Valentine Charm Bracelet

Charm bracelets are a big thing down here, and I've always loved them anyway. I like the jingle-jingle sound of them. My husband isn't too fond of "noisy jewelry," and he doesn't like wind-chimes, either. I like both, but have given up wind-chimes in the yard to promote marital harmony. However, I draw the line at jewelry. Taking my husband's mom's words of wisdom on jewelry: "Buy what you love, honey, and don't worry about what a man likes."

With that mantra in mind, I've been looking for a charm bracelet filled with hearts. I found lots of them in the local stores as I was shopping for the Valentine's party, but they were mostly inexpensive-looking beaded bracelets on elastic bands. I don't like those elastic-stretch bracelets... no matter how pretty the stones or charms are, the elastic is either going to break or stretch to the point where the bracelet sags.

I also didn't want to spend too much money on a bracelet filled with heart charms that I will probably wear just during the month of February for Valentine's Day, so I ruled out anything with real silver, real gold, and real stones. I don't know why I hadn't thought of it sooner, but I started looking on eBay--- not soon enough to have it in time for the Valentine's party, though.

Lots of vintage-looking Valentine charm bracelets on eBay. I found a few that I really liked, with an opening bid of under ten dollars. Perfect. That is, until the bidding started, then the prices of those bracelets went up to $30.00 and over. Not what I wanted to spend, because then you have to add shipping, which adds to the cost. Also, on each of the bracelets I did like, there were some charms and/or beaded trinkets on them that I didn't like, so I knew I would be taking those off of the bracelet.

Last night, I was searching through eBay again, and looking very closely at the photographs of the bracelets. The charm bracelet that I liked the best had faux-turquoise beads with thin gold strands that looked like tiny tassels. I loved that one, and it seemed so familiar to me. Into my jewelry box I went, and there I found a costume-jewelry bracelet with turquoise beads and tiny tassels. I had bought that bracelet years ago at an estate sale (for just a dollar) when I was selling vintage costume jewelry at J's antique shop. This bracelet never made it to my showcase in the shop because it was so pretty, and it looked more real than fake. There's no trademark on it, but it looks like an unmarked "Lisner" to me, judging by its style and quality. I've worn it a lot over the years, and looking at it last night, I knew I could turn that into a Valentine charm bracelet filled with hearts.

I already had a dozen small faux-gold puffed hearts-- I had tied them with thin pink ribbons onto a beaded doll for one of the centerpieces for the Valentine's party. I untied them from the doll and attached them to the tasseled bracelet with tiny gold rings which I had in my button box. Then I found three small gold cupids (pieces from old earrings)... those are now on the bracelet as well, along with vintage crystal beads.... all attached with those little tiny gold rings. The bracelet itself has faux-gold interwoven links like a "real gold" charm bracelet, so all the trinkets I attached look as if they've always been there. The bracelet is pretty and Valentine-y and has a great jingle-jingle sound. As I find more interesting beads and hearts, I can always add them to the bracelet.

When my husband got home from work last night, I was wearing the bracelet and I showed it to him and told him that I saved him at least $40.00 by making it myself instead of bidding on the ones on eBay. He admired the creativity of my bracelet, but then he said "It makes a lot of noise, doesn't it?"

Well, of course it does... it's a charm bracelet. We're going out for a Valentine's lunch this afternoon.... I plan to jingle all the way there and all the way back.