I don’t quite understand the appeal of dangling things hanging from your cellphone, but who am I to argue with trends? This tutorial will explain, as simply as possible, how to make your own cellphone charm.
First, your supplies:
My three favorite tools, Round Nose Pliers, Chain Nose Pliers and Cutting Pliers. If you don’t have these, you can make do with a small pair of chain or needle nose pliers, a skewer and a really sharp pair of scissors. (Don’t borrow your mom’s/friend’s fabric scissors for this unless you wish for them to disown you.)
Head pins and Cell Phone Lariats. You will only need one of each, but you will not be able to purchase just one. I recommend buying both in bulk as it will save you tons of money and you can always repackage them in smaller lots for friends who want to make their own charms. Ebay is a good bet for a deal, but I’ve actually found smaller packages in my local Wal-Mart.
Crimp or decorative beads and your big bead for the charm. Here, I am using lampwork beads, because I find them to be unique and much more interesting that something that says “Juicy” or some such pop culture nonsense.
Onwards to putting this simple little charm together.
Start your charm by settling a small crimp or decorative bead on your head pin so the larger beads don’t go sliding off. This is an important step as nothing is more frustrating than hearing the clatter of your beads coming off of your project and then having to search the floor for them.
Continue placing your beads. I’ve chosen the froggy here because he’s cute, darn it. I like my charms to be symetrical, so I’ve ended with the same pattern of smaller, decorative beads that I started with. I recommend keeping your charm shorter than 3/4″ as well, because you will have to form the wire loop to hang it on your lariat, and you don’t want a charm that is larger than the cell phone it is attached to.
Take your cutting pliers (or scissors) and clip off the excess pin. You will want to leave around 1/2″ (more if you are unsure of your wire shaping skill) . It’s much easier to trim later if you have too much than it is to redo the entire charm on a new pin because you left too little.
Form the remaining pin into a 1/4″ loop on your round nose pliers. This may take a bit of practice, especially if you are are using a skewer and chain nose pliers rather than the round pliers. When you have formed the loop, apply a little force in the opposite direction to make the loop form a straight line with the head of the pin.
Getting the charm on the lariat is the same as threading anything onto a keyring. You will probably need the chain nose pliers to give you a hand unless you want to completely destroy your fingernails in the process.
The beading process for making a zipper pull is the same, you will just attach the charm to the lariat slightly differently. Start by stringing the loop of the charm onto the thread of the lariat.
Then slip the metal of the metal part of the lariat through the loop at the end.
Then simple pull the light taut. Attach the ring to your zipper and you’ve got a zipper pull.
Thanks for the tut!
and btw that is the most adorable penguin bead EVER!
if you don’t mind me asking, where in the world did you get it?
Oriental Trading company. They have adorable lampwork beads.
Very cute!
These would make good ceiling fan pulls, too.
I hadn’t thought of that, but that’s probably because I’m so short I can never reach the pull >_<*
Where do you find cell phone lariats?
I’ve had my best luck buying bulk from Ebay, but I have seen them in Wal-Mart. Some stores put them with the “children’s crafts” like lanyards and such.
Thanks! I tried at Wal-mart in the jewlery and craft section, so you think I could find them where they have kids crafts? How about a store like Michaels (a Canadian craft store)? Do you think a dollar store would have them? And if I cannot find any, would it be possible to make them? If so, how?
thanks! i tried at walmart by looking in the jewlery and craft section but i could not find any. where else would you suggest to look? do you think a dollar store or Michaels (a Canadian craft store) or the Beadhive would have lariats? and if i can not find any sold, do you think that i would be able to make them. if so, how? Very appreciated! =)
If Michaels is the same craft store that we have here in the US, then I haven’t seen them.
You might be able to buy some cheap ready-made cellphone charms at the dollar store and then pull the charms off and use those.
You could make serviceable ones out of a 1cm or 1/2″ split ring, a crimp bead and a loop of waxed thread or other cording. Just thread the loop onto the split ring and then apply the crimp bead close to the split ring.
Hi, I found the cell phone lariats at walmart. They are in the section that has the beads and charms. Hope this helps.
great tut (:
but..
where did you get those head pins?
because i have no idea wheree..
michaels and ac moore have them i bought 500 of them on EBAY for about 24.00 best bet for the money is EBAY
this is really gay
Psst…Alma…you probably should avoid flaming people when you’re connect via a school computer (wps.lake.k12.il.us) we can see your IP.
Hi, I’m not very good at crafts, but I really want to make a charm for a cell phone using an old earring. Is there an easy way to do that? Thanks!
These are very creative. Thanks for sharing!
[...] Cell Phone Charms: These are especially popular with teenagers and young adults plus they make great stocking stuffers too. Also see this technique for making shrinky dinks to make your own charms out of melted plastic. Posted on Made By Kali. [...]
These are pretty cute. I made one using a thin strand of hemp and a recycled earring (it lost it’s match). If you know macramé, then there’s no need for the lariat.
Adorable! what a great idea!
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[...] Fun craft to keep or make for a money earning project! Directions are here. [...]
on thurs. i went to a place for womens worlf aviation day and they taught us this thank for the tips
i meant world
Thanks so much! I’ve made the cutest rice ball earrings and phone charms out of fimo and this guide came in quite handy! Oh, I myself have found cell phone staps/lariats at Craft Warehouse, but they were $4 for 6 of them, not very cost effective, and the walmart near me stopped carrying them. But I also found them on ebay for $7 for 100 + free shipping soo… ya. Head pins i’ve found at craft warehouse and Joann’s fabrics.
wonderful thank you for the tip!