Colorful Tassel Jewelry (Tutorial)
by Rena Klingenberg. © 2003-Present Rena Klingenberg. All Rights Reserved
This colorful mixed-media jewelry project is inspired by the beautifully embroidered peasant blouses that were popular in the 1960s and 70s.
First we’ll make some pretty tassels:
. . . and then we’ll use them in a necklace:
. . . or a cha-cha bracelet:
Of course, fiber tassels are not as sturdy as traditional jewelry components such as wire, metal, beads, etc.
But the color and movement they bring to a piece of jewelry is mesmerizing.
Supplies:
- Colorful selection of embroidery floss, yarn, or cording.
I’m using embroidery floss from this pack of 105 skeins of floss, which I got for about $10 (find something similar at Walmart, craft stores, and Amazon):
- Winding board – a flat, sturdy item to wind your tassel cord around.
Examples in the photo below: Ruler, wooden kitchen utensil (you could use the handle or the spatula end), sturdy cardboard garment tags, back cover from a notepad, cardboard cut from cracker or cereal box:
Your finished tassel will be slightly taller than the height of your winding board.
Here’s my finished tassel size, after winding it around this sturdy cardboard garment tag; the tag is about 1.5″ (3.8cm) high:
- 2 small clips to hold your cord against your winding board.
Here are some examples of clips you might have on hand (clothespin, alligator clip, rubber-tipped mini clamp, binder clip):
- Jump rings (I’m using 10mm size).
- Flat nose / chain nose pliers – for opening and closing jump rings.
- Craft wire / Artistic wire – 20 gauge.
- Wire cutter.
- Scissors – for cutting your embroidery floss or cord.
- Chain – for bracelet or necklace.
The chain’s links should be sturdy and large enough to accommodate your jump rings. - Clasp – to close your bracelet or necklace.
I’m using a simple hook clasp.
How to Make
Tassels for Jewelry:
We’ll start by making a collection of tassels.
Choose your tassel colors. This is a great project for playing with color combinations!
Cut a 6″ (15.24cm) piece of cord from your first tassel color.
(This will be your tying cord after you wind the tassel around your board.)
Lay this 6″ piece of cord lengthwise across your winding board, fairly close to the top of the board:
Now pull the cord end out from its skein, and lay it crosswise across your tying cord – about an inch or two from one end of your winding board:
Use one of your clips to hold the end of your cord securely in place on the winding board:
Now working with your cord directly from the skein, wind the cord fairly tightly around and around your winding board – about 20 to 25 times around.
End with the skein of cord at the bottom of your winding board:
Use scissors to cut the winding cord off from the skein:
Now we’ll get ready to tie our tying cord across the top of the tassel.
We’ll tie two overhand knots with this tying cord (an overhand knot is the first part of the knot you use when you tie your shoes).
The instructions for each step are below this photo:
- Photo 1:
Pull the cut cord end tight, and use a clip to clamp the cord end securely against the winding board. - Photo 2:
Take the ends of the 6″ piece of tying cord that runs the length of your winding board. Cross the right-hand end of the tying cord over the left-hand end, making a “hoop”. - Photo 3:
Pick up the cord end that’s now on the right-hand side, and insert the end of it into the hoop. - Photo 4:
Pull both cord ends to tighten the knot as tightly as possible around the top of your wrapped cord.
Now make a second overhand knot, right on top of the first one. Pull the ends tightly so that the tying cord keeps the wrapped cord in a tight bundle.
The tying cord is at the top of your tassel.
Now we’ll cut through the cords at the bottom of your tassel.
Remove the clips that were securing the ends of your winding cord to the winding board.
Use scissors to cut through all of the cords that are wrapped around the bottom of your winding board:
Remove your tassel from the winding board and lay it out flat, with the knot in your tying cord facing up:
(Be careful not to pull on the newly cut strands. Even though your tying cord should be holding all the strands tightly in place, it still may be possible to pull them out of line.)
Use your flat nose / round nose pliers to twist open one of your jump rings:
Place the jump ring around the center of your opened tassel:
Lay the ends of your tying cord alongside the other strands of the tassel.
Use your flat nose / round nose pliers to twist the jump ring shut:
Fold the tassel in half, with the tying cord in the center of the fold:
Now it’s time to bind the tassel.
You can use either a piece of craft wire / Artistic wire, or a piece of your cord to bind your tassel.
Below I show you how to bind the tassel with wire.
However, if you prefer to bind your tassel with cord instead:
Cut a piece of your cord about 12″ (30.48cm) long, and wind it around the tassel similarly to how I wrap the wire around it in the photos below.
Then tie the binding cord ends tightly with two overhand knots.
Here’s how to bind your tassel with wire.
Cut a piece of craft wire / Artistic wire about 4″ (10.16cm) long.
The instructions for each step are below this photo:
- Photo 1:
Lay your wire across your tassel, just below the jump ring. Use your flat nose pliers to hold both the wire and the tassel. - Photo 2:
Use your fingers to wrap the wire tightly around the tassel, about 4 times. - Photo 3:
Use your wire cutter to clip off the excess wire ends, as close as possible to the tassel. - Photo 4:
Use your chain nose pliers to squeeze down the wire ends, so they can’t scratch or catch on anything.
Now we’ll give the tassel a haircut to tidy it up.
Use scissors to trim the bottom edge of the tassel fringe to a nicely uniform length:
Now your finished tassel should look like this:
How to Make
Colorful Tassel Jewelry:
Cut your chain for a bracelet or necklace.
To cut your chain for a bracelet:
Cut the chain the length of your wrist measurement.
(Example: If your wrist measures 7″, cut your chain 7″ long.)
Your clasp will allow for the extra room that will make your finished bracelet a comfortable length.
To cut your chain for a necklace:
Decide on the length you want your necklace, and subtract 1.5″ (3.8cm) from that length.
(Example: If you want a 24″ necklace, cut your chain 22.5″ long.)
Your clasp will allow for the extra room that will make your finished necklace your desired length.
For both bracelet and necklace, you can follow the same steps to make the finished piece:
Find the center link in your piece of chain.
Choose the tassel you want to have as the centerpiece of the finished jewelry item.
Use flat nose / chain nose pliers to twist open the tassel’s jump ring.
(Be careful the opened jump ring doesn’t slip out of the tassel – it can be tricky to thread it back into the tassel!)
Thread the tassel’s jump ring onto the center link of your chain, and twist the jump ring shut:
Add a tassel on each side of the first tassel:
Keep adding tassels, building outward from the center:
When you’ve added all the tassels you wish, attach a jump ring to each end of your chain.
On one of these jump rings, attach your clasp.
The jump ring on the other end of the chain will be where you hook your clasp to close the bracelet or necklace:
Now your finished colorful tassel jewelry might look something like this:
