This Is Your Sign: Host A Charm Bar Party

A few months ago, my dear friend Joy sent me a little package and inside, was the cutest bag charm:

Isn’t it the cutest?

I put it on my gym bag, and it gives me a little spark of joy every time I see it (even when I leave my house before 5 AM). It is such a mood booster! I immediately wanted to make more.

I’d been seeing people host charm bar parties—where you set out supplies so attendees can make jewelry or bag charms—and thought planning my own felt like the perfect summer project and an excuse to spend time with friends.

As I thought about what I wanted the vibe of the evening to be, I realized that I wanted the night to be casual and fun, but I wanted to take the opportunity to show my friends how much I appreciate them for all the ways they’ve shown up for me this year. Between losing my mother-in-law (and Other Amy being gone for months caring for her), finishing my MFA, and going through the process to become a vice principal, my friends have been so incredible. They’ve made me dinner, left flowers and gifts on my porch, listened to endless voice memos, sat with me while I wrote, and been patient when I’ve been overwhelmed or had to cancel plans. I decided that I wanted to be intentional about making part of the evening about celebrating and appreciating them, a sort of Galentine’s Day with less frenetic Leslie Knope energy (though I love her endlessly).

I started with supplies. I found most of the basic things I needed — pliers, findings, chains, charm organizers — on Amazon. I compiled my full list of supplies here.

I also ordered a Custom Bead Kit from Bauble Bar (the kit my bag charm was made from) — I got one bracelet kit and one bag charm kit just to be sure I had enough, and to make it a little bit easier for folks who didn’t want to make a traditional charm bracelet.

Then, I started working on what ended up being the highlight for me: finding individual charms that represented each of my friends and what I love about them. I wrote down general ideas and then started searching Etsy. I found so many incredible charms! Some Etsy shops I especially loved are ShopBlissfulFinds, BellBeadsUS, DomedBazaar, and LorettasBeads, but there were SO MANY.

I packed up each friend’s charms into a little bag and used Canva to make a tiny design so I could explain each charm.

I added a handwritten card and a tiny trinket dish as a party favor and put them into a gift bag with the little bags of charms.

We started the afternoon in the pool because it was hot, and then settled in for food and crafting. I created simple dishes that could be easily plated and didn’t require heating before serving. This pesto pasta dish with corn and green beans was a hit, as was the whipped feta dip, which was incredibly easy and delicious. I put out some veggies and hummus and a fruit salad, and it ended up being just the right vibe for an early-evening snacky dinner.

Finally, we sat down to craft. Each person took their gift bag and found the charms I’d chosen for each of them. Watching them open them and read their cards was such a highlight for me.

As it turns out, I didn’t need to worry about not having enough beads.

the bead choices

I set out bowls of candy salad for us to snack on (without requiring anyone to disclose their trauma) as we made things!

my project in the works…

As you can see in the photo, I got thin little trays for people to organize their supplies on. The colored placemat beneath is from MeriMeri — I got matching plates and napkins, too and this adorable Fun Icons banner that is truly the cutest but photographed poorly!

We sat and chatted the night away. People made the cutest things and new bonds were forged and I got to have so many of my favorite people in one room.

Because my friends and wife are extremely thoughtful, they conspired to celebrate my degree and my new job.

My friend Steph’s mom is an incredible baker, and she also made the most beautiful and tasty cookies for the evening.

She made my favorite sugar cookies and decorated them beautifully, but she also made dipped Oreos and put the logo of my grad school on them. So incredible and above and beyond!

I felt so loved and special. It was such a nice evening.

I really enjoy hosting friends, but it frequently makes me anxious because I worry that people will be bored or dislike the food, or that it will be awkward. This party taught me that having an activity to do is an excellent way to ease that anxiety. While many of my friends know one another, some were meeting for the first time, and having something to do and chat about made it easy for people to talk and bond.

I was also nervous about celebrating my friends because it feels vulnerable to tell them how much I love them and why. But seeing their reactions and the cute things they made was such a good reminder that celebrating the people you love is so worth it.

I plan to reprise this get-together in fall or winter, because so many people loved making things and thankfully, making jewelry is a perfect cold-weather hang out activity.