Make Pom Poms on a Budget

Make Pom Poms: There are several kinds of Pom Pom makers. None of them are difficult to use. However, before purchasing one, read the instructions on all of them and decide which one you prefer to use.

On a Budget?
If you’re on a budget and have a lot of spare yarn lying around, make your own pom pom maker and use your left over yarn.

A.   How to Make Pom Poms using Toilet Roll tubes

Supplies Needed:

• Two toilet roll tubes of identical size
• 2 pieces of smooth cardboard; otherwise any other suitable cardboard.
  (The cardboard at the back of sketch books is perfect.)
• Pencil, pen or marker
• Drinking glass or Glass Jar
• Sharp scissors
• Acrylic or Polyester yarn

Start Making your Pom Pom

• Tie two strands of different coloured yarn together (if the yarn isn’t thick) and put the yarn in-between the two toilet roll tubes (knot on top) to keep it in place.
• If the yarn is thick, use one strand of yarn and not two to wind around the two toilet roll tubes.
• Hold the two toilet roll tubes together with the fingers of one hand.
• Wrap the yarn around both of the toilet roll tubes with your other hand, about 80 times if you want a nice round thick pom pom and your wool isn’t too thick. Less, if you want one more floppy. Also, as mentioned above, take into account the thickness of the yarn.
• When you think you have the thickness of the Pom Pom you desire, cut a long strand of yarn and tie it twice tightly between the two toilet roll tubes to keep the pom pom together.
• There should be a long strand so that you can attach the Pom Pom to a hat or scarf, etc..
• NOTE: If you wind the yarn around the toilet roll tubes too tightly, you won’t be able to tie the yarn in-between the toilet roll tubes tightly enough. Wind the yarn around the two toilet roll tubes using a normal tension.
• After tying the pom pom in-between the toilet roll tubes very tightly, slowly and carefully slide the tied yarn off the two toilet roll tubes. Then carefully tie the middle very tightly again before beginning to cut the loops on the edges of the yarn to make sure no yarn escapes and spoils your Pom Pom. A safety measure.
• Using a sharp scissors begin cutting the loops of the pom pom.

NOW The Trimming of the Pom Pom Begins

• Cut out two identical circles the size of the pom pom you want (on the smooth cardboard).
• To make the circles, use a turned over drinking glass on 2 pieces of cardboard and draw an outline with a pen/pencil or marker around the glass.
• Make a small hole in the middle of one circle. It only needs to be a small hole in the middle of it to put the long piece of yarn used to tie the pom pom together. This will help to keep the long piece intact when trimming the pom pom.
• When all the loops have been cut, hold the long piece of yarn and shake the pom pom until it is round and fluffy.
• If you want a smaller Pom Pom, you can use the cardboard circles by holding one circle at the back (with the yarn through the small hole) and the other circle in the front and trimming the edges to the size of the cardboard circles. Otherwise, if you want a larger pom pom, trim it where it needs trimming. It’s a personal choice.
• The yarn tying the pom pom together should remain long and shouldn’t be cut off when trimming the pom pom.

Above is the link to a YouTube video called “The Secret to Making the Perfect Pom Pom“ by “Charlotte” and which you may find helpful.

B.  How to Make Pom Poms using Cut Out Cardboard if you don’t have Toilet Roll tubes handy.

• 2 pieces of smooth cardboard; otherwise any cardboard that is suitable.
• A glass or jar
• A small lid to cut a circle in the middle of one piece of cardboard
• Sharp Scissors
• A pen or pencil or marker
• Acrylic or Polyester yarn

Start Making your Pom Pom

• Cut out two identical circles the size of the pom pom you want.
• To make the circles, use a turned over drinking glass on a piece of cardboard and draw an outline with a pen/pencil or marker around the glass.
• Take both circles of cardboard and draw an outline around a small lid (cap) of any bottle you have (the cap of a bottle of water is okay) in the centre of the two circles. (The size of the cap depends on how thick you want your Pom Pom to be. The bigger the inner circle, the more yarn you will have to wind in order to fill the circle and the thicker your Pom Pom will be).
• Cut a slit at the top of both circles (in the same place) wide enough so that you can easily wind the yarn through it when you begin to make the pom pom.
• Wind the yarn through the slit and make it as thick as you want the pom pom to be. (Tip: Don’t wind it not too close to the slit).
• Wind the yarn using a normal tension.
• When you have wound it enough times around the cardboard circles, take your sharp scissors and put it inbetween the two cardboard circles and begin carefully cutting the edges (loops) of the pom pom.
• Ensure that the pom pom stays in place on the cardboard.
• Now tie a long strand of yarn twice very tightly in-between the two circles of cardboard to hold your pom pom together.
• Trim the pom pom ends guided by the two circles which are still in place.
• When you are satisfied that the pom pom ends appear to be even enough, remove the pom pom from the cardboard circles.
• Hold the long piece of yarn and shake the pom pom until it is round and fluffy.
• If there are any loops you have missed, cut them and trim any other ends that need it.
• The yarn used to tie the pom pom inbetween the two pieces of cardboard should remain long and shouldn’t be cut off when trimming the pom pom.

Below is a link to a YouTube video by Red Ted Art which you may find helpful.

If you have any questions, feel free to go to our craft store and send me an email.

ENJOY MAKING YOUR POM POMS!