Creating your own silver charm bracelet

Designing your own charm bracelet can be a really fun project as you examine the massive range of charms that can be found in retail shops, markets and online stores. I recommend starting by selecting an appropriate sterling silver bracelet to fit your charms to. The most common chains used for charm bracelets are the belcher, oval belcher and long curb chains.

The advantage of these styles is that they have quite small links that are closely spaced together. This close spacing allows you to connect the charms in more combinations than you would have available with the longer linked styles. The length of your bracelet should be around the measurement of your wrist plus an additional few centimetres, depending on how far down your hand you wish the bracelet to sit when you arm is by your side.

Depending on the thickness of chain you select, a spring ring or parrot clasp will be fitted. You can elect to change this to a bolt ring clasp on a heavier chain or substitute it for a plain or filigree heart padlock should you wish a style that is less simple and plain.

Probably the hardest decision is in selecting the sterling silver charms themselves as there are so many to choose from. As you evaluate each one, consider what meaning it conveys and how that relates to the events and occasions you wish to commemorate. Some will leap out at you and are going to be 'must haves', put these at the top of your list.

Examining the chain will give you an idea of how many charms can be comfortably hung and how many links you will need to separate them by. After counting the must have charms you will know how many more will have room available, so use this number to thin out the charms lower down on your list.