Cell Phone Charms

Cell phone charms are one of the easiest and most inexpensive ways to personalize your mobile phone. While putting in custom wallpapers and ringtones are pretty fun, they're not immediately obvious to the people around you. At the same time, putting on new cell phone covers or slapping on some cell phone skins can be a bit of a hassle. Charms give that extra touch of personality and they are becoming very popular, especially among teen and pre-teen girls. There are some boys that have cell phone charms as well, but they are definitely more popular among the fairer sex.

Attaching one of these fun trinkets to your mobile phone depends on the exact model of phone that you have. For example, many phones with an external "stubby" antenna allow you to loop the cord of the charm in where the antenna is. Simply unscrew the antenna, place the loop around the metal protrusion, and screw the antenna back in.

Many phones these days, however, don't have the "stubby" antenna anymore, opting for an internal device to grab the cell phone signal. For these, you can oftentimes find a small plastic loop near the top of the phone where you can thread the string. This works best with very thin string, of course, but the tradeoff is that it is more likely the charm will snap off and you will lose it. Try to find the best compromise between the two extremes if possible, though most cell phone charms are sold with a string already attached.

There are tons of different styles to choose from, and that is one of the beauties of cell phone charms: the utter variety. Because there are so many unique pendants out there, you can usually find one that none of your immediate friends have, even if you have similar interests. If you prefer cartoon characters, it usually isn't difficult to find a charm featuring Hello Kitty, Winnie the Pooh, or Pikachu. There are also more generic versions that have gemstone-like appearances, heart-shaped pendants, and even some with Asian lettering. Some people choose to change their cell phone charms from time to time, and it is sometimes appropriate to find a charm that resembles awareness ribbons, for instance. You will never run out of choices, just as you never run out of choices when it comes to picking a pendant for your necklace. In fact, necklace pendants and cell phone charms are usually interchangeable.

For a truly original take, it's actually not that difficult to create your own cell phone charm. A step-by-step tutorial can be found at Make Magazine.

They can usually be found anywhere cell phone accessories are sold. These are the same places that sell cellular phone batteries, cases, and headsets. Alternatively, you can look online through popular auction sites like eBay or one of the stores listed below. This list is by no means a recommedation, but just an indication of what's available.

• NexTag: This website has a great selection of different charms that you can use on your mobile phone, ranging from relatively inexpensive versions, right up to brand name ones like Juicy Couture for $45. The interesting thing here is that NexTag doesn't sell any of these items themselves, redirecting you to other online retailers like Bloomingdales, ShopNBC, and bodycandy. Thankfully, there are seller reviews that can give you a little more confidence about buying from any given store.

• Art Beads: Although this site caters more to the arts and crafts crowd with its assortment of beads and other components, you can just as easily use the various charms here on your mobile phone. The catalog is quite vast with Americana, animals, crosses, fantasy, hearts, and much more. You can also buy them in bulk to get a discount.

• Painful Pleasures: I know. The name of the website is a bit of a turn off, but that's because they're dedicated to "body jewelry" like belly rings, nose rings, and dreadlock goods. They've also got a huge assortment of different charms that you can use on your cell phone.

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