DIY Tassel Necklace, Maybe

I was really inspired by tassel necklaces popping up all over the place, mainly this one from Jewelmint and another from Asos... I thought they looked pretty easy to make so I decided to embark on an adventure in jewelry making. This is where I start to think about what it will actually take to make once of these... well, turns out, I could only sort of make one of these.

At the end of the day, what thought I needed was as follows:

• 2 Tassels (I ordered mine from Mood Fabrics online)
• Embroidery floss, multiple colors based on your color scheme (any crafty store)
• Colored jewelry wire (grabbed mine from Joann Fabrics)
• Scissors
• Jewelry Making Tools (wire cutters, bent nose and long nose pliers etc)
• Tacky Glue 
• Beads or charms, if you're feeling fanciful
• Some sort of clasp or bead as closures, unless you make it long enough to not need it

I started by tying a long piece of embroidery floss to either end of the two tassels. One tightly with double knots and one loosely, so that it can be removed for beading if necessary. I made sure the length was what I wanted for the necklace and then added a little slack. I used tacky glue on the knotted side just to make sure the ends were nice and secure. Next, I chose three colors that I wanted to make the main colors of the necklace. I cut three very long pieces (one of each color) because the plan was to wrap the longer pieces around the one main piece, from one end to the other. Tied the three colored flosses to the knotted side, secure with glue.


I secure a bead at the end of my tassel so that once I begin wrapping, I won't have as hard a time getting it to stay. So I start wrapping... one color first, then maybe mix 2 colors at once, alternating to get desired look...

Here is where I start to realize that this is more time consuming then I thought it would be and also, I didn't make my initial strings long enough for the length of the necklace so midstream, both realizations kind of bummed me out. OK, onward crafting soldier! I split the necklace in half, working separately on each side of the necklace, in different colors to try to make this work. Ugh, by the time I was half way through this, I didn't want to finish it. My time is valuable, you know? But I was finishing this, dangit!

At long last, I finished the wrapping and wrapping and wrapping and wrapping... It's harder than it looks to get everything tight and taut and to stay. I was pretty OK with how it came out although, I might go with more subdued colors if I ever decided to venture down this road again. This got me thinking about how those ladies wrap girls hair in Jamaica and the Bahamas and they do it wicked quick... yeah, that's not me. I am no expert and I don't think I'll be wearing this necklace any time soon.

Since I love you guys, I share my triumphs and my not so muches... this was a not so much. Have you guys ever worked on projects that were not so fun and not so fruitful (aka a Waste of Time)?