Why not turn your wish for a loved one’s exam success into a one-of-a-kind charm and send it to them? With simple materials like felt, origami paper, or fabric scraps, you can create a heartfelt omamori even if you’re not skilled at sewing.
Beyond the classic omamori shape, you can craft unique designs—such as ema plaques, daruma dolls, or even KitKat-themed charms—letting your ideas shine through with personality.
In this article, we introduce handmade charm ideas to gift to students preparing for exams.
Send your support to the exam-taker in your life with a handmade omamori!
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[For Exam Takers] Handmade Good-Luck Charms Wishing for Success: Heartfelt Ideas (1–10)
Win jelly-style amulet
How about sending a handmade felt charm to share warmth and encouragement? First, prepare the pieces cut into the shape of the charm.
Lightly stitch the front piece and add your favorite characters or letters, then start sewing from the bottom.
Next, sew the side piece on with a blanket stitch.
Continue sewing around the back as well.
Add a small amount of stuffing to form the body.
Now let’s make the “rim.” Roll a piece of felt sized to fit the rim.
Finally, sew the body and the rim together, and you’re done!
Smartphone-style amulet
If you add words of encouragement for success on the screen, this playful, smartphone-style amulet will give you courage every time you look at it! First, cut two pieces of felt into the shape of a smartphone.
On one piece, cut out a rectangle to resemble the display, then cut a piece of clear plastic (like from a transparent file) to the same size as the opening and glue it in place with fabric adhesive.
Sew the two pieces together.
Next, use felt in your favorite colors to make decorations for the smartphone and attach them to the back side.
Glue a ribbon or similar to the back to make a strap, then attach the decorated felt, and you’re done!
Notebook-type amulet
Introducing a notebook-shaped good-luck charm that, when opened, always brings you back to your beginner’s mindset and supports exam-takers’ efforts.
First, cut four pieces of felt using the template.
For the side where you’ll insert a message, cut out the center.
Sew the pieces together in pairs, then add any embroidery you like on the side that will face outward.
Join the paired pieces along the edges to mimic a notebook.
Glue a strip of felt over the stitched edge like a spine.
Insert your favorite message, place it in a clear multi-purpose pouch, and you’re done!
Daruma-shaped amulet
This is a daruma-shaped charm made from soft, gentle-feeling felt fabric.
Give a heartfelt charm themed on the daruma, which is known as a lucky item.
You’ll make it in separate parts: the daruma body, the facial expression, and a message piece wishing for exam success.
Sew the finished parts together, attach an elastic loop at the top, and it’s complete.
By changing the daruma’s expression or color, you can enjoy a variety of arrangements.
Try making it with messages to support test-takers, such as “Certain Victory” or “Fired Up.”
Good Luck on Exams ☆ Pentagonal Charm
A crocheted pentagon charm—simple in appearance, yet its well-formed five-sided shape conveys the energy of wishing for success.
Knitting with yarn often gives a cute impression due to the softness of the material, but with mindful color choices, it can appeal to a wide range of people.
It’s important to crochet firmly so the gaps don’t widen, working through the detailed steps of making chains, connecting them, and finally shaping the piece.
Because it packs intricate work into a small charm, giving it as a talisman will let the recipient feel the strength of your intention.
Icing cookie style! Ema amulet
As the saying goes, “In times of trouble, we turn to the gods,” and when things get tough, anyone would want to rely on a higher power.
It’s wonderful to dedicate an ema plaque at a famous shrine, but a handmade ema can feel just as reassuring.
Why not make an “Icing Cookie-Style! Ema Charm” by hand to cheer on exam takers? If you use iron-on transfer sheets, you can add any text you like without stitching.
There are social media posts and videos that teach you how to make one with easy-to-work felt, so check them out if you’re interested! With icing that looks almost good enough to eat, these ema are adorable to look at, too.
KitKat omamori (good-luck charm)
Here’s a craft idea inspired by Kit Kat, a snack known for bringing good luck to exam takers.
Send a charm that carries the encouraging message “You’ll surely win,” which the product name evokes in Japanese.
We recommend making a charm with a slit so it looks like an actual wrapper.
For a more three-dimensional finish, put soft materials like cotton inside.
Felt shaped like chocolate works too! It’s a humorous charm designed to support the daily efforts of students preparing for exams.
You can also gift it together with real chocolate.