We all have it. That box of scrap yarn that we SWEAR we are going to use. “I’ll make a quilt,” you tell yourself. But let’s face it – your scraps are hidden away, forgotten, collecting dust. Well guess what? It’s time to break them out because I have a quick and easy way to turn your yarn scraps in to a trendy accessory!
I’ve been seeing purses decorated with tassels and pom-poms all over fashion Pinterest boards this spring, and I am LIVING for it! It’s such a fun and easy way to add a pop of color to neutral bag, or to just make an old purse feel new again. I decided to jump in and make some flair for my spring purse. I found this woven purse at a thrift store! I love the square shape and the light green details. Woven purses seem come in and out of style every few years or so, making them pretty easy to find at thrift stores. Definitely check your local ones!
If you are tassel and pom-pom enthusiast like myself, I HIGHLY recommend getting you hands on this tassel maker , as well as this set of pom-pom makers by the brand, Clover. These tools are easy to use and make the most robust, professional-looking tassels and pom-poms. Plus you can crank them out super fast – I made enough tassels and pom-poms for two key chains in less than 30 minutes.
Clover also has a YouTube channel with tutorials on how to use all of their tools. The tutorial for the tassel maker can be found here. The tutorial for the pom-pom maker can be found here. For this project I used the large tassel maker, making the tassels 3 1/8 in. in length, and the smallest pink pom-pom maker, making the pom-poms 1 3/8 in. in diameter. Both products are linked above.
If you don’t want to purchase the handy dandy tools, there are many other ways to create both tassels and pom-poms. This tutorial shows you how to make pom-poms in four different ways using common household items like forks and cardboard. This tutorial shows you how to make tassels also using cardboard.
No matter which method you choose, just make sure your tassel is about 3 inches in length and your pom-poms 1-1.5 inches in diameter. As for your scrap yarn, I would stick to worsted weight or smaller, otherwise the pom-poms and tassels will be very thick and not as easy to work with.
One your tassels and pom-poms have been created, follow the tutorial below for creating the bag charm.
Materials
- 1 yarn tassel, approximately 3 inches in length
- 3 yarn pom-poms, approximately 1.5 inches in diameter
- Chain, approximately 3 inches in length. I used cable chain with links approximately 3 mm wide.
- Large lobster clasp (29 mm)
- 4 Jump Rings (7 mm)
- Chain nose pliers
Instructions
1. Use chain nose pliers to open one jump ring
2. Attach one end of 3 inch chain and the base of the lobster clasp to the jump ring. Use pliers to close jump ring.
3. Use pliers to open second jump ring. Find center of pom-pom, where it was tied off.
4. Attach open jump ring to pompom center tie-off yarn.
5. Attach jump ring and pom-pom to chain, approximately 1 inch from lobster clasp base. Close jump ring.
6. Repeat steps 3-5 with the other two pom-poms, spacing them out along the chain as you see fit.
7. Use pliers to open the last jump ring. Attach jump ring to top of tassel, where it was tied off.
8. Attach open jump ring and tassel to last link on the chain below the pom-poms. Use pliers to close the jump ring.
All done! Now go clip it on to your bag and leave the house looking fabulous!
I would love to see your finished bag charms! Tag me on Instagram @darsi_stitches and share this tutorial where you can.
Happy crafting!
