How to Make a Braided Tail for Your Felt Plushies

How to Make a Braided Thread Tail with a Decorative Tassel for a Felt Animal

Hi, I’m Alyona, and if you’re like me – the person who loves to add cute little extra details to your plushies or any creation you’re making – this is the right place for you. By the end of this article you will know how to make a braided tail with a decorative tassel at the end for your felt animal 🐮.

This tail works beautifully for a cow or any domestic animal you create. Or maybe you’re going more wild and making a giraffe or an elephant – yep, this tail matches those kinds of animals as well. So let’s get straight into the juicy and interesting part: how to create it. And honestly… you can’t even believe how simple this is 🧵🙈.

What You Need Before You Start

All you need to do is have threads. You can go more fancy and pick something like Gutermann Thread, or you can use any threads you already have at home. The most important part is this: it needs to be nylon or polyester threads – no cotton in our case.

If you want a simple option that works great, grab Polyester Sewing Thread. Then you just choose your colour. Or maybe you selected multiple colours. Me, if I’m honest, I love using multiple tones of thread because it gives, in my opinion, a more interesting look.

You’ll also need something to pin the knot down while you braid. Any pin is fine, but if you don’t have a pin, use a needle. And if you don’t have a needle… how are you making plushies 😂?! So yes, I bet you have both – and you can use Sewing Needles for this part as well!

Cutting Your Threads to the Right Length

When you grab your thread, put it on a flat surface and cut around 40 cm length. So you measure 40 centimetres and cut it at 40 centimetres.

Then you grab the thread again and repeat this 20, 25, or even 30 times, depending on how thick you want the tail to be. Usually I do around 30 threads like this. Place them one on top of each other, and if you’re doing multiple colours (like me), mix them as you go.

So let’s pick the number 30. You made 30 lines of thread all on top of each other. You’ll kind of have one big multi-thread bundle. This is going to be the first part of the tail we’re going to use.

Making the “T” Shape and Locking It in Place

Now we need to do exactly the same thing, but this time cut 15 threads, the same 40 cm length. When you do this, you take your 15 threads and place them in the middle of your 30 threads.

Then you wrap this strip around and make a knot. Place them cross to cross – one horizontal, one vertical – and those 15 threads wrap around your 30 thread bundle and get tied into a knot.

Now what we’re going to have is something like the letter T. Your original bundle sits across, and the 15 threads are folded in half and go down. So what we have is 30 on the left, 30 on the right, and going down again is going to be 30 threads.

Pin It Down and Start Braiding

Wherever you made that little knot, you need to block it on something. I usually use an ironing board, because I can take a pin and gently pass it through the knot, then pin the threads down. That way they stay locked in place while I braid.

Once it’s attached, you braid it like you do with hair. Maybe you have a daughter, granddaughter, niece… or maybe you do it for yourself. Same idea. Just braid it neatly, keeping the tension even so it looks tidy.

And yes – if your felt animal is made from Soft Felt, this little braided tail detail looks especially cute against it. (It’s one of those small touches that makes the whole toy feel more “finished”, you know?)

How Long to Braid and Where to Place the Knot

Braid until the size that you think is correct for your creation. I usually make small plushies for cot mobiles, home decoration or Christmas tree ornaments. So usually my tail will be 6–7 cm long, and I’ll have like a 2.5 cm tassel at the end.

But here’s the important part: braid as long as you can first. This makes everything much easier compared to braiding exactly 6 cm right away. So braid 12 or 14 cm, then make a knot.

Twist your ready braided tail around and make a knot. Then arrange this knot into the exact place you want your tail length to be – for example, if you want your tail to be 7 cm (or 6.5 cm, depending on what you need), slide the knot into that position and tighten it properly.

Don’t Forget the “Seam Allowance” Part

Keep in mind that around 2–3 millimetres will go inside the toy. So you need to take that into consideration. If it’s principle for you that your tail must be exactly 7 centimetres – not longer, not shorter – then add a few millimetres, because that part disappears into the plushie once you stitch on top.

Think of it like a seam allowance. You put the tail inside, stitch it down, and that little bit is gone. So plan for it now, not later when you’re staring at your toy like “why is your tail suddenly… suspiciously short?” 😄

After you rearrange and tighten the knot, you’ll have a braided strap with a knot somewhere along it, and leftover braid below.

Making the Decorative Tassel Finish

Now you cut the leftover braid and leave the tassel length you want. If you want a tassel, cut about 1 cm. If you want it longer, cut 2 cm – that’s what I do most of the time.

Then you simply unbraid the end. You can do it with a needle, with your fingernail, or even with a small brush. Just remove the braided part that was “blocked” in place for comfort while we were tying everything up.

And now you will have a braided tail… with a little tassel at the end. You can make it longer, you can make it shorter – I keep mine around 2 cm most of the time. Basically, voilà. We just made a braided tail with a tassel.

Where You Can Use This Tail (And What to Read Next)

This is perfect for your future project of a cow, a giraffe, or even an elephant. And honestly, options are endless. You can even use the same method for a doll if you want lots of braided hair. God knows – once you start making braids, suddenly everything needs a braid. 😄

If you want to check the full collection of the patterns I have, you can always pop onto my Sewing Patterns Collection and see what I’ve made. I really love making patterns, and I put all my soul into creating them.
If you want a specific animal to try this on, you can start with the Cow Toy Felt Sewing Pattern, the Giraffe Toy Felt Sewing Pattern, or the Ballerina Elephant Felt Toy Sewing Pattern.

Thanks again for reading this article until the end. As my thank you, I want to share one of my free patterns I built myself – you can grab the Free Sewing Pattern and have a play.

And also, if you like creating animals and you’re interested in different tail styles, the article How to Make a Curly Tail for Your Felt Plushies will be useful too. Small sneak peek: those curly tails are not only for animals. If you make a lot of curly straps, you can even create very beautiful and fantastic hair for a doll 😉.

Thanks again for reading, and I’ll see you on my next one, bye 👋.