A handheld article carrier is designed to accommodate dumbbells and other personal items such as water bottles, cellphone, keys etc. The carrier may be formed from a single piece of sheet metal material and is generally U-shaped. The carrier includes sidewalls each having a slot for supporting the shaft portion of one or more dumbbells. The carrier includes a handle that may be integrally formed in a central portion of the frame of the carrier, or attached as a separate piece. The article carrier can be made from a single sheet of metal, multiple sheets of metal, a combination of metal and natural materials, all natural materials, a combination of metal and synthetic materials, or all synthetic materials.