How to Make Salt & Pepper Shaker Tassel

Transform a salt or pepper shaker into a homemade ornament.

Salt and pepper shakers are common household items usually designed to complement dishware or other interior decorating themes. With a little fabric, elbow grease and some creativity, you can transform any salt and pepper shaker into a tassel or ornament, which can be hung from a Christmas tree, any tree in the garden or from any awning around your home.

Things You'll Need

• Salt and pepper shaker
• One yard fringe fabric
• 26-gauge wire
• Glass beads
• Fabric or craft glue
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks
• Small pair of scissors
• Wire cutters

Instructions

1. Select a pair of salt and pepper shakers from around your house or at an antique or garage sale. Look for a pair of shakers that are unique and which suit your designing purposes. Since the only additional decoration being added is a tassel you create, the more unique the shaker, the better.

2. Measure a 12-inch piece of 26-gauge wire and thread it through the hole at the bottom of the salt shaker, up through the barrel and out through one of the top holes. Repeat this process with another piece of wire for the pepper shaker. Leave about 4 inches of wire sticking out from the bottom of each shaker.

3. Thread small glass beads onto the top portion of the wire sticking out of the top of each shaker until you have filled about 3 to 4 inches of wire with beads. Choose beads that are larger than the holes in the top of each shaker. Thread the open end of the wire back through another hole on the top of each shaker so that you have formed a glass bead loop on top of each shaker. Thread the wire all the way through the shaker's bottom hole until you have two strands of wire coming out of the bottom hole of each shaker.

4. Twist the two wire ends together until the beaded loop on top of each shaker is firmly held in place. Cut the twisted wire to 1/4 inch in length and attach it to the bottom of the shaker with hot glue. Repeat this process for both shakers (or however many you are making).

5. Place a strip of fabric adhesive around the top edge of the fabric bullion fringe you purchased. Roll the fringe up tightly until its diameter matches the diameter of each shaker. The rolled up fringe should resemble a tassel. Repeat this process for all remaining shakers.

6. Use a hot glue gun to attach the fringe tassel to the bottom of the shaker. Hold the tassel against the shaker base until the glue dries completely. Repeat this process for all shakers.

7. Glue fabric trim around the base of the shaker where the tassel and shaker meet. Loop a piece of trim through the beaded loop at the top of each shaker and hot glue trim ends together to form a loop which you can use to hang each shaker from a tree, awning or other location.

References

• Dessert News: Hobbies - Tassels for Salt and Pepper Shakers