I have to say, out of the many projects I’ve been working on over the course of the past several weeks, this one definitely has a special place in my heart. I started making yarn pom poms back around Thanksgiving, and I just haven’t stopped. I keep coming up with more ways to use them, and every time I show someone how simple they are to make, they too become addicted to these little balls of fluff.
Speaking of balls of fluff, I am going to now throw in a very random story from my college days that has to do with poms poms. Please forgive my tangent. Back in my freshman year of college, I lived in the dorms with three other girls. As the fall turned to winter, I went in search of a warm hat at our local mall. I ended up finding one at Hollister, of all places. It was white, wool and happened to have a giant red pom pom on the top, which I immediately clipped off. I left it sitting on my desk, and somehow I think someone ended up hiding it in my shoe or something like that. (Jackie? Jana? Robin? Do any of you remember how it started??) Anyways, it became our thing. “The ball” traveled from roommate to roommate. It would show up in my mailbox, and I might put it under someone’s pillow, who might in turn put it in the microwave. I think the best was when someone took a picture of it and set it as my desktop background. Oh the memories! But, I digress…
Below are steps for making your own yarn pom poms, and a few of my favorite ways to use them!
:: STEP 1 ::
Wrap yarn around your hand. To make a large pom pom, use four fingers. For medium, use three. For small, use two. Wrap enough so there is a fairly substantial amount of bulk. A general rule of thumb is 50 times for a full pom pom, more if you want it really thick, and less if you want it not as full.
:: STEP 2 ::
Next, remove the yarn ball from your hand and lay flat on the table with a 4″ – 6″ piece of yarn below it.
:: STEP 3 ::
Tie the piece of yarn around the ball tightly, and double knot it.
:: STEP 4 ::
Now use scissors to cut all the loops, then give your pom pom a little shake. To finish it off, you will need to give it a nice haircut. Trim the long pieces and cut until it is full and round.
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Now, the fun part! There are many, many unique and creative ways to use pom poms… here are just a few of my favorites.
POM POM GARLAND
Simply thread string through several pom poms, then hang and enjoy!
POM POM PINS
Cut a bit of felt, flatten a pom pom, then glue a button on top.
Add a pin fastener to the back for a fun little accessory to any outfit or hat!
POM POM FLOWERS
To make these fluffy little flowers, simply poke a stick into the middle of the
pom pom, then set a few in a vase, and call it a day. Couldn’t be any easier. Or cuter!
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The best part of this project is that you literally only need yarn and a pair of scissors. That’s it! Now, I expect you guys to get busy making millions of pom poms, and then report back with your ideas for new ways to use them. All for now, be back tomorrow!