Beaded Coral Tassel Tutorial

This lesson shows how to make beaded coral tassel. You can use this technique for making earrings, key-chain and bag charms. 

Materials:

Seed beads #11/0
Focal bead (or group of 2-3 large beads)
Beading thread
Lobster clasp (for bag charm)
Split ring (for keychain)
Ear hooks (for earrings) 

Tools:

Beading needle #12 
Scissors (or thread burner) 

Instruction below will show how to make a bag charm, but you can use this technique for making earrings as well.

Step 1: On a comfortable length of thread, pick up focal bead(s) and lobster clasp. Place this group in the middle of thread.

Step 2: Pass the thread back through the bead(s) skipping the clasp. Tighten.

Step 3: Slide seed beads. Amount of beads depends on desired length of your tassel. Let’s call these beads a base.

Step 4: Skip the last bead and go back through 7 beads as shown.

Step 5: Tighten the thread.

Step 6: Slide 8 more seed beads.

Step 7: Skip the last bead and go back through 7 beads and 2 beads from a base as shown.

Step 8: Tighten the thread. Now, you have made two “needles”.

Step 9: Repeat step 6 picking 8 beads.

Step 10: Repeat steps 7-8 to make the next “needle”

Step 11: Keep making “needles” until you have 2-3 beads left on the base. Pass the needle through these base beads, the focal bead(s), and the clasp (photo).

Step 12: Pass the needle back through the focal bead(s) skipping the clasp. You have to have two thread ends going out of focal bead(s) as shown. Tighten both thread ends by pulling them.

Step 13: Thread the needle (use the longest end). Repeat step 3. You may want to use another color of beads.

Step 14: Repeat steps 4-12 to finish the second branch of the tassel. 

Step 15: Make 2 or three more branches for your tassel. Add a new thread if needed.

Step 16: After finishing beading the tassel, secure the thread and cut it. 

You can use this technique to make a key chain.

To make earrings, I passed the thread through the jump-ring. You may want to make smaller size of the “needles” – I made 5-bead needles for this pair of earrings.