The Purse Charm

The Purse Charm
by Barbara van Look, Content Development Group, Exclusively for Fire Mountain Gems and Beads

Seen on everything from cocktail clutches to messenger bags, the purse charm is a removable, interchangeable and versatile way to personalize women's most popular accessory: the handbag.

Plus, it's a great way to make sure you don't lose your keys.

Purse Charming

Purse charms have been ''in'' before--but they were dainty, understated things, adding subtle sparkle or micro-color to a bag. These days, bigger is better. On the runways at Fendi and Emporio Armani, the bag charm is bigger than the bag it's attached to!

These charms are detachable--and designed to clip onto your keychain--and easily moved from bag to bag, or replaced on your favorite bag with each outfit or season. Some of the most popular themes are tiny people, miniature purses, oversized tassels and stamped or resin-coated quotes.

Pretty much anything the customer wants to use to personalize her purse is, well, in the bag:

Thread and Chain Tassels
  • Tassels
    Whether you buy them in chain, silk or leather--or make your own using ribbon and other materials--tassels are a popular choice for bag charms. They add movement and visibility to an attached keychain without adding a lot of weight.

  • People
    Human shapes--male and female, large and small, leather and metal, matte and shining, plain and sparkling--are one of the most common used for bag charms. Add on-the-spot stamped discs for names, important dates or other milestones and offer your customers the ultimate in personalization.

  • Feathers
    Another way to add big and bold individuality without adding big and bold weight! Colorful feathers can be turned into tassel-like clusters, wide fans and other designs. Feathers are especially popular when creating in the traditions of native cultures of the Americas (North, South and Central).
  • Animals
    Animal shapes are a particularly colorful way to personalize bag charms. Smooth and textured metals, as well as colorful lampworked glass, add plenty of interest and make both keychains and bag charms easy to see.

  • Make Your Own
    Mix fabric, leather, feathers and other materials together to create your own variations of every and any theme!
Design Idea D35X Purse Charm Design with ... Additional Resources ...