Assignment 20 - Claire Thompson

How to make a Pom-Pom

What you'll need: yarn (of any color), cardboard, scissors

1. If you've never made a pom-pom before, the easiest way to start is by using a homemade "pom-pom maker." To do this, cut out two doughnut-shaped pieces of cardboard of the same size (the size of the doughnut will be slightly larger than the finished pom-pom, keep this in mind when you cut out the cardboard). Cut a small wedge out of each doughnut. The final shape will be something like a "C" shape.
2. Choose your yarn: a regular, inexpensive acrylic yarn in a bright color is probably preferable.
3. Wrap the yarn around the ring of the two pieces of the cardboard that make up the pom-pom maker. Continue this, back and forth, until you have achieved a thick layer of yarn around the cardboard doughnut. I prefer to wrap it until the hole in the center is almost gone. But you can experiment with different thicknesses to see what you like best.
4. Once you're done wrapping the pom-pom maker, cut the yarn down the center, using the space between the two pieces of cardboard as a guide. Do NOT take any of the bits of yarn out of the pom-pom maker.
5. Wrap another piece of yarn around your pom-pom, again using the space between the pieces of cardboard as a guide. Leave this piece of yarn long, so that you have two long tails that are easily accessible.
6. Tightly tie this piece of yarn. This will be what keeps the pom-pom together so it is crucial that it is secure. I have also heard that using sewing thread can work really well to hold pom-poms together, but I like the consistency of using a piece of yarn to create the center.
7. Now, take the pom-pom out of the pom-pom maker and fluff it out.
8. The pom-pom will probably look pretty shaggy, so you can give it haircut. Don't be afraid to cut off a liberal length of the yarn so that it is all of uniform length. It will take some practice to get this step just how you like it, but don't be afraid to be bold in your trimming. Be careful to NOT cut off the long tails of the piece that is holding the pom-pom together. (Pro-tip: you can make a really large pom-pom so that you can cut it very short, and it will be a tight, uniform pom-pom of a smaller desired size. The more you can cut off a pom-pom, the less floppy it will be.)
9. You're finished! You can do all kinds of fun things with pom-poms. I like to put them on bags and stuff like that using those long tails you didn't cut off to tie them onto things. You can also string together a bunch of pom-poms and have a garland. You can fashion them into a rug or a throw blanket if you get really complex with pom-pom construction. I've seen tiny ones fashioned into jewelry like earrings or strung on necklaces. What makes pom-poms really fun is learning how to wrap them so that they have patterns or shapes in them. I like to make ones that have flower designs in them. I've seen some that look like dogs or beach balls--I've even seen some that look like matryoshka dolls (which reminds me: you can also cut pom-poms into different shapes when you give them their haircuts--I've made some that are cubes or egg shaped. In the case of the matryoshka doll, you would cut it into a matryoshka doll shape.) There's all kinds of things you can do, so you can really get creative with it!