Zelda + Madeline: DIY Tassel Necklace

So we've all seen those adorable tassel necklaces around, right? So cute. I die. But I didn't want to spend $30 on one necklace that I knew I could easily make myself. When I saw these tassel necklaces at Furbish, I knew I could make one nearly identical for less than half the price!

via Furbish

So, I set out on gathering my supplies...

(2) Embroidery threads (Cotton Pearl #5 in Placid is the blue color I used)
Jump Ring (I used a 15mm heavy gauge jump ring in Gold from Hobby Lobby. I couldn't find the exact one online, but these are the same size, same brand and nearly the same color.)
Wooden beads (I used two packages of these, but feel free to get creative!)
Scissors
Tape (Scotch tape or any sort will work. This makes threading your beads easier.)

Instructions:

Start by taking your first embroidery thread and unwinding it, but keeping it intact as shown below.

You'll want to remove about 5-6 strands, still keeping the bulk of the thread intact. After removing those few strands, take the larger piece and place it through one of the jump rings like so:

Then, cut through the loops at the ends of the embroidery thread of the larger piece (the one with the jump ring in the center). You'll now have these two separate pieces:

Fold the piece in the jump ring in half making sure the ends match up...

Take the few strands you removed and tightly knot them around the base of the jump ring securing the larger strands...

Pull the strands so that half of them face downward and blend in with the other strands in your newly formed tassel (and excuse the fact that my manicure is a little cray-cray):

Snip off the top bits of thread from the one you used to secure the tassel, trim your tassel ends and fluff them up a bit! The shorter your tassel the fluffier it will be (fluffier = technical term).

You can stop here and use your tassel on an existing chain OR continue on to create your own!

Next, you'll want to take your other package of embroidery thread and make it the length you desire for your necklace. I started out with mine really long to ensure that I had enough thread to create little knots in between each bead. You can also simply make it the length you'd like and add the beads to they touch back-to-back.

Then take that thread and move it through the jump ring, making sure to tie it and knot it so that each side is the same length...

Now, you're going to make yourself comfortable and grab a glass of wine. And you're absolutely going to want to make sure there's a Law and Order SVU marathon on. Okay, maybe that's only what I did. We can't all be perfect.

Add a little tape to the end of your thread strands and start by putting one bead through. Then make a knot after and continue with another bead. Keep this going until your entire strand is finished.