Follow these four easy steps to create a basic tassel of any size.
Be sure to choose a washable fiber, such as cotton, if you plan to attach tassels to items you'll need to launder. For the best results, steam or iron out any kinks in the strands before you start making the tassels.
Cut a winding board from heavy card stock, cardboard, or foam board; the board should be double the length of the finished tassel. Wind the thread around the board in taut loops until you reach the desired fullness (the tassel will be twice as full as the loop around the board).
Lay a 5-inch piece of thread horizontally on the work surface. Slide wound thread off the board, and center it on a 5-inch thread. Tie the 5-inch thread into a tight knot around the middle of the looped thread.
Pull the ends of the 5-inch thread upward and the wound threads downward. Cut through the looped ends, and adjust into a tassel shape.
Cut a 12-inch length of thread to wrap the tassel neck: Fashion one end of the thread into a loop shape, then lay the loop on the tassel. Grasp the other end, and wrap it tightly around the tassel and over the top of the loop to secure it. Wrap slowly, working from the top of the neck down, so the neck threads lie evenly next to one another. As you wrap, ensure all the threads in the head and skirt are neatly in place. After wrapping the neck, pass the end of the thread through the loop and gently close the loop, tucking the ends into the head of the tassel. Trim tassel ends, a few threads at a time, to even them if necessary. Use the tie-off threads on top of the tassel to attach it to your project.
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