All you need to make a tassel is a bit of wool and some scissors. They are incredibly easy to make, and add a lovely bit of embellishment to creative projects. You can, of course, buy them instead, but the advantage to making your own tassels is that you can use exactly the materials and colours you want, so they match perfectly to whatever you are using them on. They will also be the perfect size and shape.
Not got much time or just want the bullet points on how to make these? Click here for the Quick Read Instructions.
How to make quick and easy tassels from wool or yarn
To make a tassel out of wool (or yarn) is so quick and easy that it would honestly take you far longer to buy them. They are a great kid-craft too, as they don’t require any complicated knots or threading. If they can wrap wool, snip it, and tie a simple slip knot, then they will definitely be able to make these.
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Materials needed
- Wool (you might call it yarn!)
- A piece of stiff card or other flat, rigid object to wrap your wool around.
- Scissors
Yes, that’s it!
Instructions
1. Find a flat object or stiff piece of card (it doesn’t need to be mega thick) that is roughly the same length or width as you want your tassels to be. This is your template.
For small tassels, your template could be a fork from the kitchen, a credit card, or a ruler. And for large ones, you could use a Tupperware lid or a book (just as examples!). I used a blank business card as my template for these tassels.
If you are using multiple colours (like me!), gather the ends of your wool (or yarn) together, so that they are nice and level. Then start wrapping the wool around your template until it is the thickness you want for your tassel. Cut off your wool at the bottom edge.
2. Cut a separate piece of wool, and then slide it underneath the wool at the top of your template. Tie this firmly, so that it gathers all the loops of wool together.
3. Slide your template out from the wool. Next, use scissors to cut through the bottom of the loops. This should be the opposite end to where you tied the loops together.
Once you’ve done this, you will have a basic tassel. You can use it as it is, or add another piece of string to give it that classic ‘top bump’ shape.
4. To make the top bump, cut another piece of string and this time tie it around the middle of your tassel. ideally this will be about a third of the way down.
Tie it tightly, and then trim the ends to the same length as the rest of the tassel, so that they blend in.
And that’s it! You’ve made a tassel. Now go forth and decorate…
More from Rhubarb and Wren
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How to make a tassel – Quick-Read Instructions
For when you just want to get right to the point…
Materials needed:
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Wool (yarn)
Template (something rigid that is the same length as your tassels).
Scissors
Method:
1. Wrap your wool around the template until it is the right thickness for your tassel.
2. Cut a separate piece of wool and slide it under the top edge of the template. Tie it firmly.
3. Slide out the template, and then use scissors to cut the bottom edge of the wool loops.
4. Now cut another piece of wool and tie it tightly around the tassel, about a third of the way down from the top.
6. That’s it – the tassel is now finished and ready to be used.