Party Tip: Use Zipper Pulls Instead of Wine Glass Charms

Wine glass charms have a practical purpose (to prevent you from accidentally sipping from your boss's girlfriend's rosé at a party). But I find most of them inherently twee, if not downright ugly. Don't get me wrong — many are colorful, swirly and cute, but they usually feel like something a 12-year old-girl would draw in her notebook in class while day-dreaming. Personally, I am looking for something a bit punchier, not to mention cooler, for a more grow-up party. So skip the lame charms and check out zipper pulls instead!

Although zipper pulls sound like something for kids (and they are) they are making a comeback for adults in a big way. With the vinyl toy movement picking up speed all sorts of high end designers and artists are pitching in and putting their own pulls on the market.

Although you won't be able to walk into a store and buy a prepackaged card with 12 charms on it, you can hit up your local toy store, urban vinyl toy store, or find them online. The hunt to collect a whole set can be rather addictive. For party purposes, all you need to do is attach them to a glass via small rubber band or string — if, that is, their zipper clip is too small to fit around your wine glass stems. Many will be able to clip right on.

• Find the above zipper pulls and more at Kid Robot

What are your favorite ways to distinguish between wine glasses (or beer bottles) at a party?

(Image: Sarah Rae Trover, Kid Robot)

Comments (14)

So these are the not-twee/not-juvenile choices? These would all be comfy on my 5 year old's zippers.

Maybe it's just me, but I think this is a good example of how "twee" just boils down to personal taste. I would rather have a colored rubber band or no wine glass charm at all, rather than a Paul Frank monkey or anything with a smiley face dangling from my glass. But to each his/her own.

Yeah, I don't really understand how these are more "grown-up" than wine glass charms. I'm not a fan of wineglass charms, but these are even worse.

I really like all the example pictures of zipper pulls that you chose (& I would totally prefer them to using the alternative), but I totally don't understand how you can boast that any of them are more grown up than a traditional glass charm. No offense, but I agree that this post is hypocritical (albeit most likely innocently).

The middle pic look like cellphone straps btw, not zipper pulls.

Thanks! I don't use wine glass markers but I think these would be great for stitch markers on knitting needles.

Any suggestions for alternative markers for stemless glasses? The little suction-cup ones I've seen are kind of insipid and get iffy reviews.

Bibliovore - Try using those mini rubber bands that are in shapes? They're meant for kids and are all over at retail stores at the end of the aisles. They start out like 1-2" and then get as big as you need them to be!

Unfortunate choice of examples, especially since you started the post about a dinner party with your boss (and the girlfriend).

It's trivially easy to make your own wine charms, which means you can use any bead or button or charm you like.

Most beading or craft stores have jumps rings in all sizes for a few cents, and you can select beads or charms to thread onto the rings. For a buck or two, you can make half a dozen wine charms that coordinate with your table or decor --- and that will stay on! (I hate those little suction cup stickies.)

I didn't bother buying rings: because I make beaded jewelry, I have eyepins on hand, so I just bent them into a circle and crimps the end to keep the bead from falling off.

Twee: affectedly or excessively dainty, delicate, cute, or quaint. The zipper pulls in these photos do not meet that description, so I don't think there's anything wrong here.

Sarah Rae said she wanted something punchier and cooler, and I think these pulls meet that goal. I don't use wine glass charms, but if I did, I'd be all over this :)

Mini rubber bands for stemlessware: Great idea, Sarah Rae -- thanks!

While I generally go the rubber band route, it's not the most visually appealing. My mom had the genius idea to use orphaned earrings as wine charms. They're as stylish as you are, save you from buying fairly useless items, and let you keep using some of your favorite accessories despite losing one side.

I just write initials on the bottom of the glass with a sharpie. Washes right off.