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How to make Gift Wrap Chains and Tassels

How to make Gift Wrap Chains and Tassels

DIY Gift Wrap edition - Chains & Tassels by Simply Collectible

Gift Wrap Ideas with Yarn

Over the years, I've used various items to wrap or decorate gifts to make them stand out with extra texture and sometimes silliness. The chain and tassel has been one of my favorites while the wrap is quick, easy, and interesting. See more HERE at my Wrap it Up Gift Wrap Ideas tutorial.

Traditional Bows and Ribbon can cost so much. Of course, you can purchase a bag of bows for about $2, but most times, you are spending in excess of $3-5 (sometimes even $10) just for the wraps and bows. Here, you can use up those last few yards you weren't sure what to do with, but you couldn't bare to toss away.

Get crafty! Make some braids, add some pony bead dangles. Have fun with it.

Wrap It up - DIY Gift Wrap - Chains & Tassels by Celina Lane, Simply Collectible #diy @FaveCrafts @RedHeartYarns @SCCelina

Materials:

2 strands of Red Heart Super Saver yarn – several yards of acrylic which slides and holds it's place well
Your fingers or a Crochet hook size P-15/10mm
Scissors
Cardboard tube to store
Iron** and damp washcloth to set the yarn

**Never place a hot iron directly onto acrylic yarn. Plastics release toxins into the atmosphere which could be inhaled and may result in illness or death. Not to mention, it will melt and destroy your iron.

The tassels are simple and made just like pompoms only much looser.

Starting with practice yarn, wrap the yarn around 3 or 4 fingers about 10 times. Slide an 8″ piece of yarn through the center and another 8″ piece of yarn around one end. Insert the scissors into the center of the loop on the side with more length and cut the bottom to let the strands hang loose. You can see how I use my fingers and how I secure the loops to make pompoms HERE. That tutorial does not show where to tie the strand around the top portion, but that is pretty easy to see (image above) where it goes to hold those pieces snug.

How to make Gift Wrap Chains using your fingers instead of a crochet hook:

Note:  Practice with a single strand as shown below and when you are ready, you can move up to 2 strands.

Holding the yarn strands together, form a slip knot just large enough to slip the tips of your fingers through.
See my super easy Slip Knot Tutorial HERE, if you have never made a slip knot.

Reaching through the loop with your fingertips, grab the long end of the yarn (the source), not the short tail (beginning tail), and gently pull it through the loop.

Slip Knot Tutorial by Simply Collectible Crochet

Make a finger chain | Simply Collectible

Make a finger chain | Simply Collectible

Do not let go of your chain so it doesn't flip. I only let go to show you what it looks like.

When you pull through, do not pull taut or it will become knots instead of chains. You've made the first chain. Each time you pull up a loop, you've made one chain.
Again, reach through the loop with your fingertips, grab the long (source) end of the yarn and gently pull it through the loop.
Repeat this process of reaching through, grabbing the yarn, and gently pulling through until you've made several feet or yards worth of chain.

Helpful Tip:  To keep your chain from twisting, make sure the longer end is always behind your fingers/ hand (as in the image below) and you are always reaching from the same side of the loop.

Make a finger chain | Simply Collectible

Allow yourself a little time to practice getting them even. You don't even have to pull the yarn all the way up. Just pull it through far enough to reach through the new loop and pull the yarn up again.

Make a finger chain | Simply Collectible

I like to start with about 5′ of chain for smaller gifts; but once you've reached a good length of yarn, snip the yarn leaving a 6″ – 10″ length of tail(s), and pull it all the way through the last loop. Holding the last loop, pull the tail(s) taut to make a knot in the end holding the chains in place.

You've made a Gift Wrap Chain! Now let's steam set it.

Get ready to set your chain by heating your iron, adding water as instructed by your manual to produce steam. When your iron is ready, lay a damp towel down onto the proper surface to iron/steam. Place your chain, V's up and fold the towel over the chain gently holding the iron onto the towel for about three seconds. Allow the towel/chain to cool before you touch it. Once it has cooled, unfold the towel and shift the chain folding the towel back over to iron/steam the next section. Continue this process until your chain is completely set.

Now you are ready to use them for gift wrapping! If you are not ready to wrap, store your chains and they will set on their own.

Storing your chains:

Using a toilet paper or paper towel roll, cut a slit in one end and wrap your chain flat around the first tails, around the roll, tucking the end tails into the slit at the end to help secure it.

See more HERE at my Wrap it Up Gift Wrap Ideas tutorial where I'll show you how I use more beautiful scraps for gift wrap.

Wrap it Up, Too - Gift Wrap with Yarn by Simply Collectible using @LionBrandYarn @SCCelinaLane

Meme

Sunday 14th of December 2014

Such a great idea to use up all my leftover yarn as you get a bit tired of making granny squares etc. This way you give it away. Just be careful that you don't get stuck by them offering to give you the yarn back as they know how you love crafting. I think the idea here is wonderful ways to get rid of the stash. Brilliant. Thanks ,

Clotilde Menendez (@craftybegonia)

Tuesday 2nd of December 2014

Great tut! That is so much fun!

celinalane

Thursday 4th of December 2014

Thank you so much, Clotilde!