Monopoly Token Wine Glass Charms

These wine glass charms make a wonderful gift for a fan of board games, and would look lovely as wedding favours! There are so many beat-up old games out there with bits missing. Make some use of them! They would also be a lovely way to make use of a game that has sentimental value but is no longer played. I love these charms, they are quick and easy to make but they look lovely. Be prepared for squabbles over certain pieces! Everyone has 'their' piece that they always play with, and this is a great ice-breaker at dinner parties too!

Step 1: Gather Supplies

You will not need very much for this make. The findings can be sourced easily and inexpensively online. The most difficult thing to source, if you don't already have them to hand, is the game pieces. If you don't have some, or need them in quantity, try making friends with your local charity shop (thrift store) - they often get games with bits missing, that they would have to dispose of otherwise.

You will need:

• Monopoly playing pieces
• Jump rings, preferably in various sizes
• Wine glass rings - premade or bend your own from wire
• Seed beads

You will also need a pair of pliers and a drill with a 1mm drill bit.

Step 2: Drill Holes

The first step is to drill holes in the charms. This can be a little fiddly as they are so small and the drill bit is particularly fine. I use a dremel-type-tool in a drill press. Be sure to either clamp the charms or hold them with pliers as they will get very hot as they are cut. Also wear eye protection while drilling in case a charm breaks free and becomes a projectile.

Try to drill close to, but not actually on, the edge of each piece. If you drill too far in, you will find it hard to attach a jump ring. Too close to the edge, and the hole will be weak and may break. It can be tricky to find the best place to drill some pieces. These are my preferred positions (based on the standard, pre-cat UK version):

• dog - back leg
• top hat - brim
• ship - (trickiest one!) - side of hull close to end
• cannon - corner of base
• iron - does not need hole - thread through handle
• thimble - bottom edge
• boot - pull strap
• cavalryman - horse's tail
• car - back wheel
• wheelbarrow - back of trug

Step 3: Attach Jump Rings

The next step is to attach jump rings. If possible, have a selection of sizes so that you can choose one with a snug fit. Ideally you want to use a jump ring that fits quite tightly, so that your charm doesn't 'jump' between the beads when you put the rings together. This will depend on where you have drilled your hole!

Remember that the correct way to open a jump ring is to slide the two sides of the ring away from one another, rather than pulling the two ends apart. This ensures that the jump ring keeps its shape and that the ends can be pushed back together tightly. If you pull the ends apart you risk either deforming the ring, or having a gap where the two ends join. Use two sets of pliers, or one set and an opening ring such as this one.

Step 4: Thread Onto Wine Charms

You can then thread the beads and charms onto the wine charm rings. I use one bead, then the charm, then another bead. You can co-ordinate the bead colour to decor, a wedding colour scheme (a different colour per table works well as it solves the problem of having to repeat charms) or, if you are making a single set, you can just give each charm a different rainbow colour. For a professional finish, ensure that the opening is on the same side of each charm - little things like that make a big difference!

Step 5: Cheers!

So that is how to make Monopoly token wine charms. I love these for games night, and have made them using pieces from all sorts of different games for fans, as well as making them in huge numbers for functions such as weddings. They are always a winner and I hope you enjoy them! Cheers!