tassels bag charm

How to Make Yarn Tassels the Easiest Way!

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Tassels can easily be made from yarn or embroidery thread and used in so many ways. What about as bookmark tassels, bag charms or keyrings or to embellish many other craft projects? Use Christmas colours and decorate your Christmas tree with them. Even make them in your school or college colours!

In this step by step tutorial you will see exactly how to do it and that they can be free if you have any scraps of yarn or embroidery thread that you no longer want. Great for beginners!

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You will need:

tassel making equipment

Tassels Video Instructions

This video is also available on my YouTube channel.

Prepare your Tassel Template

This is so easy to do! Simply find a piece of cardboard, from old delivery boxes is perfect, and cut it to the length that you want your tassel to be. For example I made this tassel 4″ long so my cardboard is 4″ long.

measuring the cardboard template

Wrap your Yarn

Cut a length of yarn that is twice as long as the hanging loop you want on your tassel. Place it along one end of your cardboard template.

hanging loop on tassel

Take your yarn and wrap it around the cardboard template repeatedly until you are happy that your tassel is thick enough. Remember that it will be the thickness of the yarn on the front and back of your cardboard combined. Make sure that your hanging loop is held in place but does not get caught up in your wrapping.

wrapping thread for tassel

Remove the Cardboard Template

Once you are happy that your tassel is thick enough, cut off the remaining yarn at the bottom of the tassel (away from the hanging loop).

Tie the hanging loop tightly around the yarn and secure it off using a suitable knot. I tend to simply use a reef knot.

tassel hanging loop tied off

At the opposite end of the cardboard use your scissors to cut all the yarn loops so that you can easily remove the cardboard.

cutting threads on tassel

Complete your Tassel

Cut a length of yarn that is at least twice the length of your tassel. Decide where you would like to secure your tassel loop. Place the length of yarn you have cut on your table and place your tassel on top of it in the correct position.

Wrap your length of yarn around the tassel and tie it off.

tying off tassel making

The next thing to do is to make sure that the ends you have just tied off sit properly inside the tassel. Either thread them onto your needle and feed them through the tassel from the top to the bottom or use your crochet hook to pull them down from the top to the bottom. Both techniques work equally well.

All you have left to do is to trim up your lengths so that they are all equal and it looks tidy.

completed trimmed tassels

Inspiration for your Tassels


Congratulations, you have completed your first tassel. It will be the first of many now you know how easy it is, I am sure. Try them out with different yarns and different sizes. You can even make tiny ones for earrings!
It is also worth trying combing the yarn after you have completed your tassel for a completely different effect. I love using them for bag charms as you saw at the beginning.

If you love crafts with yarn then check out some of my other tutorials:

How to Make Fabric Yarn out of any Fabric
Easy Woolly Hat Ornaments
How to Make Yarn Dolls
How to Make Pompoms with Yarn and Cardboard
Easy to Make Yarn Ball Ornaments

Please leave me a comment below and let me know what you use your tassels for. You may inspire another reader / crafter.

tassels bag charm

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