Anybody know how to make a tassel to be used on a tribal belly dance belt?

Question:

Anybody know how to make a tassel to be used on a tribal belly dance belt?

It can't be that hard but they're so expensive to buy! If you have a technique that doesn't involve that tassel making machine I've seen, it'd be appreciated. Thanks!

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I do - it's pretty simple. All it takes is some yarn, some scissors, and a book. Be ready to experiment with different size books and different types of yarn until you get the size tassel you're looking for. Grab a paperback novel to do a trial and wrap the yarn around the book about 15-20 times. (either widthwise or lengthwise, doesn't matter, it will just make the tassel strands longer or shorter and you can experiment once you get the general idea down) Once you have the book wrapped, slip a shortish piece under all the wrapping of yarn and tie it tight in a granny knot or square knot. (This will be the top of your tassel, so if you want it to hang low from the belt make this string loooong.)

Now slide the wrapped yarn off the book, holding it up by the top tie you just knotted. The tassel cords are still in a circle shape, so what you want to do is cut the circle at the bottom so both sides of the tassel will be relatively even. Now it should really start to look like a tassel. The only thing left to do is to cut another piece of yarn and wrap it around the tassel somewhat near the top of the knotted piece to divide the tassel into the "head" and the fringey bottom part.

Ta-da! You are now the proud maker of a tribal tassel for your tassel belt. It's inexpensive and it's easy to do. Just make sure that when you pull the yarn from the skein you DO NOT pull it from the inside - roll it from the outside or your tassel strands will be all kinked up.

These instructions will make medium sized tassels. For fatter ones, just wrap more times. For longer ones, use a bigger book. For smaller ones, use a smaller book. Also experiment with different kinds of yarn, but be warned that if you use that "homespun" kind, it will unravel into a sort of fluff ball by the time you've gone through half a dozen performances.

If you're hanging tassels at different lengths, to store your belt you want to lay a towel down, put the belt down with the tassels hanging as they would if the belt were on you, and roll the towel up.

This will prevent you from having to spend 15 minutes untangling your tassels the next time you go to put your tassel belt on.

I've made 8 tassel belts with various kinds of tassels, please let me know if the instructions aren't clear enough and I'll be happy to clarify anything that doesn't make sense. You can reach me at shirasaya@hotmail.com

Happy tassel making!