of coordinating your piece for that friend that just LOVES purple, or green, if you were wondering what I like... ummm... LOL
TheBlueBeadle - SUPER fun collections and assortments already made for between $2.50 and $8.00 and Haley's amazing, so if you need some help send her a conversation and she can help you combine sets or find what you're looking for.
Overstock Bead Supply - Amazing pieces and charms in small lots so that you don't have to buy 100 of a thing you only needed 2 of. Shannon is also amazing at working with you to find things and might even have some charms that aren't pictured in the shop. Shannon has an amazing eye for color and some really rare and incredibly fun charms in a number of themes that other shops just don't carry. (Got a Grimm or Supernatural fan on your list? She can cover that. :D)
I bought the tiny envelopes you see here (2" by 2") from a new seller that I already adore. OnceUponYourWall - Lori is amazing, she will work with you and she has lots of colors of these cute little things. She also sells charms! Gorgeous dangly ones!
And for the craftier than me types, I have included a link to a super simple way to make your own square envelopes.
Guide Central YouTube Video - (they don't bother to give you measurements. For a 2" envelope you will need 3" square paper, I recommend at least printer paper weight, if not scrapbook papers.)
Requires only basic/beginner jewelry making knowledge - pliers make this much easier, and are not required.
A necessary note: Not everyone in the world has 10,000 charms of every size and type in their stash. I find the best charms on Etsy. Many sellers have small assortments already made or can help you build a theme. And the ones I love best can also help you do this cheaply. The same goes for the findings that I will mention. Split rings are like tiny keyrings, jump rings are circles of metal that can be opened and closed with pliers.
JoAnn's, Michaels and other craft stores will have most of the things you need, and you'll have to go with your gut whether you'd rather shop there or go online.
Below the post are my favorites, they are sellers that I buy from all the time, I trust them and I've double checked with them that your questions are welcome. :D
LETS MAKE SOMETHING! Photos below are of a charm necklace, because the assembly is child simple. (add pics of the charm bracelet as well.)
1. I bought necklace cords like this one that can be found at theVioletRoom because the end with the extender chain will slide right down into 8mm jump rings, even with the chunky plastic gumball charms. Mine are a silicone necklace that can be bought here from SunandMoonCraftkits.
2. I used large hole beads (called euro beads) as spacers so that there was something on the necklace when it was received. On bracelets I just added charms.
3. I laid everything out before I got started.
4. I laid out the charms that I liked until I had 25 or 26. On the kid necklaces I laid out the spacer beads as part of the necklace. For the bracelets I laid out 2 charms to be part of the bracelet when it was gifted. Remember, the countdown for the holidays is traditionally begun on the 1st of December and goes through Christmas day on the 25th. If you are gifting for Hanukkah or a birthday your count may vary.
5. I chose my charms and then added rings. I used jump rings for the child jewelry and split rings (like small key chains) for the bracelets.
split rings open easily, this shows that I open mine by pulling towards me slightly
and then close by realigning the two parts of the ring.
and the closed ring looks like this. :D
6. Then I laid them out in the order I liked and packaged them one charm to an envelope and sealed them with scratch and sniff stickers that I happened to have around, any sticker or label will work, even washi tape or regular tape.
See that the necklace is packaged on a card with the beads already on it.
I am packaging these to go into my shop, and I happen to have little square boxes that are 2" tall and 4" x 4" square. This is a specialty item that most of us don't have. Your jewelry would look splendid in a little gift bag! And, as promised, everywhere I went to get all the things I used. :D
For supplies like jump rings and split rings, even tools and charms:
theVioletRoom - Natasha is the ONLY seller I will give a warning about, and it's because of a GOOD thing... she JUST had a baby (like, a day or two before or after this post)... so answers might be translated through her husband who will be handling the shop while she spends time with their new baby girl. All shipping and ordering will be smooth and awesome as always, and I highly recommend the quality and prices of everything in the shop. Yeah, they're THAT awesome!
For charms, sets of charms and gorgeous dangles I have only a few places I trust:
Adorabilities - Not only does Ariana have plans to do something similar to this project in her own shop, she sells many of the beads and trinkets and charms that I use in my own jewelry. Little squishy dolls? Gorgeous glass bead charms? Flowers for hours? All there... and color coordinated or all one color in different hues as well, so she can even take the guesswork out of coordinating your piece for that friend that just LOVES purple, or green, if you were wondering what I like... ummm... LOL
TheBlueBeadle - SUPER fun collections and assortments already made for between $2.50 and $8.00 and Haley's amazing, so if you need some help send her a conversation and she can help you combine sets or find what you're looking for.
Overstock Bead Supply - Amazing pieces and charms in small lots so that you don't have to buy 100 of a thing you only needed 2 of. Shannon is also amazing at working with you to find things and might even have some charms that aren't pictured in the shop. Shannon has an amazing eye for color and some really rare and incredibly fun charms in a number of themes that other shops just don't carry. (Got a Grimm or Supernatural fan on your list? She can cover that. :D)
I bought the tiny envelopes you see here (2" by 2") from a new seller that I already adore. OnceUponYourWall - Lori is amazing, she will work with you and she has lots of colors of these cute little things. She also sells charms! Gorgeous dangly ones!
And for the craftier than me types, I have included a link to a super simple way to make your own square envelopes.
Guide Central YouTube Video - (they don't bother to give you measurements. For a 2" envelope you will need 3" square paper, I recommend at least printer paper weight, if not scrapbook papers.)
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