ECT TV Episode 30: How to Make Tassels
{ECT TV stands for Emerging Creatively Tutorials Television, my biweekly video series about making jewelry and creativity!}This week on ECT TV I'll show you how to make 2 different kinds of tassels. Either one can be used in making jewelry, decorations, scrapbooks and other art or as a topper for a gift.In the video, I show you how to make a tassel with chain and how to make a tassel with ribbon. I used lace in the video, but I used ribbon in the tutorial below.You can use the chain tassel for earrings, a pendant for a necklace or as a charm on a bracelet. This tutorial (specifically for earrings) is in my book Wire Wrapping for Beginners. You can find out about the eBook (digital PDF) here or the print book here.Here is this week's episode:Here are the tutorials in pictures:{Remember, you can get future tutorials from ECT TV in PDF form when you sign up for my newsletter.}
Tassel #1: Chain TasselThis is a quick and easy project and you can use these tassels in all kinds of ways: Earrings, pendants, charms for bracelets and anything else you can think of!And the best part is you can use up all those weird little bits of extra chain you have leftover from other projects. See, there was a reason you were saving them!
Materials and Tools:
- Chain (a variety of different leftover chains is great for this! ) Each chain will be about 1 ½” long and you’ll need 4
- Wire, 20 or 22 gauge, half hard, round
- 2 Beads with big openings (or cone beads)
- Wire cutters
- Chain nose pliers
- Round nose pliers
- Bent nose or other flat pliers
Step #1
Cut 4 pieces of chain to the length 1 ½” long. You can use any chain you want. This is a great way to use up little leftovers you’ll have from other projects. Feel free to make them longer or shorter based on your preferences and what you plan to do with your tassel.You may want to make them different lengths.You may want to use more than just 4 or less, too.Step #2
Cut about 5” of wire, or more if you are using a long bead or cone bead.Step #3
Slide each chain onto the wire.Step #4
Bend the wire in half. The chains will be in the middle of the wire.Step #5
Twist the wire a couple times.Step #6
Slide the bead over the wire and push it tightly onto the chain, covering the twists in the wire. Ideally, the chains should look like they're coming directly out of the bead.Step #7
Grasp one of the wires with round nose pliers, close to the bead.Step #8
Twist the wire around one barrel of the round nose pliers and then under the pliers and around the wire.Straighten the loop so that it's centered on top of the bead.Step #9
Take the tassel off the pliers and then grasp the loop between your chain nose pliers.Continue wrapping around the wire as you started in step #8. Then wrap the other wire around in the other directionStep #10
Clip off any excess wire with wire cutters. Tuck in the ends of the wire making sure they do not stick out.Now you have a cool tassel for your jewelry or decorating!Tassel #2: Ribbon (or lace) Tassel
I think these tassels look so cute as toppers for presents. In the video I made a lace tassel, but here I made a cute tassel with ribbon.
Materials and Tools:
- A variety of ribbon. You could also use lace or yarn.
- Scissors
Step #1
Decide how long you would like your tassel and then double it and cut your ribbons (or lace or yarn.)I used about 15 ribbons total. The one ribbon I had was way too wide, so I cut it into strips. I think a variety is nice, but you could do all one color or ribbon if that is your taste.Step #2
Cut a shorter piece of ribbon and a longer piece of ribbon. The longer piece will be the hanger, the shorter piece will hold all the ribbons together.Step #3
I arranged my ribbons in the way I wanted by folding them over my finger so I could see how the tassel would look.Step #4
Take the longer extra ribbon you cut and tie a knot in it. Then center it in the middle of all the ribbons.
Here you can see the ribbons are folded in half around the longer ribbon.Step #5
Use the shorter ribbon to tie around all of the ribbons. I just tied it in a knot and trimmed it close.
Step #6
Trim the ribbons so they are mostly the same length.Step #7
Now you have a completed tassel.You can use it as an ornament for your tree, to decorate your house or as a cute adornment for a gift.
Either tassel can be adapted for use as jewelry, decorating, gift topper, scrapbooking or other arts.Customize either tassel by:
- Making the tassel longer;
- Making the tassel shorter;
- Adding chain to the ribbon tassel or adding ribbon to the chain tassel;
- Using different lengths;
- Adding more or less chain or ribbon;
- Adding beads to the chains; or
- Anything else you can think of!
Have fun!--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Give me 6 weeks and I'll take you from creativity blocked to making unique and beautiful jewelry designs!My Rediscover Your Creativity & Make Jewelry eCourse begins on January 5th, 2015 so you can start the new year with lots of creativity!Click here to learn more about it and get signed up!Or try the free mini eCourse by filling in the form below.