From the Makemille: Pocket Charms

There’s something quietly joyful about carrying a tiny bit of handmade loveliness with you wherever you go. Today, I’m sharing how to make your own pocket charms - cute, practical accessories that let you clip your favorite lip gloss, hand cream, travel cologne, or any small essential onto your bag for easy reach. They add a touch of personality to your daily carry and are fun to customize, making them a thoughtful handmade gift for friends (or yourself).

I initially learned about these charms last winter when I stumbled upon lip gloss charms online and thought they were lovely. For our last class day before winter break, I set up a little charm bar in my homeroom and my students helped themselves to tools and the cutest charms, creating their own accessory dangles to take home.

Gather These

• Lip gloss (or hand cream, travel cologne, sanitizer, etc.) in tubes

• Jump rings (10–12 mm works well)

• Assorted charms

• Mini carabiner or keychain clip

• Keychain links

• Round-nose pliers

• Hole puncher

Let’s Make It

Step 1: Create a small hole on either side of the tube, carefully at the sealed crimp base, so your product doesn’t ooze out. You can use a sturdy pin or a tiny hole puncher for a clean cut.

Step 2: Use a pair of pliers to gently twist open a jump ring. Insert a keychain link onto the ring.

Step 3: This is the fun part! For each decorative charm, attach a smaller jump ring, then clip each charm onto your keychain link. Feel free to personalize your pocket charm with playful, meaningful, or seasonal pieces. Secure all jump rings with your pliers.

Step 4: Slide the open ring with your chain of charms through the small hole on your tube. Using your pliers, gently close the ring securely and give it a little tug to ensure it won’t slip off.

Step 5 (Optional): Attach a mini carabiner or keychain clip to your ring for easy clipping onto your bag, lanyard, or keyring.

Little Notes

Use lightweight charms to avoid weighing down your accessory.

You can swap out charms seasonally for a fresh look.

Try using color-coordinated charms for a cohesive aesthetic.

Once you have used up your product, you can easily remove the charms and transfer them to a new one.

These pocket charms add a small, joyful detail to my everyday bag. They’re a quick, satisfying DIY that makes a sweet, personal gift for friends or a cozy weekend project for yourself.

If you try making these, I’d love to see your pocket charms in action - please tag me (@provenmille.studio) so I can celebrate your creations with you.

Happy crafting!