Crochet-Wrapped Tassel with Twisted Chain Cord

Here's a quick tutorial for using crochet chains to dress up a plain tassel.

You will need: yarn, scissors, ruler, crochet hook, yarn needle, and something to wrap the yarn around (try a wide ruler, small book, piece of cardboard, or dedicated tassel tool).

1. Leaving a 3" tail, firmly chain about 10", or to desired length. Cut yarn 3" from last chain and tie off.
2. Holding the crochet chain at one long edge of your tassel form, wrap the yarn around the form to the desired tassel thickness. For this tassel (made with DK weight yarn), I wrapped completely around the ruler 20 times. For a fuller tassel, or if using finer yarn, try 40 wraps or more.
Optional: you can also set the chain aside and slide it through the loops after you finish wrapping.
3. Center the loops on the chain, then tie chain ends in a double knot close to the loops. This is the top of your tassel.
4. Slide the loops off the form.
5. Cut a piece of yarn 2 ½ times the length of your tassel. Wrap the yarn twice around the tassel, about ½ - 1" from the top; tie firmly with a double knot, pulling the yarn as tight as you can.
6. Weave the yarn tails over the wrapped yarn and down through the tassel. Set tassel aside.

7. Leaving a tail as long as your tassel, firmly chain 2-3". Cut yarn, again leaving a tail as long as your tassel, and tie off loosely.
8. Firmly wrap the chain 3-4 times around the tassel over the previous yarn wrap until the chain ends barely meet. (You can frog chain stitches as needed to adjust the length.)
9. Keeping the chain wrap flat and smooth, tie the chain tails together with a firm double knot. Weave the tails through the chain and into the tassel.
10. Insert scissors into the looped tassel ends. Pulling gently to keep the blade centered, cut across all the loops.
11. Trim tassel ends as needed.
12. Lay the tassel on the table (or any flat surface). Without lifting the tassel, grasp one of the chain ends and twist it several times. Without letting go of the first chain, twist the second chain several times in the same direction.

Lift the tassel off the table. The chain ends should now twist around each other. Adjust the twist as desired, then secure the twist by tying a knot at the chain ends.

And there you are - one crochet-wrapped tassel with twisted chain cord!

P.S. These tassels look especially cute hanging from the top of a slouchy crochet hat....