How to Make Jewish Tassels for Garments

Wearing tassels, or tzitzit, has been a Jewish tradition since the time of Moses. The tassels are traditionally worn on the four corners of the prayer shawl, the tallit. In the biblical book of Deuteronomy the Israelites are commanded to wear the tassels as a reminder to follow God's commandments. Today, many Jews and Christians still wear the tassels. A blue thread is used by Christians as the servant thread to represent Christ. The tassels are easy to make and are a symbol of your faith.

Things You'll Need

• White cord or needlepoint thread
• Blue cord or needlepoint thread, if desired
• Split key ring (optional)

Instructions

Tying the Tzitzit

1. Cut three of the white cords to about 36 inches in length. Cut either another white cord or the blue cord to 64 inches in length. This will be the servant strand, or the shamash.

2. Hold one end of all four strands in one hand so that the ends are even. Thread the cords through the corner of the tallit or through the key ring. Make sure that the cords are even on both sides, except that on one side the shamash is longer than the other cords.

3. Grasp the cords cords on one side with one hand, and the cords on the other side with the other hand. Knot the cords twice with a simple overhand knot, like the first step of tying your shoes.

4. Take the shamash and wrap it around all the cords seven times.

5. Separate the cords into four on each side and repeat steps three and four--except the second time, wrap the shamash eight times; the third time wrap, it eleven times; and the fourth time, wrap it thirteen times. Finish with a final double knot.

   Seven, eight, eleven and thirteen represent the name of God in the Jewish Gematria, which assigns each Hebrew letter a numerical value.

References

• Tying Your Own Tzitzit
• Tallit Talk
• Judaica Guide

Resources

• The Tassels of Obedience