Making Free Tassels

Gosh, I love tassels. Not the perfect ones you find at the craft store to attach to pillow corners or the center of window shades though. I like the messy, chaotic, uneven, uncensored kind.

Recently, while perusing a copy of Green Craft on the exercise bike, it hit me. I could make tassels.

You might remember my doll dismemberment project? It's coming along nicely (insert music from Psycho here). Well, I realized what was missing (besides the poor doll's body--ha!) is color. So, this afternoon I remedied the problem by creating some colorful tassels from bits of ribbon, a doily, some pearls I found and beads.

First, I wanted to show you a trick. I'd like to say that I thought this up on my own, but as most of what happens creatively for me, it was a total accident.

I'm not even sure what this ribbon is called, but I want to say grosgrain? I don't know. It looks like canvas but isn't as thick. Can you tell me?

Anyway, the first tassel I made was a little dense looking. I like chunky but this one didn't have much movement at all. So, I took it apart and decided to tear this ribbon down a little more. I made a tiny cut:

Yikes! Get that woman some lotion.

And pulled. Voila!

I love the raw edges and the lighter, airier look post tearing.

Here's a last shot of the tassels before they go into the deep, dark basement (aka my "studio") where they will be attached to the Art Doll Box.