They're cute! They're sassy! And they're actually pretty useful for identifying your glass of wine after you've taken some swigs. Make these DIY wine charms to spice up your next party or give as gifts to your favorite wineos.
How to make wine charms
Here's what you'll need:
- Metal stamping pendants
- Jump rings
- Round ear wire hoops
- Pliers
- Alphabet stamping set with letters small enough to fit your pendant
- Metal stamping block
- Hammer
- Pencil
Step 1: Choose your words
You'll be getting creative right off the bat because the first thing you'll need to do is decide what you're stamping! It could be nicknames, (short!) inside jokes, hobbies or first names. Or sass it up — yes, no, maybe, no way, sure and hmmm can be fun conversation starters.
Step 2: Start stamping
I like to use very light pencil marks to map out the individual letters of the word first. That way I have a guideline as to where to position the metal stamp, and the pencil marks wipe away easily after stamping. I also use a piece of tape at the top (and bottom of larger pendants) to hold the pendant in place.
Start stamping in the middle and work your way out to the sides to help center the words. Hold the metal stamp vertically and firmly at its base and hold it perpendicular to the charm. Give the metal stamp a light but firm whack on the head with a hammer. Just don't hit the pendant too hard because you could crack it if you're using pendants made from soft pewter. If you don't hit it hard enough, you'll just see a shadow of your letters and you'll have to try again.
Don't be upset if it's not perfect the first time, because it probably won't be. It's a good idea to buy some extra charms so you can practice stamping on the front and back before starting on your final set of DIY wine charms.
Step 3: Add a jump ring
Open a jump ring with a pair of pliers, slide the wine charm onto the jump ring, then close.
Step 4: Add the ear wires
Using pliers, hold the ear wire about 1/4" away from the end of the wire.
Bend the end of the ear wire straight up.
Slide the jump ring onto the ear wire and close the ear wire by sliding the end of the ear wire into the hole. You're done!
Looking for a fun party idea? Throw a DIY wine charm party for all of your friends. You can set up a wine charm-making station and have your guests make their own.
Cheers!
