DIY: Tassel Necklace

I've been on a wearable art kick as of late, coming up with different designs and textures for necklaces. Supplies have been purchased at Home Depot & Lowe's (for rope and paracord) as well as JoAnn Fabric (trim and embroidery thread).  After the Christmas DIY I followed to make a necklace for my friend's daughter, I was inspired to invent my own wearable designs.

Happy making!  Tag #foundherestudio on instagram if you create one of your own!

Materials:  I began with two loops of magenta paracord (melt the ends of the paracord with a lighter to prevent fraying), about 20" each, a plait of cobalt blue trim from JoAnn Fabric, a 10" strand of black paracord, embroidery thread and baker's twine.

Getting started:  I didn't measure exactly, just tested for fit before I stitched and wrapped all the parts together.  The paracord was looped around itself to start the necklace and prevent the need for a clasp (see picture on left).  The ropes & trim were all joined around the collarbone; I used tape to hold it together and check for the right fit in the mirror first.  After determining the ideal length, the paracords and plaited trim were stitched together.  Lastly, the necklace was flipped over so the back was facing up for the tassel steps.

Tassels: I made five out of gray embroidery thread; the thread was wrapped 20 times around a piece of cardboard measuring about 6" long.  The thread was then slid off the makeshift template, the ends were cut & doubled around the black paracord (see photo above), leaving the tassel at 3" in length.  Each tassel was spaced out along the base of the necklace, tied off, then stitched through the loop to the cord.  Doing this step with the necklace flipped over backward is important, so the knot is hidden from view.  Stitching the tassels in place also prevents them from moving around and ending up in a big clump.  The last step was to hide all the seams with a whipping of embroidery thread in different colors.