I am so excited to show you how I made this easy DIY tassel key chain (or purse fob!).
While I was organizing the fish room, I came across so many craft supplies that I had forgotten about. Having everything in one lovely space, in beautifully organized Ikea cabinets no less, has really sparked my creativity and I decided to challenge myself to use up some of these sidelined supplies. I have been quite the prolific crafter lately – and this DIY tassel is currently a favorite.
This DIY tassel project is using up a supply that will really date me: embroidery thread. I found a big bag of it, but it’s not from my abandoned embroidery project. Nope, it’s from those ubiquitous knotted friendship bracelets – when they were trendy the first time around. I’ve been really loving the tassel trend, but couldn’t think of where I wanted a tassel (pillows? throw blanket? nope – can’t be anywhere the puppers can reach). Then I came across my collection of vintage skeleton keys (they used to be framed) and it suddenly dawned on me: make some cute tassel key chains that can also be used as cute tassel purse fobs! As luck would have it, I also happened to have two large bead caps that I had purchased about 15 years ago for another project, and these caps made the finished tassels look very polished.
When I was done, I had re-purposed a lot of pretty bits and bobs, which were all collecting dust, into two pretty DIY tassel key chains – one for my Mom and one for me.
If you want to add some flair to your keys or purse, here’s what you’ll need to make a large embroidery thread tassel.
Supplies for a DIY Tassel Key Chain:
- Embroidery thread (I used three skeins per tassel)
- Large bead cap (mine is approx. 1″ L x 3/4″ W)
- Small bead (optional)
- Eye pin
- Small jump rings
- Key ring
- Vintage skeleton key (optional – you can add any charm, or no charm)
- Needle nose pliers
- Sharp scissors
Although you can make a tassel by simply folding a skein in half, I wanted to really mix the different colored threads together. My Mom offered up a second set of hands and I wound the thread into a loop, working the coppery hue evenly in with my bright aqua.
Then I folded the loop we formed in half and tied it tightly with a length of embroidery floss. I wrapped it a few times, tied it, then kept wrapping and tied it again so the knot was secure. Then I just let the ends of the knot blend into the rest of the threads.
Before moving on to the next step, I grabbed the sharpest scissors in my arsenal and trimmed the edges. Five or six times. There’s always that one that thread skips a trim! Then I opened up the loop on my eye pin and slipped on the thread before closing the loop with needle nosed pliers:
Then I added my bead cap and a turquoise bead at the end (optional), before cutting the end of the eye pin shorter and forming a loop with my needle nose pliers. I have a great how-to for creating eye pin loops in my tutorial for beaded Christmas spiders, linked here.
I added a jump ring, which I connected to a slightly larger jump ring, which was then attached to my vintage skeleton key. Easy peasy! I added a key ring and was happy to add a splash of aqua to my truck keys, thanks to this easy DIY tassel key chain.
For my Mom’s blue ombre embroidery thread DIY tassel, I used a ball chain instead of a key ring:
I love the embroidery thread tassel on its own, but the addition of a vintage skeleton key is fun – and I get to use pieces of my collection! Skeleton keys have always fascinated me, but my framed collection didn’t really jibe with the beachy look I’m cultivating in the lakehouse so I had packed them away. It’s nice to be able to enjoy them again.
Plus there’s something really soothing about smoothing out the strands of the embroidery floss – it’s kind of like a stress ball. When I hold my keys, I started to calmly fiddle with the strands and it’s interestingly meditative; it makes me feel very chill. So if you’re a bundle of energy like me, you might find this DIY tassel key chain soothing too!
P.S. Don’t Forget to Pin for Later!
And if crafting this tassel key chain isn’t your jam, you can also purchase a cute tassel key chain, like this adorable one with a horse, this chic leather one, or this cute monogram version. Or try a fancier version, like my aquamarine gemstone beaded tassel necklace.
