__Here is a fun and easy technique for making belly dance tassels.
Materials you'll need:
1. Yarn, embroidery floss, twine: You can spend a whole lot of money for wool yarn or go with a
synthetic alternative. Virtually any type of string will work. Just keep in mind that if you want fat
tassels and you're using thin thread, you'll need a lot..
2. There is no #2! Ok, you can include beads, bells, and assorted baubles, but for a basic tassel, all
you need is yarn. Multiple colors are a definite plus.
Let's make tassels!
1.To begin, dig out your new dance video case or a juicy fat romance book. Hold the end of the
yarn flat against the long edge of the case and wrap around until you reach your desired thickness
for your tassel. For average tassels with an average weight yarn, I usually wrap 40 times. Fluffier
tassels require more wraps, leaner tassels fewer. An important note: Don't stretch your yarn as
you wrap. You'll invariably stretch it unevenly through the wraps and when you cut it, you'll end
up with uneven ends. Conversely, don't wrap too loosely for the same reason.
2. When you've reached your desired thickness, take a piece of yarn about three times as long as
the box around which you're wrapping. Loop it through the strands and tie it as tightly as possible
3. Slide the tassel off the box. With a pair of very sharp scissors, cut the end opposite the tie.
4. Smooth the threads of the tassel, coaxing the threads around the tie to make a round head.
5. Lay another strand of yarn (here's a great time to incorporate a new color), in the direction the
threads are going and then begin wrapping around the head of the tassel, approximately one inch
from the top. Wrap evenly, keeping constant tension on the wrap as you move down the body of
the tassel. Wrap down anywhere from a ¼ inch to 3 or 4 inches, depending on the look you want.
6. When you've wrapped as much of the tassel as you want, clip the wrap thread with about six
inches to spare. Using a large eye embroidery needle, thread the wrap thread and then push it up
through the tightly wrapped body of the tassel. I've never tied mine off any other way and I've yet
to have a tassel unwind. This method prevents those unsightly knots!
7. When all ornamentation has been done to the tassel, hang it by its tie string for a couple of days
to allow the yarn to relax. Finally, trim the ends of the tassel to even it out. There you go! What,
you want to know how to make them fancy? Well why didn't you say so? Options: Instead of
wrapping the body into one column, try dividing it into two, three, or four pieces and wrapping
each one. Start with 6-10 wraps around the entire tassel before dividing and end with 6-10 wraps
to bring all the pieces back together. To add texture to the body of the tassel, twine a thick cord
around the body before wrapping it. The cord will show up as an interesting design in the body.
Change colors throughout your body wrap. Simply tie off each color before moving on to the next
one. If you want to alternate between colors, don't tie off the first color, simply wrap over it until
you want to change back. To make an Ankh-shaped tassel, after you tie off and cut your loops,
lay the yarn out flat. Begin your wrap on one side of the tassel and continue over to the other side.
After you've tied it off, bend the ends around to meet and wrap 6-10 times. Once a tassel is tied,
you can beautify it with beads, coins, trim, or even embroidery.
Materials you'll need:
1. Yarn, embroidery floss, twine: You can spend a whole lot of money for wool yarn or go with a
synthetic alternative. Virtually any type of string will work. Just keep in mind that if you want fat
tassels and you're using thin thread, you'll need a lot..
2. There is no #2! Ok, you can include beads, bells, and assorted baubles, but for a basic tassel, all
you need is yarn. Multiple colors are a definite plus.
Let's make tassels!
1.To begin, dig out your new dance video case or a juicy fat romance book. Hold the end of the
yarn flat against the long edge of the case and wrap around until you reach your desired thickness
for your tassel. For average tassels with an average weight yarn, I usually wrap 40 times. Fluffier
tassels require more wraps, leaner tassels fewer. An important note: Don't stretch your yarn as
you wrap. You'll invariably stretch it unevenly through the wraps and when you cut it, you'll end
up with uneven ends. Conversely, don't wrap too loosely for the same reason.
2. When you've reached your desired thickness, take a piece of yarn about three times as long as
the box around which you're wrapping. Loop it through the strands and tie it as tightly as possible
3. Slide the tassel off the box. With a pair of very sharp scissors, cut the end opposite the tie.
4. Smooth the threads of the tassel, coaxing the threads around the tie to make a round head.
5. Lay another strand of yarn (here's a great time to incorporate a new color), in the direction the
threads are going and then begin wrapping around the head of the tassel, approximately one inch
from the top. Wrap evenly, keeping constant tension on the wrap as you move down the body of
the tassel. Wrap down anywhere from a ¼ inch to 3 or 4 inches, depending on the look you want.
6. When you've wrapped as much of the tassel as you want, clip the wrap thread with about six
inches to spare. Using a large eye embroidery needle, thread the wrap thread and then push it up
through the tightly wrapped body of the tassel. I've never tied mine off any other way and I've yet
to have a tassel unwind. This method prevents those unsightly knots!
7. When all ornamentation has been done to the tassel, hang it by its tie string for a couple of days
to allow the yarn to relax. Finally, trim the ends of the tassel to even it out. There you go! What,
you want to know how to make them fancy? Well why didn't you say so? Options: Instead of
wrapping the body into one column, try dividing it into two, three, or four pieces and wrapping
each one. Start with 6-10 wraps around the entire tassel before dividing and end with 6-10 wraps
to bring all the pieces back together. To add texture to the body of the tassel, twine a thick cord
around the body before wrapping it. The cord will show up as an interesting design in the body.
Change colors throughout your body wrap. Simply tie off each color before moving on to the next
one. If you want to alternate between colors, don't tie off the first color, simply wrap over it until
you want to change back. To make an Ankh-shaped tassel, after you tie off and cut your loops,
lay the yarn out flat. Begin your wrap on one side of the tassel and continue over to the other side.
After you've tied it off, bend the ends around to meet and wrap 6-10 times. Once a tassel is tied,
you can beautify it with beads, coins, trim, or even embroidery.