We loved having charm bracelets as kids. We got charms any time we traveled and we still have our bracelets! But a few of our friends have been puzzled about how to add charms to their own or their kids’ bracelets. So we made a little video to show you how. All you need are two pairs of pliers. And a charm bracelet, of course!
Here’s the video we made. Follow along as we show you how to line up the charms and count the links to place the charm in just the right spot. Then we’ll show you how to open and close a jump ring to attach the new charm to the charm bracelet.
Video HOW-TO: How To Add A Charm To A Charm Bracelet
How To Add A Charm To A Charm Bracelet
Materials
Charm bracelet
Charm
Jump ring
Tools
Chain-nose pliers
Round-nose pliers
Steps
1. Lay out your bracelet so all the charms are hanging off the same side.
2. Count how many links are between each charm. Then count out that many links to find the spot for the new charm. We marked our link by pointing to it with a pencil.
3. Open the jump ring using the two pairs of pliers. To do this, hold the right side of the jump ring with the chain-nose pliers so that half the jump ring is flat inside the jaws and the split or opening in the jump ring is pointing away from you. Grasp the left side of the jump ring with the round-nose pliers. Open the jump ring by pushing one pair of pliers away from you and pulling the other pair of pliers towards you, like opening a gate or a door.
4. Set down the round-nose pliers and continue to hold the right side of the jump ring with the chain-nose pliers. If the charm is not already on the jump ring, slide the charm on the jump ring. Slide the open jump ring with the charm into the right link on the bracelet.
5. Use the round-nose pliers and the chain-nose pliers to close the jump ring using the same motion in reverse that you used to open the jump ring.
This makes us want to start a new charm bracelet! There are so many cute charms out there! What jewelry repair questions do you have? Leave us a comment and we’ll reply. We’re here to help!
Happy Crafting!
Jennifer & Kitty
Thanks for instructions ~ what kind of jump rings do you use? There are so many different kinds/sizes available.
Thank you!
Hi Sally,
We like to use a 4mm or 5mm jump ring. Smaller than that and they are hard to open and close. Bigger and they can look chunky.
Hope that helps!
Jennifer & Kitty