Easy DIY Tassel Tutorial – How to Make Yarn Tassels

Yarn tassels are a great way to add an extra little something to your handiwork. This DIY tassel tutorial shows how to make yarn tassels in minutes!

To make a yarn tassel, wrap yarn around a piece of cardboard several times. Use of piece of yarn to tie a knot at the top of the tassel loop and another piece of yarn to tie a knot at the tassel neck. Trim the bottom of the tassel so all of the yarn pieces are even.

Find more home decor diy projects here.

Sounds easy, doesn’t it? It is! The tutorial below will walk you through each step. This is a fun craft project for a kid or an adult.

What material do you use to make a tassel?

You can make a tassel out of a number of different materials such as yarn, embroidery floss, threads of various texture, cotton cords, leather strips, as well as suede strips. 

Select the material that coordinates best with the home decor or craft that you are hoping to embellish.

For example I used suede leather to make a boho style tassel for a wooden bead keychain, but yarn was the perfect choice for a DIY bookmark! 

I’ve used embroidery thread for a more delicate look on Scrabble Tile Christmas ornaments. But, a more bulky jute twine was the perfect fit for a tassel on the end of my wood bead garland.

Scroll to the bottom of the post to get a look at several ways to use a tassel!

How do you make a tassel by hand?

Making a tassel by hand is simple and fast! All you need is yarn (or other type of thread), scissors, and a piece of cardboard. 

To make a diy tassel, wrap the yarn around the cardboard until reaching the desired thickness or bulkiness of tassel to suit your preference. Then, tie a knot in the top of the tassel and trim up the ends. You can then attach the handmade tassel to your decor item of choice.

Let’s get to the step-by-step instructions!

How do I make a tassel out of yarn?

Making a tassel takes less than 5 minutes! It is seriously so easy and a great addition to so many different things.

Ensure you are using sharp scissors. That will make a big difference in how crisp the edges look. Just be careful;-)

Wrap Yarn around Cardboard

Wrap yarn around the cardboard rectangle. The size of the cardboard should be a bit longer than your intended tassel as you need to account for trimming away and tidying up some of the edges.

There isn’t a magic number of how many times to wrap around the cardboard. Just continue wrapping until you have reached your desired thickness.

For reference, I wrapped mine 25 times. How many times you wrap around the cardboard will likely be related to the level of thickness of the material you choose for the tassel.

End your wrapping at the bottom of the cardboard where you started. This way you will have all of the loose ends together, for a neater tassel.

Use a Piece of Yarn to Tie Knot at Top

Use a piece of yarn (piece of thread if you are making yours with embroidery floss) to tie a double knot in the top of the closed loop. (See picture above)

You may choose to select a different yarn color for connecting the tassel to your decor item or clip. Totally up to you!

Remove Yarn Loop from Cardboard

Slide the loop shape off of the cardboard. Save the cardboard with your yarn and/or craft strings so you can use it again for more tassels at a later time!

Cut a long piece of yarn for the next step. Once again, you may wish to choose a different color of yarn. I also like to occasionally switch up the type of material for added texture. 

For example if you are using embroidery thread, a fun element for the tassel neck might be a suede leather cord. I did this on a wood bead keychain and it looked really sharp. 

Scroll to the bottom of the post for a picture of this tassel!

Tie Knot Around Tassel Neck

Using a long piece of yarn, tie a knot about a half inch to one inch down from the top part of the tassel. Ensure this piece is long enough to hang below with the body of the tassel.

Tie the yarn in a double knot.

Some use a needle or crochet hook to thread this yarn into the center portion of the tassel so it’s less noticeable around the tassel neck.

While it does look more tidy, I personally think it blends in nicely with the body of the tassel. But if you are a perfectionist, perhaps you want it to flow perfectly. It’s your tassel, you get to make it any way you prefer;-)

Cut Yarn at the Bottom of Loop

Cut the closed loop in the thread at the bottom of the tassel. Once again, sharp scissors make this a breeze. 

Trim Ends

Trim the end of thread or yarn pieces so you have a nice even tassel. Tidying up the edges is the goal of trimming the edges. 

At this point you are finished and ready to tie the tassel onto any number of accessories!

Examples of How to Use Tassels

Tassels are such a fun way to add something extra to a diy project. If you love tassels, but aren’t sure where you can use them, here are some ideas:

• On the ends of blankets
• Jewelry: bracelets, necklaces, etc.
• On scarves or shawls
• Purse
• Clip attached to anything!
• On a knob on a lid
• Tassel keychain
• Tassel garland
• Cushions

How to Make a Tassel Keychain

I choose to add a tassel to the bottom of a wooden bead keychain. But, you could also tie some tassels onto a keyring. This would be a great way to distinguish between various extra keys you might have.

Other DIYs with Tassels

• Handmade Bookmark with yarn tassel
• ​Scrabble Tile Ornament with tassel
• ​Wood Bead Garland with tassel
• Wood Bead Keychain with tassel