How To Make Wine Charms

This post sharing how to make wine charms was initiall part of a sponsored post. Some links in this post are affiliate links that earn me a commission if you purchase through them.

Whenever I serve a signature drink, I always make sure we have a way to tell our drinks apart. I love using wine charms, since we otherwise have identical drinks in identical glasses, and no one ever remembers where they set down their drink.

I have several sets, but for my cookie swap, I wanted to make my own wine charms that I could then use as favors for the friends who attended. They were able to take them home, along with their cookies, as a memento of our fun night together.

How to Make Wine Charms

Making wine charms is easier than you might think. You need only a few tools and materials.

I used 20 gauge wire, although 26 gauge could work, but the 20 gauge is thinner and easier to bend, so I prefer it. The 16 gauge wire is far too thin for this purpose.

I chose a black wire to set off the black accents in the charms I picked up, but you can easily go with a base silver or any of the other fun colors out there. You could have fun with a rainbow colored set or stick with a single color.

I also found some great charms, and there are more beads and charms available than you can shake a stick out. Just find some that you like that aren’t too long (so they’ll still fit over the wire and slide down the loop without getting stuck) and have a wide enough center hole to fit, and you’re set.

The only other tools you’ll need are a needle nose pliers and wire cutters, along with something cylindrical that is the diameter of the charm you want to create. I used a tart tamper that I have in my kitchen, but anything will work.

To start, measure out 3 to 4 inches of the copper wire, depending on how large you want to make your charms. I typically make mine just a little over three inches.

Cut off as many sections of that length as charms you’re planning to make using your wire cutters. Traditionally, you’ll make 8 or 12 wine charms for your glass set.

Pick up your cylindrical mold and hold the middle of the wire against it with one thumb.

With your other thumb, gently slide along the length of the wire on one side to mold it to your cylinder, then repeat on the other side so that it has formed a circle with the ends of your wire crossing.

Use your needle nose pliers to grasp the very end of one side of the wire. Twist down and towards the loop you’ve created 180 degrees.

This will create the hook that holds your wine charm closed. Once you have made it, release the pliers and remove them from the loop.

Pick up your charms and slide them onto your loop in whatever order you choose. You can use as many or as few as you like, depending on your preference.

In the center of your charms and beads is typically where you place the one that differentiates that wine charm from the others. Make sure you have something unique, whether it be a color or a shape, so that they aren’t identical.

Once you have your charms on the loop, pick up your needle nose pliers again and grasp the other end of your loop with the pliers. Gently tip it up until you reach a 90 degree angle and release.

This will be the arm that goes into the hook you created on the other side.

Tips to Make Sure Your Wine Charms Work

Test your wine charm to ensure that it stays closed. If you can’t get it to hook, make sure that the small loop you created with the needle nose pliers is perpendicular to the arm you created. If it isn’t, simply twist it gently until it is.

Another easy fix? If your arm is too long and sticks up too much, use the wire cutters to trim it.

If your charm doesn’t want to stay closed, gently pull the loop a little wider that will provide more tension and help the wine charm stay closed.

Once your wine charms are created, place them on your glasses and let your friends choose their favorites to be their charms for the night – and beyond if you give them as favors.

If you’re like me, you have kids who want to be just like the grown ups. Find and make kid-friendly charms to differentiate the cocktails from the mocktails, too.

What are your favorite wine charms?

Enjoy this article? Please share it and save it for later!