How to Make Wine Charms: A Step-By-Step Guide

DIY Wine Glass Charms: A Step-By-Step Guide

Wine has to be tasted, understood, worshiped, and eventually treated as a divinity.

Since wine drinking is considered by many a social event, it is easy to understand why wine glass decorations have become more and more popular.

Also known by the name of wine glass charms, these small jewels are more than just decorations. They have a specific purpose and, if chosen with care, they can be used as small gifts.

There are many wine glass charms available to buy, but if you’re a DIY lover, then making your own charms might be tempting.

There are two methods I like to use to make wine glass charms and to help you in this mission, I’ll describe both methods below.

DIY Wine Glass Charms: A Step-By-Step Guide

What are Wine Glass Charms?

How to Make Wine Glass Charms

How To Make Glass Charms From Scratch

How To Make Wine Glass Charms Using Earring Hoops

DIY Wine Glass Charm Tips

Final Thoughts

What are Wine Glass Charms?

Before going into detail and learning how to make wine glass charms, we should have a word about what these items are.

If you never heard of them, wine glass charms are small jewels used to decorate the stem of wine glasses.

Apart from the decorative characteristic, glass charms often have a functional aspect too. They are particularly useful during parties, as they will help guests identify their glass at any moment.

Moreover, glass charms can be used as small gifts or favors during events such as Christmas, wedding, or engagement parties.

Because of their different uses, these small items come in all shapes and sizes. Moreover, they can be made of precious metals, beads, felt, or anything else you might think of.

There are many ideas you can draw inspiration from before deciding which glass charm is the best for you. On the other hand, many manufacturers and crafts artists propose loads of ready-to-use charms. Nevertheless, if you’d like to make your own, here are two simple ways to do them.

How to Make Wine Glass Charms

Wine glass charms can be made of the most various materials. The procedures vary with the method, and there are loads of tutorials you can follow.

Because I like to use glass charms as small favors when hosting wine and cheese parties or more formal events, I prefer those charms that look like jewelry. As such, both methods described below are concentrated on making bead charms on metal loops.

You can use either metallic wire with memory or earring hoops. Choose the beads you like and follow these easy steps to impress your guests.

How To Make Glass Charms From Scratch

If you're starting right from the beginning with nothing to repurpose or recycle then here's what you need and what you need to do.

What You Will Need

DIY jewelry memory wire;
Crystal, glass, or stone beads;
Various charms;
Jewelry pliers;
Wire cutter.

What You Need To Do

Choose the desired type of jewelry memory wire, ideally with a diameter between 0,75 and 1 inches. This is the equivalent of ring-size memory wire and you can choose the color you like, such as grey, silver, or gold.
Measure out loops of 1,25 inches and cut the wire to the desired dimension with a heavy-duty wire cutter. Keep in mind that memory wire is hard to cut, so you might want to invest in a wire cutter to use with it instead of using one you already have.
With the help of a good jewelry pliers, twist one end of the wire to make a small loop. This loop will keep the beads and charms in place while you are making the composition. The easiest way to make the loop is by twisting the end of the wire against its curve.
Using the beads and charms you like best, compose the design of your wine glass charms. If you want to help guests identify their glasses, you can use beads of different colors or create different patterns. You can even use personalized charms with initials or names.
Once you’ve created the desired composition, make another loop at the other end of the memory wire, to secure the beads and charms in place. Just like before, use the jewelry pliers and twist the end against the curve of the memory wire.
Attach the charms to the glass by simply pulling the ring apart and push them back in position around the stem of the glass. Since memory wire keeps its shape, you will not have to use anything to close the ring in position.

How To Make Wine Glass Charms Using Earring Hoops

Whenever I want to use the glass charms as favors, I replace memory wire with earring hoops made of precious metals. In this case, the procedure is simpler, as you will not have to shape memory wire.

What You Will Need

Earring hoops made of metal or precious metals;
Crystal, glass, or stone beads;
Various charms.

What You Need to Do

Choose earring hoops with a diameter between 0,75 and 1 inch. If you want to use the charms as gifts, use earrings made of precious metals. Otherwise, if you just want a simpler method to make wine glass charms, use earring hoops made of wire.
Just as before, create the compositions you want using multicolored beads and charms.
Once you are happy with the result, close the earrings around the stem of the glass. Use this wine glass charms as favors or small gifts during the holiday season.

DIY Wine Glass Charm Tips

As you can see, making wine glass charms is really simple. However, there are a few tips to follow if you want your small jewels to stand out from the crowd.

Keep the design simple: regardless of the event, simple wine charms are more fascinating than the complex models. Choose few colors and create simple designs.
Make them unique: once you’ve created a design you like, the temptation to make them all the same is high. Nevertheless, do your best to make each wine glass charm unique. This will help guests tell which glass is theirs and will have an original favor once the party is over.
Match the charms to the occasion: when hosting a themed party, for an event, or during the holiday season, make wine glass charms that match to the occasion. For instance, you can make Christmas charms by using small Santa Clauses, reindeers, sleighs, and other themed charms. With the occasion of a wedding, personalize each charm with a small photo of the happy couple. Use your imagination to come up with suitable ideas to match to the theme.
Use unique beads: all DIY stores have wide collections of jewelry beads. However, you can make them yourself, using polymer clay. This will guarantee the originality of your charms, while your skills will certainly wow your guests.
Use gemstones: if you want to make really valuable wine glass charms, you can replace the beads with gemstones arranged on an earring made of precious metal. Use these valuable wine glass charms as Christmas gifts for your dearest.

Final Thoughts

Making wine glass charms is really simple and the original models created by you will certainly make a difference. You’ll be able to add personality to each event while helping your guests keep track of their glasses.

Besides a functional object, wine glass charms are decorative and, when made on earring hoops, they can even be transformed into jewelry by your guests.

Now, it’s time to start working and give personality to that wine and cheese party you’ve been planning for ages! Have fun!

About the Author Tim Edison

Tim started Wine Turtle way back in 2015.
These days he contributes to Wine Turtle (and other renowned wine publications) while continuing his wine education.
Tim's wine of the month is the Coates & Seely Reserve Brut NV (from Hampshire, England).