Set a "Charming" Table - Wine Glass Charms

Wine Glass charms are everywhere these days. I like to think of them as jewelry for my stemware and they can be made in just a few minutes. They make a great hostess gift and a wonderful addition to any table. They make finding one's own wine glass easier, and look cute when used as mini place cards at the table. People love to get them as gifts, and you can make matching napkin rings with the bracelet size memory wire. And if you don't serve wine, they are just a pretty on the stem of a water goblet or dessert glass! You can keep them to use at future gatherings or let your guests take them as a little memento of the occasion. And what a cute wedding favor with the couple's new initials or the wedding date!

Here's what you need to make some of your own:

Ring Size Memory Wire

Full-size Wirecutters

Strong pliers

Beads or Crystals to embellish the wire

Head pins for the charms, one for each charm

Alphabet beads for initials

Metal beads for accents

1. Start by cutting a length of ring sized memory wire, overlapping by almost half again. Use the full sized wire cutters and cut the wire by placing it almost to the bottom of the cutter blade and using serious hand power.

2. Make a loop in one end of the wire, using strong pliers and much muscle. This, in my opinion, is the worst part about working with memory wire!

3. Add your accent beads and crystals halfway around the wire.

4. Add the alphabet beads with accents (if desired) and close with a wrapped loop.

5. Add this wrapped loop to the memory wire.

6. Finish adding the beads and/or crystals to the memory wire. Close the end with a loop, again using the strong pliers.

7. Place a leaf bead on to a headpin, with the head at the small end. Close with a wrapped loop. Make two of these.

8. Add the grape bead to a headpin. The add the two leaf charms on their pins to the grape bead. Close, including all three beads, by making another wrapped loop. Be sure the loop on this set is big enough that the leaf loops cannot slip over it.

9. Add the wrapped grapes and leaves to the loop on one end of the memory wire.

That's all it takes! I tried adding the charms to each of the loop ends, but it made the initials overlap the grape charm, and didn't look as nice. Also, if you are interested in using the grape/leaf charms, you can get them from Wiley & Kelly at San Francisco Arts & Crafts. They don't have a website just yet, but they can be contacted by email at Beadstreet@aol.com.

For those of you here in the US, have a wonderful happy and safe Thanksgiving! I wish each of you a full table, sparkling with beautiful beaded embellsihments!