How to Put Charms on a Cell Phone

Getting bored with your phone's appearance, but not yet ready to buy a new model? Phone charms offer a way to customize your cell phone and distinguish it from identical phone models used by your friends, coworkers or family. While many phone pre-smartphone era feature a specific place to dangle a charm or add a carrying strap, many smartphone models require a little extra creativity around phone charm attachment.

The "old-fashioned" method of using a built-in charm hanger is easiest and may be modified for phones without such a hanger. Look for an indentation with a small bar inside it on the upper edge of the phone – this is where the charm belongs. The charm typically has a small strap or loop attached to it; if not, purchase a cellphone strap, which is a narrow loop of sturdy cord with a jump ring on the end.

Open the jump ring and attach it to the loop on the charm, much as you would add a key onto a key ring. Squeeze the strap or cord loop flat and push it through the indentation in the phone and out the other side. Pull the charm through the loop and then pull it tight. The loop is secured around the bar in the charm hanger and the charm dangles from the other end of the cord.

If your phone has no built-in hanger, use its case to hold the charm in place. Remove the case and run the strap loop through the hole in the case designed for the headphone jack. Push the charm, dangling from the other end of the loop, through the loop, then gently tug on the charm to tighten the cord loop around the phone case. Press the case back onto your phone.

This methods works best if the charm's cord is thin and flexible. Dental floss or waxed thread can be used if necessary.

Phone charm attachment requires a different technique when your phone doesn't have a case, or when you can't attach the charm to the case for any reason. Small adhesive or suction-based hangers allow you to install charms on a phone with no case. An adhesive button or pad with a small protruding loop provides a place to loop the charm's cord through. This add-on loop may be secured anywhere on the phone or case.

Placement is really important because if the charm is in the wrong place, it could affect the phone's operation, obstruct a camera lens or interfere with how you're used to holding the phone. Consider placing the charm along the phone's top edge, where it should be minimally invasive. Keep in mind, though, that the charm will project from the back of the phone. Using this method to attach a charm may cause the phone to wobble when you set it down.

A plastic plug that fits inside the headphone jack offers yet another way to secure a phone charm to a phone model that has no charm holder. If you're looking for a really easy phone charm attachment method, this is it – as long as you're willing to remove the charm plug whenever you want to use the headphone jack. These plugs already have a cord loop attached, along with a clasp to make it easy to attach any type of charm. Hang the charm in the clasp, and then press the plug end into the headphone jack.