If you've been looking for a way to use up those 6x6 scrapbook papers sitting in your stash — or you want a handmade embellishment you can actually gift or sell — this tutorial walks you through making large paper tassels from scratch, with beads, lace trim, and a simple packaging idea included. I'd been wanting to make these for a while, and once I finally did, I couldn't stop. They come together quickly, they look genuinely beautiful, and you can customise them endlessly depending on what you have on hand.
What we cover
The full process of rolling a paper tassel from a single 6x6 sheet — or whatever scrap paper you have — including how to cut the strips, roll the tassel around a wooden skewer, thread beads onto twine above and below the tassel, finish with lace trim, and package the finished piece in a simple cellophane bag using a brad and a small piece of cardstock.
What you'll learn
How to prepare your paper for cutting, including:
- Marking a stop line about 1 cm from the top edge so your strips stay connected
- Cutting a slightly wiggly bottom edge before you start the strip cuts, if you want a more organic, uneven fringe
- Removing a small strip from one end to create a starter tab for rolling
How to cut clean, even strips with a ruler and X-Acto knife — working from the stop line down to the bottom of the paper, cutting at roughly half a centimetre intervals. Scissors work too; the knife and ruler just make it faster.
How to roll the tassel around a wooden skewer, using double-sided tape to hold the paper as you roll. The small starter tab wraps around the skewer first — no glue on that piece, which is what lets you slide the skewer back out cleanly once you're done.
How to string top beads onto thick twine using a thin thread as a threading needle — looping a length of ordinary sewing thread through the twine fold, threading your bead onto the thin thread, and sliding it across onto the twine. This is the trick that makes it possible when your twine is too thick to feed through a bead directly.
How to knot and secure the bead loop at the top of the tassel, including how to position the knot so the beads sit snugly in place and how to use a small tool to push the knot tight to the right spot.
How to attach the twine loop inside the tassel with a dab of hot glue or tacky glue — pushing the knotted end down into the rolled paper and holding it until it sets.
How to add beads below the tassel on the hanging twine, including:
- Tying a knot at the base of the tassel before stringing so the beads can't travel upward
- Adding a second knot beneath the beads to lock them in place
- Using the same thin-thread trick if your beads have a smaller opening
Why I use a clear, quick-drying craft glue — not a hot glue gun — for attaching lace trim. Hot glue seeps and can show through fine lace; a clear-drying glue gives you time to position and stays invisible once dry.
How to finish the tassel with a trim layer, including using a narrow gold lace trim, a wider lace, layered lace, or rhinestone bling — whatever you have. A small piece goes a long way.
How to package finished tassels for gifting or selling, using:
- A small piece of cardstock with punched or rounded corners
- A brad pushed through the cardstock and the tassel's top loop
- A cellophane bag (the kind stickers and small products often come in — no need to buy new plastic)
Why paper tassels work as journal embellishments — attached to a journal cover via a bulb pin or brad for a decorative side tassel, keeping in mind that paper is more delicate than fabric, so the same technique done in fabric gives you a sturdier result.
Tips & gotchas
Don't apply glue or double-sided tape on the small starter tab that wraps around your skewer. If you do, it glues to the tool and you won't be able to slide the skewer out. Leave that first section bare and start your tape right after it.
As you roll, keep glancing at the top edge to check it's staying level. It doesn't have to be perfect — these are paper tassels, not engineering — but a quick check as you go saves you from ending up with a lopsided roll.
If you're making a batch of tassels, roll them all and get them to the hot-glue step before you switch the gun on. Hot glue is fiddly to work with in small bursts; doing all the gluing in one go is faster and less frustrating.
Before you start stringing beads onto the lower twine, tie a knot at the base of the tassel where you want the beads to sit. Without it, the beads disappear straight up into the paper fringe. The knot gives them something to rest on.
Check your bead openings before you start. Even with the thin-thread trick for threading, a bead with a very small hole may not fit over the double twine. Better to find that out before your loop is knotted.
For the trim finishing step, skip the hot glue and use a clear craft glue instead. Hot glue moves and seeps on fine lace and the result isn't pretty. A quick-drying clear glue holds just as well and stays invisible. And if your lace or ribbon tends to fray — a dab of fray check on the cut ends before you glue is worth the extra minute.
The same rolling method works in fabric if you want something more durable for a journal or bag charm. Scaled down with smaller paper off-cuts, you get little tassels perfect for tags and cards. Scaled up with a larger sheet, the fringe gets more dramatic. The beads I used came almost entirely from broken jewellery I had in my stash — so this is genuinely one of those projects where rummaging through what you already have is part of the fun.
