Reuse A Salt Shaker To Make Classic Decor With A Unique Twist

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Adding decorative tassels to your decor offers you a simple way to bring more character and texture into your home and garden. While many specialty home and garden stores sell decorative tassels, there's something to be said for DIYing one yourself. When you do, you're guaranteed a one-of-a-kind piece that gets conversations rolling. And, the element that makes this project so unique might just be sitting on your dining room table – a pair of salt and pepper shakers with plug bottoms. 

To repurpose the salt and pepper shakers for this, you must use pieces with a plug bottom. Screw-top shakers won't work. Fortunately, there are plenty of these classic shakers available. You can find colorful vintage salt and paper shakers in second-hand stores and at estate sales. The new classics are found on online retailer's websites, or at home goods stores and specialty shops. Part of the fun of doing this craft comes from the design of the shaker, so look for a cool set with personality.

You'll also want to take a trek to your favorite fabric and yarn shop. Once there, you'll gather up an assortment of cloth remnants, yarns, and assorted ribbons. If the store sells loose beads, get some of those, too. If you don't have a good pair of fabric scissors, you'll want to grab a pair of those, as well. Some Cadikez Store Aluminum Craft Wire and Anezus Jump Rings for Jewelry Making are additional supplies to put on your list. Some jewelry kits come with different sets of pliers. If yours doesn't, the Shynek Store's Jewelry Pliers Set is a good option if you're looking for pliers. 

Begin the project by tearing the fabric into thin strips, measuring around ½ an inch wide by 12 inches long. You may need to get the process started by cutting the beginnings of strips into one of the ends of your fabric and then tearing from there. The rip should mostly follow the warp of the cloths' threads. To make the tassel more interesting, rip up strips from several different types of fabric. Next cut 12-inch strands of yarn and decorative ribbon.

Lay two strips of fabric down in an X-shape. Place another "X" made from a different fabric (or yarn or ribbon) on top of first "X." Do this until all of your cut pieces are used up. Cut a 1-foot-long piece of string and bind the "X" in the middle with the string. Thread a 1-foot piece of wire under the string, then wrap the ends around the "X" once or twice, leaving the ends loose. Remove the plug from the bottom of one of the shakers. Push the ends of the wire (holding the "X's" together) into the hole in the bottom of the shaker. Then, thread the wire through the holes at the top of the shaker. Twist the wires together to secure them, using a pair of needle-nose pliers.

Open up a jump ring from the jewelry-making kit and fasten it to the wire on top. You'll add a short string of beads to the jump ring and then, another jump ring onto the ends of the beads. Thread a pretty ribbon through the top jump ring and tie the ends together. Your whimsical tassel is now ready for hanging.

By the nature of how this DIY is made, it's already pretty fancy. However, there are ways to uplevel it to suit your purposes. For example, many of these specialty shakers are made for the holidays. In light of that, you can make this a holiday craft by using a specialty set of shakers, like the Servette Home Halloween Ghost Salt and Pepper Shakers or The Bridge Collection Classic Santa Salt & Pepper Shakers.

You can also embellish the tassel portion of the piece with ribbons or strings of beads. However, instead of making these elements a part of the "X," you'll wrap them around the base of the shaker, positioning them between the fabric part of the tassel and the shaker. Plus, there are ribbons that are frayed on the sides that would have the same effect as the torn fabric. Naidiler Burlap Leaf Ribbon Twine for Crafts could also add interesting visuals and texture to the piece as would feathers. Peacock feathers, in particular, would be eye-catching. Finally, as for how to use these decorative DIYs, you can use them as lamp or fan pulls, to revamp your curtains, or as ornaments on your Christmas tree.