DIY Tassels For All Of Your Tassel Trend Needs

Based on this season's fashion week runways, fringe and tassels are going to be a huge trend for spring 2015. Huge! And for good reason — you can never have too much fringe. The fun movement that fringe and tassels provide are great to add to basically anything and everything you own!

Despite the use of swinging fabric strings by a slew of designers, one runway show in particular stands out — Stella Jean’s MFW show. There were tassels galore founcing down the runway here. And I couldn’t get enough of 'em.

I surely can’t afford a Stella Jean original, but thankfully, tassels are super easy and cheap to DIY. This is great news because I’m always down for a good crafting session. Who’s with me?

If you want to copy the runway looks and be totally on trend by adding tassels to socks, coats, purses and virtually all of your accessories, you came to the right place!

I’m going to walk you through step by step and show you how to create a tassel necklace, tassel keychain, tassel earrings and tassel pins that are great for adding to your clothing. Ok, let’s get started and make everything tassel-tastic! Here we go!

But first, I’ll start by showing you how to make an actual tassel:

Tassel Tutorial:

Ok, so these are the supplies you’ll need:

• Thread of your choice (You can choose a chunky yarn, embroidery thread, or suede cord depending on the thickness and feel you want your tassels to have. I’ll demonstrate with both options.)
• Scissors
• Cardboard (For longer tassels, use a longer piece of cardboard and for shorter tassels use a shorter piece of cardboard. Again, I have both to demonstrate.)

Here, I’ll show how to make a shorter, chunkier tassel:

Step 1: Cut a significant amount of thread (at least 2 ft. or more depending on how thick you want your tassel)

Step 2: Wrap the thread you just cut away around the piece of cardboard.

Step 3: Carefully remove the wrapped thread from the cardboard loom. Then, cut one short and one long piece of thread. These will be used to wrap around the tassel.

Step 4: Using the short piece of thread you just cut, find the middle of the wrapped thread and tie a knot very tightly around the thread.

Step 5: Gather both sides of the wrapped thread and pull them downwards.

Step 6: Cut the looped ends of the wrapped thread.

Step 7: Using the longer piece of thread that you cut earlier, form a loop at one end.

Step 8: Wrap the loose end around the tassel and through the loop and pull tight, forming a knot. Continue to hold the looped end and wrap the loose end around the tassel until you reach the end of the thread.

Step 9: Now, tie the two ends in a knot to secure what you’ve just wrapped around the tassel.

Step 10: Trim the loose ends of the knot away. Cut very closely to the knot, as you do not want any excess thread hanging here.

Step 11: Now, trim the bottom of the tassel so that all of the strands are even.

And now you’ve got yourself a tassel.

To make a longer, thinner tassel, do the same as above, but with thinner thread and a longer piece of cardboard as pictured below!

Now, decide which one you like the best, and use that to make the tassel accessories I’m about to show you!

Tassel Necklace Tutorial:

To make a tassel necklace, you’ll need:

• 1 tassel (or a few tassels depending on what you’re into)
• Chain
• Jewelry Spiral Rings

Step 1: Add a spiral ring to the end of your necklace or wherever you want to attach the tassel.

Step 2: Make sure the top of your tassel is tied in a knot, forming a loop at the top of the tassel. Trim away any excess thread. Then, attach the tassel to the ring at the end of your necklace by looping it through the ring and around the tassel, forming a knot.

You're all done! That was easy! I also did it with the skinnier tassel:

And that’s it. So simple and so great looking! I like the one tassel look, but feel free to add more.

Tassel Keychain Tutorial:

To make a keychain, you’ll need:

• 1 tassel (I’m using suede cord for this one)
• Ball chain with connectors

Step 1: You’ll make the tassel the same way using the suede cord as with any other type of thread or yarn, except to make the keychain, you want to have a loop at the top of the tassel with no visible knot. So, take your short piece of cord and tie a knot in it, still creating a loop, but with the knot at the bottom. Then, tie this around your cord from the loom, and the knot will be hidden when you make your tassel. Also, this time — instead of knotting the longer piece of the cord that you wrap around the tassel threads — simply tuck the end of the cord into the wrap you created. Again, this avoids any visible knots, and because the cord is so thick, it will stay in place just fine.

Step 2: Add the closing attachment to the link chain and put the link chain through the loop at the top of the tassel.

Now, you can attach this to anything. Your key ring, purses, belt loops, whatever your heart desires!

Tassel Earring Tutorial:

To make tassel earrings, you’ll need:

• 2 Tassels
• 2 Earring posts
• 2 Spiral Rings (same from necklace tutorial)

Step 1: Attach the spiral ring to the earring post.

Step 2: Ensuring that there’s a knot at the top of the tassel forming a loop, tie the tassel around the jewelry ring.

Et voila! Now you’ve got super easy and super chic earrings done in only two steps!

Tassel Pin Tutorial:

To attach tassels to pins, you’ll need:

• Tassels (as many as you’d like)
• Tie tacks (as many as you’d like)
• Hot glue gun

Step 1: Cut away extra strings at the top of the tassel.

Step 2: After warming your glue gun, put a dot of glue on the flat side of the tie tack. Before the hot glue dries, press the top of the tassel against the glue and press it down for a few seconds.

And now you’re all done! What’s great about these tacks is that you can attach them to virtually anything, and they’re removable so you don’t have to have permanent tassels if you don’t want to. Below I’ll show you how to add them to a pair of socks, as seen on the runway, for a totally fun and classy look.

So, add these bad boys to your socks, sweaters, coats or whatever you can think of! And be stylin’ like on the runway!

Now, all you’ve got to do is practice your catwalk!

Images: Getty; Author's Own