Crafty Fun

Tutorial: Assemblage Junk Journal Charms

Charms can add so much personality to the outside of junk journals and these assemblage charms are the perfect vintage touch. Step 1: Gather Materials I recommend the two Vintage Assemblage Charm Kits from my shop since that’s what I used to make all eight charms. You can also use any small found objects you may already have on hand. Here’s a list of my personal favorite assemblage charm supplies:

• Metal Items: keys, tokens, pins, paperclips, chain, brass charms & lockets, metal measuring tape pieces, and tobacco tags (if you can find them).
• Glass Items: chandelier crystals, beads, buttons, and watchpart vials.
• Wooden Items: Domino tiles, Mahjong tiles, letter tiles, Bingo & Lotto number markers, and board game pieces.
• Fabric Items: lace, seam binding, ribbon, and canvas measuring tape.
• Other Items: buttons and film strips.

Don’t forget… You’ll want various findings too, such as bulb pins, split rings, crimp clasps (if using fabric), screw loops, and ball pins. Findings are included in both charm kits in the shop. I have two vintage charm kits available in my shop: Assemblage Kit A - 14 Vintage Metal Items with 18 Findings Assemblage Kit B - 20 Vintage Items with 29 Findings

Step 2: Choose Charm “Background”

Using an item or items to be the “background” of the charm adds a lot of depth and texture. Some things that work really well for charm backgrounds are…

• Fabric items such as lace, seam binding, ribbon, fabric strips, etc. You can use crimp clasps to finish the tops to attach them to your charm.
• Metal items such as a key, a metal measuring tape piece, paperclip, etc.

Here are a few examples of charm “backgrounds” from the charms I made:

Step 3: Choose a “Link”

I love when I’m able to use items such as buttons, chandelier crystals, tokens, or anything that can naturally act as a connector or link for my charms. I like to dangle other pieces (charms, beads, game pieces, etc) to the bottom of these “links” with a split ring. Here are a couple examples of charms where I’ve incorporated these “links”:

Step 4: Add Layers

Just like the charm “background”, different layers can add depth to your journal charms. If you choose to add middle layers, I recommend items that are pretty flat and not too thick. I suggest things like paperclips, tokens, flat metal charms, etc. Here are two examples of charms with added layers:

Step 5: Add a Focal Piece

My favorite journal charms have focal pieces such as a charm, locket, game piece, etc. These items are usually vibrant or sparkly and tend to stand out from the rest of the charm. Here are a few examples of charms with focal pieces:

Step 6: Finished!

At this point, all that’s left is to add your charm components to a bulb pin and add it to your journal!

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