Quick Answer: Car charms for a rear view mirror come in three common kinds: a beaded tassel, a cross, and a crystal or glass bead sun catcher. Choose by look and size, and check the rules where you drive, because some places restrict objects that block the driver's view. Akitai's car pieces are made of beads, brass and polyester rope, and its cross is a Christian symbol.
A car charm is a small hanging ornament for a rear view mirror. This guide is for browsing, not for the legal question. It covers what people hang, how to tell the kinds apart and the one check that applies to all of them. For the longer answer on rules and fire risk, see Akitai's post on a sun catcher for your car. The examples come from Akitai's own range, and since Akitai is the brand behind this site, those are our own products.
Three kinds of charm are common, and Akitai sells a version of each. The table shows how they differ, using only what the product pages say.
| Kind | Made of | Akitai example |
|---|---|---|
| Tassel | Beads, brass, tassel, rope | White tassel |
| Cross | Beads, crystal cross, brass | White crystals cross |
| Sun catcher | Beads, brass, tassel, rope | Red tassel |
Akitai's rear view mirror tassel in white is the piece made for the mirror. Its page describes beads, brass and a white tassel on a polyester rope, and says the tassel sways as you drive. The elegant cross with white crystals uses beads, a crystal cross and brass. The red tassel sun catcher is built the same way as the white tassel, with a red tassel. The full set is in the sun catcher collection.
Pick the look you want to see each day, then check the size. A tassel is the simplest, and the tassel pages say it sways as you drive. A cross carries a meaning for the person who hangs it. A sun catcher is chosen for its beads. The product pages say the beads catch sunlight and spread colors through the car, and the post on what a sun catcher is explains how that works.
The pages I read for these pieces do not give a length or a size, so look at the photos and decide how far the charm will hang and swing. A longer charm will move more and a shorter one will stay put.
It is a Christian symbol. Akitai's page for the cross says so, and says many people hang a cross in the car as a symbol of faith, forgiveness and love. That is how people use it, and it should be treated with the respect any faith symbol deserves. If the person you are buying for does not share that faith, a tassel is the more neutral choice.
Whether it blocks the driver's view. Rules differ by place, so check your own vehicle code. As one example, Minnesota Statutes 169.71 (checked October 2026) bars driving with any objects suspended between the driver and the windshield, other than sun visors, rearview mirrors and a short list of equipment. The post on a sun catcher for your car sets out more examples. None of this says an ornament is allowed or banned everywhere.
Glass and crystal can also focus sunlight. Snopes (checked October 2026) reports that a fire department in Delton, Wisconsin traced a house fire to a glass ornament in direct sun, and that it advised keeping crystals, mirrors and glass ornaments out of direct sunlight and away from anything flammable. That was a house, not a car. A car charm is a decoration, not a safety device.
Yes. The white tassel page says it can hang anywhere there are windows or mirrors, and the cross page says the same about itself. That makes them workable as gifts, and both pages call them ideal gifts. Akitai's earlier post on DIY crystal car ornaments covers making your own.
Small ornaments that hang from the mirror, such as a tassel, a cross or a sun catcher.
Akitai's are made of beads, brass and polyester rope. The cross also has a crystal cross, and the tassels have a tassel.
It depends on where you drive. Some laws bar objects that obstruct the view, and wording differs by state. Check your own vehicle code.
Akitai's pages say the beads catch sunlight and spread colors through the car. Keep glass and crystal out of direct sun near anything flammable.
It is a Christian symbol, and many people hang one as a symbol of faith, forgiveness and love, according to Akitai's page.
The tassel page says it works anywhere with windows or mirrors. Keep it away from anything that could catch fire in direct sun.
Available Now
Browse the full collection — free Prime shipping on eligible orders. Every purchase directly supports our artisan community.
Shop on Amazon