DIY Beaded Charms Are the Cutest Way to Dress Up Your Bag—and So Fun to Make

Welcome to BHG's first-ever Craft Club—we're so glad you're here. We're Claire and Ella, two friends (and BHG editors), who love any excuse to get together for a fun-filled evening of crafting.

Each month, we schedule a time to take a break from work and try our hands at a new DIY project, and we want you to join. Lately, we've been eyeing colorful bag charms across social media, so we jumped at the chance to finally make them. While simple, these charming trinkets easily add style to even the most basic purses and totes. Follow along to customize your own bag charms without spending too much time or money.

How to Make Beaded Bag Charms

Grab a fun drink, turn on your favorite album, and find a friend to yap with before you start crafting your bag charms. Make sure to gather these supplies before jumping in.

Supplies List

One of the best parts about this project is that it doesn't require a bunch of supplies—use items you already have around your home. Look through your jewelry drawer to see if there are any beads or jewels you can reuse. Or find string or wire to thread the beads in your toolbox or among fishing materials. Here's everything you need:

• Assortment of beads and charms
• Jewelry wire
• Jump rings
• Lobster keyrings
• Needle-nose pliers
• Wire clippers

Easy Beaded Charm

Beaded wire charms are the most straightforward option. Simply create a small loop at the end of your wire before threading on beads. Create patterns with the beads or use a random order until you achieve a look you love. If you want to add a little extra something, add a larger bead, charm, or pearl to the end of the wire first.

To finish the bag charm, use a pair of needle-nose pliers to create another small loop at the opposite end, then twist any remaining wire around the bottom of the loop. You can also use your fingers—just be prepared to poke yourself a time or two (speaking from experience).

Flower Charm

While beaded flowers take some extra time and effort to make, it's totally worth it. And they aren't nearly as intimidating to make as they look.

To craft beaded flowers, start by stringing beads onto a 24-inch-long piece of wire, leaving space at each end. Once beaded and the ends are looped off (using the above technique), start creating small loops to resemble petals. Twist the base of each petal to secure. Continue this process until you reach the end of the wire. Twist the two ends of the wire together to finish the flower.

There are multiple ways to bead and bend the wire to make flowers. Remember that crafting isn't about perfection (that's impossible) but being creative and having fun. Don't put too much pressure on yourself to make the most accurate daisy charm. Give some beaded flowers a go, and if they don't turn out the way you like, try again or pivot to a new idea.

Beaded Shapes

There are plenty of options if you want to add a chunkier charm to your bag. Follow online tutorials and step-by-step instructions to create beaded animals, fruit, flowers, and more. For a quicker process, make a beaded letter by stringing beads onto wire and bending it into your initial. Attach a jump ring to the top center of the letter to ensure it hangs upright on your keyring.

Bonus Accessories

While we love the beaded charms themselves, adding more colors and textures is (almost) always a good idea in our book. We tied ribbons, paracord, and strips of velvet to our keyrings, as well as premade jewelry chains to give the charms more texture and shine. Add knotted friendship bracelets, seashells, or pieces of braided scrap fabric from your latest craft project for a personalized look.

And one final reminder: Crafting is all fun and games until someone spills the beads.