Tassels
In this week's tutorial, I am going to show you a basic method for making tassels - and no special equipment is required!
For the first tassel, I used a piece of card measuring three and a half inches by five inches and some six-strand embroidery thread. I cut two pieces of thread, one measuring twenty two inches, the other fifteen, and put them aside.
Holding one end of the thread I started wrapping it round the card
I continued to wrap the thread until I had used it all, keeping the wraps close together
I took the twenty two inch length of thread, folded it in half and threaded a large needle with it and slipped the needle under the wrapped thread
I tied the thread tightly round the wraps
I carefully eased the wraps off the card and tied them loosely with a scrap of thread
I took the fifteen inch piece of thread and made a small loop, the top of which I positioned about half an inch from the top of the tassel
I wrapped the thread tightly round and passed the end through the top of the loop
I pulled the bottom end of the loop, until the loop was underneath the wrapped thread and trimmed off the ends
I cut the loops on the bottom of the tassel
To finish, I tied a knot in the hanging loop
the finished tassel
For the next tassel, I used the same method and some wool, with a piece of card measuring 6 inches square
This made a lovely big chunky tassel
For the third one, I used the same card, a hank of mixed yarns and thread, a length of ribbon and three beads (with large holes)
I used the ribbon to tie the top of the tassel, then I also tied the body, knotting it at the front ......
....... then knotting it again at the back and using a large needle to put the ends of the ribbon down through the centre of the tassel
I then used the large needle to thread the beads on to the hanging loop
I knotted the thread to keep the beads in place
In this photo of all the tassels, you may notice there is a gold one as well .... but making it didn't go quite to plan .......
When I made the gold tassel, I threaded some beads on to gold thread, and every fourth wrap, I slid a bead up to the edge of the card (you don't cut the loops when you finish this one!)
I've made this kind of tassel before without a problem, but the gold thread that I used this time has too much spring in it, and won't hang properly ........