There is something about being a kid and getting to choose the little things that make your belongings feel like yours. Maybe it’s a backpack covered in stickers, a lunchbox with a favorite character on it, or a tiny collection of things attached to the zipper. They’re small details, but for kids, they can be a way of showing a little bit of who they are.
That’s part of why we’ve been loving the resurgence of bag charms and accessories for kids. What started as a fun way to personalize bags has become a full-on accessory trend, with kids adding charms, plush characters and colorful details to their backpacks, purses and travel bags. Recent back-to-school trend data shows just how much interest has grown around bag charms, with searches for everything from plush to character charms seeing significant increases.
And honestly, we get it.
At Dwell Refine, we’re always drawn to the little details that make everyday things feel more personal. That’s exactly what caught our attention about Super Smalls. The brand creates playful accessories for kids that feel imaginative, colorful and genuinely fun to give—and their bag charms might be one of our favorite ways to bring a little personality to something as ordinary as a backpack.
A Small Way to Make Something Feel Personal
Backpacks can be surprisingly difficult for kids to tell apart. Everyone might have the same color or a similar style, especially at the beginning of a new school year. Adding a charm gives a child a simple way to make theirs recognizable while also turning a practical item into something that feels much more like them.
Super Smalls has a whole collection of bag charms that can clip onto backpacks, purses or travel bags. There are playful designs like the Royal Heart, Lucky Clover and Sparkle Shell, as well as licensed favorites like Disney’s Stitch and sports-themed options.
We love the idea of letting kids choose their own. One child might gravitate toward a sparkly heart, another might want a favorite character, and another might want something that reminds them of summer or the beach. The point isn’t necessarily to coordinate—it is to let their personality show up in the little things they carry every day.
And these don’t have to stay on a backpack. A charm can move onto a purse, duffel, travel bag or even another favorite bag, which makes it feel less like a one-season school accessory and more like something they can take with them wherever they’re headed.
Why We Think They’re So Good for Back-to-School
We have friends with kids around five years old now, and this is exactly the age where we can imagine something like this being a huge hit. Starting school, moving into a new classroom or simply getting ready for a new year can come with a lot of excitement—and a few nerves, too. Giving a child something small to choose for their backpack can make the process of getting ready for school feel a little more exciting and a little more theirs.
It also makes for a great back-to-school gift when you’re looking for something that isn’t another notebook, pencil case or pair of socks. A charm is small enough to feel like a treat but personal enough that a child can actually have fun choosing it.
And because Super Smalls has such a wide range of designs, you can easily choose something based on the child’s personality. The brand currently carries everything from colorful bag charms and jewelry to sunglasses, handbags, crafts and dress-up accessories, making it particularly easy to find something for a birthday or back-to-school gift.
A Gift They’ll Actually Get to Use
One of our favorite things about accessories as gifts is that they don’t necessarily have to be saved for a special occasion. A child can open a charm on their birthday and immediately clip it onto their favorite bag. Or you can give one as a little surprise before the first day of school and let them add it to their new backpack.
Super Smalls also has a range of gifts at different price points, including bag charms around $24–$27 and smaller charm accessories, which makes these easy to give on their own or pair with another gift.
For a child who loves collecting little things, you could even start with one and let them build their own collection over time.
And that’s part of what makes these more than just a decorative accessory. Kids are naturally drawn to collecting, arranging and customizing their belongings. A backpack charm gives them a tiny canvas to play with—a way to make something ordinary feel special.
The Super Smalls Accessories We’re Eyeing
If you’re shopping for a little something before the school year begins, these are a few of the Super Smalls pieces we’d put at the top of our list.
For the kid who loves a little sparkle: The Royal Heart Bag Charm has a glossy pink heart, purple sparkling details and a crystal accent. It’s the kind of accessory that would instantly make a simple backpack feel more playful.
For the little optimist: The Lucky Clover Bag Charm pairs a glossy four-leaf clover with a tiny strawberry and pearly details. It’s cheerful without feeling overly tied to one particular trend, so we could see a child carrying it well beyond the first day of school.
For the kid who is already dreaming about their next beach day: The Sparkle Shell Bag Charm has a turquoise seashell, rainbow gems, a dangling cowrie shell and pearly details. It’s basically summer vacation in charm form.
For the Disney fan: The Stitch Super Bag Charm adds a colorful, character-filled detail to a backpack, purse or keychain. It’s an officially licensed Disney piece and one of those gifts that feels especially easy when you already know the character a child loves.
Shop Disney’s Stitch Super Bag Charm
The Bigger Trend Behind the Charm
What we like about the bag-charm trend isn’t really the trend itself. It’s the idea behind it.
Kids want to make things their own.
And as adults, we understand that instinct completely. We customize our phone cases, our handbags, our desks, our water bottles and our homes because the things around us become a reflection of who we are. Kids are doing the same thing—they’re just starting with a backpack.
That’s why we think these little accessories make such sweet gifts. They’re not something a child needs, which is exactly what makes them fun. They’re a small opportunity for creativity, self-expression and a little bit of joy in the everyday.
And if a sparkly charm makes the walk into school on the first day feel just a little more exciting, we’re all for it.
A Little Creativity for the Backpack—and Beyond
The accessories aren’t the only part of Super Smalls that caught our attention. The brand also has a collection of crafts and stickers designed to give kids a chance to make something of their own. From sticker booklets and Super Stickers to DIY craft and bead kits, the collection is really about letting kids create, decorate and experiment.
We especially love the idea of adding a sticker set or small craft kit to a back-to-school gift. A child could use stickers to personalize notebooks, folders, pencil cases or other everyday things, while the craft kits give them something creative to do once they’re home from school. Super Smalls currently offers everything from small sticker sets to larger Gemify™ craft kits, so there’s a range of options depending on the age and interests of the child.
For us, that’s what makes the collection feel so fun: it’s not just about giving kids something to wear or carry; it’s giving them opportunities to make things feel like their own. Whether that’s a charm clipped onto a backpack or a page covered in stickers they’ve chosen themselves, those little details are part of how kids begin to express their personalities.
Dress-Up Is Part of the Fun, Too
Super Smalls also has a Dress Up collection that leans fully into imaginative play, with everything from play shoes and handbags to pretend makeup, jewelry, hair accessories and larger dress-up sets. The collection includes pieces like the Pearl of the Party Handbag, Unicorn Wishes Play Shoes, Mermaid Dreams Handbag and Disney dress-up sets, giving kids plenty of ways to create their own characters and looks.
We love this side of Super Smalls because it taps into something kids naturally do: play pretend and experiment with who they want to be. One day they might be a princess, the next a movie star, and the next they’re putting on a sparkly handbag and heading to an imaginary dinner party. These aren’t meant to be everyday accessories; they’re pieces that encourage creativity and let kids take the lead in their own play.
And for parents and grandparents looking for a birthday gift, this opens up another fun option beyond the traditional toy. A handbag, play shoes or dress-up set can become part of hours of imaginative play, while still feeling like a special gift that a child can unwrap and immediately start using. With Super Smalls offering dress-up options across different ages and price points, it’s an easy collection to browse when you’re looking for something a little more memorable than another toy.
A Little Beauty and Make-Believe
Super Smalls also brings that same sense of creativity into its beauty collection, but with a playful twist. Rather than traditional beauty products, the collection is designed around imaginative play, with makeup kits, lip gloss lockets, press-on nail kits, beauty-making kits and hair accessories that let kids experiment and create. The current collection includes everything from a Create Your Own Lip Gloss kit and Create Your Own Body Lotion to mermaid and unicorn makeup sets, press-on nails and DIY beauty kits.
We love this because it treats beauty less as something kids need to look a certain way and more as an opportunity to play, experiment and express themselves. A child can choose a colorful nail set, create their own lip gloss or pretend they’re getting ready for a big event with a beauty play kit. It’s another extension of the imaginative world that makes Super Smalls feel different from simply buying a child’s version of an adult product.
These would also make such fun birthday gifts or back-to-school surprises, particularly for kids who love getting ready, playing dress-up or creating things. And because the collection ranges from smaller accessories like lip balm keychains and nail sticker booklets to larger beauty kits, there are options for adding a little something to a gift or making it the main event.
For us, the appeal is really the same across the Super Smalls collections: they give kids permission to play with their own sense of style. Whether that’s through a charm on their backpack, a handmade craft, a sparkly dress-up look or a pretend beauty routine, the emphasis is on creativity rather than perfection.
Note: Super Smalls’ accessories contain small parts and are not intended for children under 3. Always check the age recommendation for the specific product before purchasing.
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