make tassels from yarn

Yarn tassels are so quick and simple to make... can be made from scraps, so they cost next to nothing... and you can co-ordinate them beautifully with your projects, by using matching yarn.



I learned to make these as a child. I promise you... they are not difficult! I've taken lots of photos along the way, so you can see how to make your own tassel. As always... if you click on the photo it will take you to my flickr account where you can view it in a larger size for more detail.

I'd love some feedback on these instructions, so after you try them out please leave a comment and let me know how you went... good, bad or otherwise!

You will need yarn, something to wind it around (I use a small book) and a pair of scissors


Hold the end of your yarn firmly at the edge of the book, and begin wrapping around and around...


and around and around... NOT TOO TIGHTLY... maybe 15-20 times, depending on how thick you would like your tassel to be... then cut the yarn


thread a small length of yarn under the 'wrappings' at the spine of the book


firmly tie a double knot to secure


snip through all pieces of yarn at the other end


remove the book, and it should now be looking like this...


okay... here's where it starts to get a little bit fancy, but hang in there... it's worth it!

use yarn directly from the ball for this section... hold the tail end of the yarn at the top of your work with the other two threads


then bring the yarn down, loop it to the right, then back over itself ( just look at the photo, you'll see what I mean)


still with me?

start winding yarn around the tassel... you are creating the 'neck'


and around and around


and around and around... until you are happy with the length of the 'neck'


snip yarn from ball, leaving a short tail... thread this tail through the 'loop' you made earlier (look closely at the photo and you should be able to see what I have done)


pull gently on the starting tail (which is coming out of the top of the neck) you should notice the loop at the bottom gets smaller and smaller


and smaller and smaller


until it disappears inside the neck


now you can snip both tails off


and trim the ends of the tassel straight




ta-da... now it's your turn to try