A tassel takes four minutes and it changes how a finished project reads. The part most people get wrong is not the wrapping. It is that there are two separate ties: one through the middle that becomes the hanging loop, and a second an inch below it that pulls the head into a round ball.
This one follows Sewrella, who wraps her yarn around a small book because there is always one within reach. Her second half is the part worth staying for. She sews the finished tassel onto the corner of a crochet shawl and buries the knot inside the head, so nothing shows from the front.
One thing before you start: use scissors you would never let near paper. Cutting 75 strands at once with a dull pair is the main reason home-made tassels look chewed.
How many wraps and how big
Whatever you wrap around sets the length. You wrap, cut across the bottom and fold in half, so the finished tassel hangs about as long as the book or card is wide. A 4-inch card gives a 4-inch tassel, near enough.
Wraps set the fullness. Sewrella uses 75 with DK yarn for a plump blanket tassel. Around 30 to 40 wraps gives a thin, swingy one. Chunky yarn needs fewer wraps for the same fullness, and fingering weight needs more.
Materials beyond yarn
- Embroidery floss. Mini tassels for bookmarks, earrings and zipper pulls. Wrap it round two fingers or a business card.
- Silk or rayon thread. Shiny, heavy and drapes well on curtains and cushions.
- Leather or suede. Cut a fringe into a rectangle and roll it up instead of wrapping.
Garlands, keychains and bookmarks
A tassel garland is a row of small tassels slid onto a long cord by their hanging loops. Mix two or three colors and space them a hand apart. For a keychain, tie the hanging loop through a split ring before you make the neck wrap. A floss tassel on a ribbon makes a quick bookmark. For a round, fluffy finish instead of a hanging one, a yarn pom pom uses the same wrap-and-tie idea.
Attaching to hats, blankets and curtains
Blankets and shawls get the sewn method from the steps. On a hat, pull the tie ends through the crown from the outside and knot them inside, with a button on the inside if the stitches are loose. On curtains, loop the tassel onto a tieback cord rather than sewing into the fabric, so it comes off for washing.
Common mistakes
- Uneven ends. Hold the tassel over a steaming kettle for a few seconds, let it hang straight, then trim.
- Loose neck wrap. The head slumps and strands slip out. Pull the neck knot hard and wind the collar snug. A dab of fabric glue under the last wrap helps on slippery yarn.
- Skinny tassel. Too few wraps for the yarn weight. Add another 20 and try again.
Tassels belong on a crochet blanket, the ends of a knitted scarf or the base of a tote bag. If the edge still looks untidy, weaving in the ends properly is the other half of the fix.
