I am a sucker for pom-poms, fringes, tassels, and all things fun. They instantly give off a boho vibe, and when combined with more subdued colors, they can create a nice complementary wow factor. DIY tassel tutorial included!

Decorating on a budget can have many challenges. I know from personal experience that doing things on my own brings me a great joy for multiple reasons.

Firstly, I am upgrading something that would otherwise be replaced, which counts for sustainability;
if I get simple inexpensive pieces, it also becomes very economical;
it improves the look, hopefully :-);
it gives me an amazing sense of accomplishment;
and as they say, a little whimsy goes a long way. Well, I just made this up, but in my head if it rhymes it has to be true, right? At the very least, the results of decorating with tassels and pom-poms can really be quite poetic.

“I know it’s not everybody’s cup of tea, but for me it adds just that right amount of boho-casual vibe that every cosy home needs. At least, at the humble beginnings.”

Tasseled Lamp Shades

When I decided to improve these simple Ikea drum shades, I'd had them for about two years. I had previously used pom-poms on a shade in my children's bedroom, but I knew I wanted something a little more sophisticated and muted down. These tassels appeared to be an excellent choice. They came attached to a ribbon, so I hot glued them onto the lamp shades' outer edges.

Thanks to using small tassels, the outcome isn't too overwhelming. If you prefer a more boho look, choose longer ones for a more dramatic effect.

Since I have both of these lamps in my open plan kitchen-living area, I chose two colours. Beige, to match the shades, and white, to break up the monotony.

Pom Pom Curtains

When I saw a picture of pom pom lined curtains for the first time I knew right away I had to put them up on my girls’ bedroom curtains.

Though I do have a sewing machine and can shorten pants and perform other simple tasks, I somehow felt that hot gluing might work just as well. I intended to say it was to speed up the process, but I have to admit — laziness got the better of me.

For the more adventurous among you, feel free to get that sewing machine out!

This time, I attached the ribbon to the back so that only the pom-poms would be visible. It's a subtle yet effective change that makes the curtains look much more interesting and fun.

Pom Pom Lamp Shade

We were doing the kids’ bedroom on a budget, and to match the curtain upgrade, I also decorated the hanging lamp shade. It is the same affordable Ikea drum shade that I have in my open-plan kitchen-living room, except this time in white. I chose two pom-pom sizes to go for a more whimsical and girlie vibe, so the decorating process took a little longer.

I had to individually connect each pom pom to a white cotton ribbon, spacing them evenly. I measured the diameter beforehand to know what length of the ribbon to work with. Afterwards, I followed the steps for the tassel lamp shades above, hot gluing the decorated ribbon to the bottom rim of the shade.

“My idea was to make the lamp look funky and cheerful; after all, it was meant for the bedroom of two cheeky girls. ”

Tasseled Curtain Tie-Backs

I usually have some leftover wool from my kids’ projects, and this time I put it to good use by making these gorgeous curtain tiebacks.

Don’t you think those lovely pom-pom curtains needed an extra level of cool?

Yes, they did — and so did all my other curtains! I found some wooden beads in my arts and crafts box and thought they’d look adorable on tassels. Turns out I was right! The muted white and grey colours give the finished tassels a soft, versatile look that works with everything. I can easily move them from one room to another, and they still look great.

DIY Tassel Tutorial

1. Spin wool onto a 10cm/4inch wide piece of cardboard to desired thickness. You can see that one set of my white tie-backs is thicker and bulkier than the other white pair. Use more wool for a thick tassel, or less for a long, sleek one.

2. Cut the wool thread after you're finished spinning.

3. Then, choose a longer piece of wool, approximately 50cm/20inch, and tie it around the thickness of the wrapped bundle of wool on one edge of the cardboard.

4. This will be the tassel's top.

5. On the opposite end of the cardboard, cut along the full thickness of the bundle.

6. Your tassel should now have a rough shape, and all that's left is to make the little 'head.'

7. Cut a shorter piece of wool and knot it around the tassel at about a third of its length.

8. Even out the fluffy bottom part using scissors.

Four consecutive images displaying steps how to make tassels from wool

9. You've completed your basic tassel.

10. To make it more original and unique, you can add some wood or metal beads, as well as other decorations.

The three final images displaying steps how to make tassels from wool

A curtain tie back is made by connecting two tassels together. Use single tassels as a keychain, to decorate pillow edges, as napkin holders or to make a tassel garland. Let your creativity take over!

Tassel And Pompom Home Upgrades