DIY Bookmark Tassels: 6 Easy Ways to Customize Your Books

Make your bookmarks uniquely yours with simple, low-cost tassels and accents. In this guide you'll find easy step-by-step instructions for classic embroidery-floss tassels, fluffy pom-poms, quick ribbon loops, friendship-bracelet style tassels, and ideas for adding beads and braids. These small additions add personality to gifts and make reading feel special.

Materials

• Embroidery floss in desired colors
• Scissors
• Hole punch
• Hot glue gun (optional)

Classic embroidery-floss tassel

Choose one or multiple colors of embroidery floss and wrap a piece of floss around two or three fingers, depending on how long you want your tassel to be. Wrap until you have 20–35 strands (or as many as you prefer for thickness). Slip the loop of strings off your fingers and tie a knot at the top of the loop, leaving a long tail to attach to the bookmark.

With another piece of embroidery floss, tie a knot about 1/4–1/2 inch below your initial knot. Then wrap that thread around the tassel to create a neat neck; secure the wrap with a tiny dot of hot glue if desired. Cut the loops at the bottom and trim the ends evenly.

Punch a hole in the top of your bookmark, slip the long tail through the hole and tie it off to secure the tassel.

Finished bookmark with a colorful embroidery floss tassel.

Step photo

Wrapping floss around fingers to set the tassel length.

Pom-pom tassel

Wrap the thread around two fingers and increase the number of wraps to about 40–50 for a fluffy pom-pom. Tie a knot in the middle of the loop, leaving a tail long enough to thread through the punched hole in your bookmark. Cut the loops on both sides and trim evenly to fluff up the pom-pom.

Creating a small pom-pom to use as a bookmark accent.

Quick ribbon loop

Punch a hole in your bookmark. Fold a 3–4 inch piece of ribbon in half and push the folded end through the hole. Before pulling fully through, thread the two loose ends through the folded loop and pull tight so the knot slides down to the base of the bookmark. Trim the ribbon edges at an angle for a finished look.

Folded ribbon loop attached to a bookmark for a clean finish.

Friendship-bracelet style tassel

Gather several colors of embroidery floss and cut 8-inch strands. Secure the bundle to a surface with tape. Using standard knotting techniques (forward and backward knots), braid or knot the strands into a friendship-bracelet pattern, repeating each color around 12 times or until you have the desired length. When finished, gather the working ends and insert them through the hole in the bookmark, then tie to secure.

A tassel made from braided friendship-bracelet knots for a textured finish.

Variations and finishing touches

Add beads, include a braided section or extra wraps, and combine multiple colors to create different looks. Trim tidy edges and secure fragile wraps with a dot of glue if needed. Small variations—pom-pom, ribbon, bead, or braid—make each bookmark feel custom.

Examples of tassel variations with beads, braids and multicolor threads.