Recycled Party Tassels

Have you noticed the fun tassels that seem to be popping up everywhere lately? We’re loving them. Most are made from tissue paper or metallic mylar paper. In honor of Earth Day we re-purposed chip bags, old maps and used tissue paper into a festive party decoration. Here’s how to do it…

Begin by washing your empty chip bag with soapy water, which will remove any greasy residue. Take your clean, dry bag and trim off the bottom seam. Next cut the bag open along the back seam.

Lay the bag flat on a cutting mat then, using a straight-edge and craft knife, trim off the bags’ top seam. You now have a nice sheet of mylar, printed on one side but shiny silver on the back. Fold the bag in half with the printed side inwards. Beginning approximately one-inch down from the fold, cut your bag into vertical strips that will create the fringe of your tassel. Once cutting is complete, unfold and lay the cut bag horizontally so you have fringe on both sides. Carefully roll up (again with printed side inward).

Place one hand just above the slits on either side of the bag. Begin rotating your hands in opposite directions (the same way you’d wring out a towel) winding the mylar into a tight twist. Bring your fingers together and the twisted material will begin to twist onto itself. For the map and tissue paper tassels we made, this twisting action was enough to hold the tassel together; however, due to the slippery nature of the chip bags’ material we found it necessary to use a twist-tie to secure our tassels. Tape, hot glue or wire would also work well. Thread string through the open loop at the top of the tassel to hang!

See the rest of our Earth Day party ideas, including how to make a recycled map party hat, in our full post at OneCharmingParty.com.