Sometimes, a thing made for one use is great for another purpose. Just like duct tape; although its true purpose is utilitarian, people now use it to make anything from a hammock to a canteen. The same is true of certain home accents. Tassels, for example, are made for creating curtain tie-backs, pillows, and similar things, but look amazing as earrings or other jewelry pieces. You might not have any tassels on hand but, when you go to a fabric store to buy some, you can quickly create a beautiful ensemble, in the chosen color, to wear with an elegant outfit, or with casual clothes.
A tassel is such a pretty thing. You can find one in any number of colors now, and the length can vary, from short to really long. That’s perfect for creating jut the tassel jewelry you desire. Although there are lots of different tassels you can find online, locally, you can generally find one type, with a thick, rope-like loop for hanging it, and another type with more of a string-like loop. The rope type isn’t the best choice for making jewelry since, once you remove the loop, you’re left with a “stub”. Instead, choose a tassel with the string loop; it’s easy to cut off and leaves a smoother look.
When you cut the loop off of a tassel you’ve done everything possible to prepare it for a new jewelry piece. Whether you want a necklace, or a pair of earrings, you’ll just need to hook a jump ring onto the top of the tassel. Open the ring, put it under a couple of the threads at the top of the tassel, slide the ring onto a necklace chain or earring hardware, and squeeze it closed. No jump rings? Thread a needle, pass it under a few threads of the tassel, then tie it onto the hardware piece.
There are many things that you can do to personalize the tassel necklace or earrings. A tassel has a wrapped string, near the top, which holds all the threads together. You can leave that string wrapped around the tassel but tie on an additional string to add a pop of color. Or, you can tip the ends of the tassel strings by touching each one with a gold or other paint marker. You can even glue small beads onto certain strands of the tassel, or onto just the ends. Layer tassels to create yet another design. Slide a long tassel onto a jump ring, then a smaller tassel, and then a tiny one, or create your own combination.
The tassel earrings and necklace look fabulous together but, as for a matching bracelet, it’s not the best concept, with those strings tickling your hands, and dragging across everything. The necklace and earrings, though, are gorgeous, and can be worn in an elegant or a casual fashion.
