Techniques

Tassel Tutorial

Tassel Tutorial - Noodlehead

There’s a million ways to make a tassel and because I’m seeing them everywhere now I figured it would be fun to share a little how-to with you! I had quickly made one before taking the final photos of my Explorer Tote pattern. I love how it adds a little fun and interest, plus it’s removable. So here we go…

Materials:

  • soft leather works best (try suede or garment weight leathers or upcycle some leather from a jacket/pants/skirt from the thriftstore)
  • glue (for your particular material), I used Elmer’s ProBond Advanced and it worked so well!

Tassel Tutorial - Noodlehead

Because tassels come in all sizes it’s a really great project to use up small scraps! And materials are really something you can experiment with as well. I’ve seen people using cork fabric and they look amazing, so I’m guessing vinyl and just about anything else that doesn’t fray much would work just as well! Give it a try, it’s a low-commitment kind of project, so if something doesn’t work out it’s okay to start over. Also, check on etsy for scraps!

You also might want to consider adding other elements such as wooden beads or even metal beads would be great, too.

I’ll walk through the dimensions of this specific tassel, but take these basic steps and adjust them to make your unique piece, anything goes!

Tassel Tutorial - Noodlehead

Cut your leather (or material of your choice):

  • 5″ square for main body of tassel
  • 3/8″ wide x 8″ tall for hanging loop
  • 1/4″ wide (or less) x 12″ strip for decorative finish

 

Tassel Tutorial - Noodlehead

Next, cut the fringe! This part is super fun. And it totally doesn’t have to be precise. If you’d like though, use a ruler, cutting mat and rotary cutter and cut the fringe 1/4″ wide each and 3 1/2″ from the bottom edge. You can certainly use a scissors and eyeball it, too!

Tassel Tutorial - Noodlehead

 

After the fringe is all cut, align the the 3/8″ wide hanging loop piece, folded in half, to the very left side of the main tassel piece. You’ll want to place it at least a 1/2″ down from the top edge so that it won’t pull from the tassel once it’s finished.

Tassel Tutorial - Noodlehead

Then go ahead and layer on the glue, you’ll need much less than you think. Here’s a shot of mine before I started rolling from the left. If you do have excess like I did, work quickly to wipe it off. I used a paper towel and it cleaned up really well. When you’re rolling the tassel just keep in mind to keep the top edge of the tassel aligned.

Tassel Tutorial - Noodlehead

Once you have it completely rolled, wipe any excess glue and hold in place for a few seconds. The glue I used holds really well, so it only took maybe 30 seconds before I was able to let go.Tassel Tutorial - Noodlehead

Next step is totally optional of course, but I used the thin strip and wrapped it around the main part of the tassel towards the top and double knotted it. After everything is dry you can loop it around a bag’s handle.Tassel Tutorial - Noodlehead

Tassel Tutorial - Noodlehead

That’s all! It really is a super quick and fun project that’s great for scraps! Hope you’ll give one a try!

Tassel Tutorial - Noodlehead

 

8 thoughts on “Tassel Tutorial

  1. This is a cool addition to a handmade tote bag!

  2. Kim says:

    Very cute!!! Thanks for the tutorial- I just made your wool&wax tote and this will make a great addition to it!

  3. Little Quiltsong says:

    This is so nifty!! I was surprised how easy you made it! Thank you for sharing!

  4. Maris says:

    Thank you, Anna! Great Tutorial…making one today! BTW, is that a Friedlander CANVAS you used on the Explorer?

    1. Anna Graham says:

      Thanks Maris! Awesome!!! It’s the essex from her Euclid collection. 🙂 It’s a little lighter weight than what I would usually pick, but it was just too pretty not to use.

  5. Can’t wait to try this with some scraps of “ultra suede” that have been languishing in my stash!

  6. tmistick says:

    This is so cute! I made one very similar to it for my mom for Christmas, but I hid a lighting cord phone charger in the middle of the tassel! I’m so jealous, I need to make one for myself now.

  7. Lydia says:

    Love me some tassels! I may even try this!! Looks great!

Comments are closed.