Back to school is one of my kids' favorite times of year. It's so important to them to have the coolest backpack and most unique school supplies so they can put their best foot forward in the new year. But do we think of the craft store as a place for back to school, really?! Yes, it can be! I recently received an assortment of five charms made with Swarovski® crystals from Cousin DIY, now in Michaels Stores, that are perfect for customizing school supplies and making beautiful accessories for back to school, even if you don't know how to make jewelry. No pliers needed!
Like most planner charms, these charms made with Swarovski® crystals have a lobster style clasp that allows you to easily clip the charm onto and away from anything. You can use them to make a charm bracelet or jewelry piece but they're equally as versatile for planners. Here are 5 ways I used these charms made with Swarovski® crystals to complement my planner and planner supplies, no jewelry tools needed!
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Supplies:
- Charms with Swarovski® crystals available at Michaels Crafts Stores
- Create Your Style Charms made with Swarovski® crystals – Vitrail Medium Greek Cross (MS39910055)
- Create Your Style Charms made with Swarovski® crystals – August Peridot (MS39910007)
- Create Your Style Charms made with Swarovski® crystals – Silver Night Double Spike (MS39910015)
- Create Your Style Charms made with Swarovski® crystals -Paradise Shine Skull (MS39910024)
- Create Your Style Charms made with Swarovski® crystals -February – Amethyst (MS39910001)
- Cousin Fun Pack Rubber Bands for Loom Bracelets (34734416)
- Cousin Jewelry Basics Nylon Accents (34771079)
- Backpack by Cynthia Rowley for Staples
- Planner – I use the Day Designer by BlueSky
- Shaped paper clips
- Pencil pouch with zipper
Add charms to the binding of the planner
Planners are everywhere you look these days! One of the things I love about the trend is the high level of customization that everyone does to their planners. It doesn't just stop with stickers and stamps on the inside; planner covers and charms are just as important to customize. I recently received an assortment of five charms made with Swarovski® crystals from Cousin DIY, now in Michaels Stores, that are perfect for planners. As soon as I opened the package they were shipped in, I knew what I was going to make: DIY planner charms!
This is the easiest way to use these charms made with Swarovski® crystals – remove them from package and clip them onto the binding of your planner. This works really great with spiral bound planners like the BlueSky Day Designer that I use or an Erin Condren planner.
Layer the charms for an even more customized look. You can also add tassels, poufs, and pom poms to add more interest and texture alongside the sparkle of the Swarovski charms.
Custom backpack zipper pull
I was gifted this super cute striped backpack by Cynthia Rowley during a Staples event at BlogHer earlier this month. The straps are so cushiony and they backpack is the perfect size for carrying books to school or a DSLR and snacks for a weekend day trip.
Remove the charms from the package and clip through the loop on the zipper pull. If the zipper pull has a ribbon through it, remove the ribbon. Layer charms or clip in other elements like tassels for more dimension and interest.
Add charms to zipper pulls on folios and pencil bags
Clip the lobster clasp on the charm made with Swarovski® crystals to the end of a zipper pull on pencil pouches, clutches, and organizing folios.
I love the idea of layering the birthstones of your kids onto the end of the zipper as a way to really customize your planner supplies.
Add charms to pens with rubber bands for loom bracelets
Cousin DIY makes rubber bands for loom weaving and they're one of my favorite supplies for everything around the house. I even fixed my curtain rods with them once! (LINK)
Most pens don't have a way to attach a charm to the top.
Loop a loom rubber band around the clip on the top of a pen and secure the ends together by clipping the lobster clasp of a charm made with Swarovski® crystals (or two) through the loops. Choose loom bands that match the color of the pen so the focus is on the charm.
Now you'll always know which pen is yours and you can remove the charm when the ink runs dry! You use this same method to a charm to your scissors too.
DIY Planner Clips with charms
Attach the charms to paper clips to make custom planner clips!
Be sure to stop in to your local Michaels Store to find their selection of charms made with Swarovski® crystals, in the jewelry making section. I hope you enjoyed these 3 fun ways to customize your planners with charms made with Swarovski® crystals. You don't even need any pliers! Later this week, I'll be sharing a few back to school DIYs with these charms that you won't want to miss, especially if you have a teen at home who likes to change their jewelry (and their mind) often.
How would you use these charms made with Swarovski® crystals? Tell me more in the comments!
