DIY Beaded Tassel Necklace

The tie-up tassel beaded necklace is quite the trendy accessory at the moment. They are actually very easy and relatively speedy to make. Most of the ones I've seen around use clear crystal beads paired up with a coloured cotton of choice. I've gone for one of this season's on-trend colours - royal blue.  

Start with a hank of thick DMC cotton thread. It comes in lots of colours. 

Before you start make sure that you have a piece of thin wire that is small enough to fold over and use as a needle to thread the cotton through the beads. 

You will need approximately 140 8mm smooth or faceted crystal beads. I used smooth. 

Wrap the thread around your fingers about 20 times. More or less depending on how full you want the tassel. 

Tie the thread off at the top of the bundle. 

Now ravel off about 5 or 6 metres of thread from the hank. 

You will need enough for the knotted beads and the tassel at the other end.

Tie a 20cm piece of thread around the buddle to form a tassel. Double knot it in place, then wind it around the bundle to form a tassel. 

Tie off, then thread the end onto a darning needle and pass it through the tie from the top to the bottom of the tassel.

Cut the bottom of the bundle to release the tassel ends. Trim up any uneven ones to form a neat end. 

Thread the bead end of the cotton thread around the doubled over wire to form a fine 'needle'. 

Thread it through a bead. 

Push the bead down to the tassel then tie a knot in the thread.

Use the darning needle to put through the knot and push it down hard against the bead while pulling the knot tight. 


Knotting each bead will stop all the beads falling off if the thread should break at some stage in the future. 





Repeat the threading and knotting until all the beads are used and the necklace is the required length.

Wind the remaining thread around your hand 20 times to create the second tassel. Knot the cotton against the final bead, then thread it through the top of the tassel loops and tie it off as tightly as you can. 



Tie an extra piece of cotton around the body of the tassel, wind it around the body of the tassel and tie in place. Thread the loose ends onto the darning needle and pass them through the tassel to hold them in place.

Not a bad outcome for an hour or two spent threading beads in front of the television. Now I'm wondering what colour I might make next. Happy creating my friends xx