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Activities / Parandi / Knotted Tassel Parandi

Knotted Tassel Parandi

Knotted Tassel Parandi: Knots and Hand-Wound Tassels

Level
Intermediate
Duration
2 - 3 hours
Budget
₹193 – ₹292
Age
12+
State
Punjab
Craft
Parandi

Materials

  • Cotton embroidery floss (6 strand skeins, 8 m each)
  • Masking tape, 24 mm
  • Thin cardboard (cereal box) for two tassel templates
  • Sharp scissors
  • Comb
  • Hair clip

Steps

  1. Cut your floss and two cardboard tassel templates
    Cut 6 lengths of embroidery floss, each 150 cm (5 ft), 3 in each of two colours, keeping the six threads of the floss together. Keep the rest of the skeins uncut for the tassels. From a cereal box cut one card 7 cm wide and 12 cm tall, and another 12 cm wide and 15 cm tall. Common mistake: using soft paper as the template. It bends, and the tassel ends up with uneven length.
  2. Fold the 6 lengths in half, knot them and tape the loop
    Fold the bundle in half, tie an overhand knot 5 cm (2 in) below the fold so a loop about 3 cm wide stays open, and tape the loop to a table. You now have 12 hanging strands. Divide them into 3 groups of 4, with both colours in every group. This loop is how the parandi attaches to your hair later.
  3. Braid 10 cm and tie an overhand knot around the whole braid
    Plait the three groups in a regular three-strand braid for 10 cm (4 in), pulling each crossing snug. Then take the three groups together, make one overhand knot with all of them as if they were a single rope, and pull it tight against the braid. Repeat: braid another 10 cm, knot, and braid 10 cm, knot. You will have 3 knots in all, with the braid about 40 cm long.
    Tip: Pull the knot slowly with both hands at once so it sits flat and does not twist.
  4. Finish the braid with a last 10 cm and a final knot
    After the third knot, braid 10 cm more, so the braid is about 50 cm (20 in) long, then tie a double knot at the end. Leave the loose strands below the knot long, about 15 cm. These will be hidden inside the large tassel later. Lift the braid and check that all three knots sit evenly along it, about 10 cm apart.
  5. Wind thread 30 times around the small card to start a tassel
    Hold the end of a skein against the narrow card, then wrap the floss around the 12 cm height of the card 30 times, keeping the wraps side by side and not tight. Cut the floss. Slide a 20 cm piece of floss under the wraps at the top edge, tie it with a double knot, and leave the long tails. Common mistake: wrapping too tightly. The card then cannot be pulled out.
  6. Slide off the card, bind the neck and cut the loops
    Slide the wrapped bundle off the card while holding the knot. Take a new 30 cm piece of floss and wrap it around the bundle about 1 cm below the top knot, 6 times, and tie it twice. This forms the neck. Cut through the loops at the bottom with sharp scissors. Comb the strands and trim the tassel to even length. Make 2 more small tassels in the same way.
  7. Tie one small tassel at each knot, hiding the ties
    Take the long tails of the first tassel's top tie, wrap them around the braid directly above the first knot, and tie a double knot at the back. Pass the tails behind the braid and trim to 1 cm. Do the same at the second and third knots. The tassels should hang down in front of the knots. Common mistake: tying the tassel to the front where the ends show.
  8. Make the large end tassel and tie it on with a double knot
    Wind floss 60 times around the 12 cm wide card, tie the top, slide it off, bind the neck 1.5 cm down and cut the bottom loops, as you did for the small ones. Push the loose braid strands from step 4 into the top of the large tassel, then tie the tassel's top ties around them with a double knot. Comb everything and trim the bottom flat.
  9. Comb all tassels, trim and clear away
    Comb all four tassels from top to bottom until the threads lie soft and straight. Trim the small ones to 5 cm and the large one to 9 cm, cutting straight across with sharp scissors. Snip off stray fibres. Put the cardboard templates and floss in a small envelope for your next project. To wear it, clip the loop with a hair clip and braid your hair along it.

Sustainability

Medium - uses leftover thread; beads are plastic

Safety

Scissors are sharp; beads are a choking risk for young children