Stemware Shrink Charms

Hosting some holiday celebrations this year? Want to make this year’s party easier on your guests? There’s nothing as annoying as putting down a drink and then not knowing where you left it or which glass is yours. We’ve all seen those cute little tags you can put on the stems of your glassware, but why not make your own? Shrink sheets are the perfect material for this project! By using shrink sheets and some earring hoops and metallic beads we picked up in the jewelry section of the craft store, we made these lovely little stemware charms for the holidays. We used ¾” earring hoops, but the size you choose will depend upon the size of your stemware. We added clipart for the specific holiday – turkeys and pilgrims and pumpkins for Thanksgiving, ornaments and lights and a tree for Christmas. And you can use the same design multiple times simply by changing the color! Now your guests will never lose track of their glass again and wait until you tell them you made these adorable little charms yourself!

MATERIALS

Inkjet shrink sheets (we used clear, but the white sheets will work just as well)

Earring hoops

Jump rings (small rings to connect the charm to the earring hoop – in the jewelry aisle at your craft store)

Assorted beads

Needle nose pliers

Hole punch

Scissors

Clear nail polish or Inkjet Overcoat Spray

INSTRUCTIONS

1) Open a blank page in your graphics program. Draw a 2” circle with no fill and a light gray outline. Copy and paste this circle for as many charms as you would like to make.

2) Choose the clipart you want to use and resize the images to fit inside the circles. Make sure you move it low enough inside the circle to allow a hole to be punched in the top.

3) Print a test page on plain paper to check the layout.

4) Once you are satisfied with your layout, you can print on the shrink sheet.

5) After the ink has been allowed to set for a few minutes, carefully cut out your circles (we find it easiest to use a manicure scissors with the curved blades). Be careful not to touch the printed image as the ink can still smudge.

6) Punch a hole in the top of the circle making sure it is close enough to the edge so that the jump ring will fit through – no more than 1/8” from the edge.

7) Bake your shrink circles according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Once you have removed them from the oven and they have been allowed to cool, put a coat of clear nail polish over the printed side (or use a coat or two of Decal Finishing/Inkjet Overcoat Spray).

8) Now comes the really fun part! Put a jump ring through the hole in the charm and squeeze it closed with the needle nose pliers. The earring hoops we used have a loop already formed one end, which saved us a step. Thread some beads onto the hoop, and then add the charm and some more beads. Now take your pliers and bend a small hook on the unlooped end of the earring hoop. This will allow you to hook the charm wire closed when you place it around the glass stem and makes it just as easy to remove to wash the glass.

Voila! A simple project with spectacular results! You’ll be making them for every holiday gathering! And they also make a great gift!

Stemware Shrink Charms Instructions

For a print friendly version, click on this link.