Charms never go out of style and they make it easy to create unique jewelry that reflects your personal interests. In this Beading Lesson, we’ll explore some options for making fun, on-trend charm necklaces.

One of the big trends in charm jewelry is using a charm holder as a focal point. There are a variety of charm holders on the market, or you can use Quick Links™ rings and other geometric shapes to hold a collection of charms and dangles in the center of a jewelry design.

You can use jump rings, split rings or wire wrapping to attach charms and dangles to your charm holder. Jump rings are easy to remove from the holder, split rings add extra security, and wire wrapping works well for adding color with beaded head pins.

If you’re using a Quick Links™ ring, the charms and dangles can be attached to the ring itself or suspended from the bail that connects the ring to the necklace. Interesting effects can be achieved with either method.

Some of the simplest charm necklaces use leather cord or ribbon as the foundation. To attach either stringing material to a charm holder, use a lark’s head knot. Fold the cord or ribbon in half, pass the fold through the ring, and then pass the ends through the resulting loop to make the knot. To attach a clasp to the necklace, use the appropriate ends for your stringing material. (Coiled cord ends or tube cord ends work well for round stringing material like leather cord, while fold-over or c-crimp ends work well for suede lace or ribbon.)

You can also string a charm holder ring onto the center of a necklace chain for a simple, streamlined look. Move the charms inside the ring for a slightly different effect.

Don’t be afraid to combine this trendy style with your next beadwork project, either! Charm holder rings can be held in place with peyote stitch bails, attached to the center of herringbone tube necklaces, or can make fun focal points for multiple strand seed bead designs.