Garlands, jewellery, party decorations, blankets, fashion accessories, gift wrapping, homewares. There are so many things you can make with a humble pom-pom. Did you ever make pom-poms as a kid? Whether you’re a seasoned pom-pom maker or a total newbie today’s blog post will show you how to create and use pom-poms to decorate your home and wardrobe…
As a youngster, I learnt to crochet, knit and weave friendship bracelets, But the craft I enjoyed most was pom-pom making. I loved that moment when you cut through the loops of wool and pom-pom springs into life. The moment that you finally see whether your colours have ended up in a striped pattern or if they’ve become pleasantly rippled. Trimming the ends into a neat ball and fluffing up the strands was just so satisfying.
I’ve since completely forgotten how to crochet and the most adventurous thing I’ve knitted as an adult was a chunky ombre scarf. But my pom-pom making skills have grown from strength to strength. Okay, that might not be entirely true – but I have continue making pom-poms as an adult and will make many more in my lifetime I’m sure. Only last week I used pom-poms to decorate my cat’s upcycled pet bed and it was so much fun to do! When I got my pom-pom makers for Christmas, I looked up many methods of using them to create different designs and I found that the LoveCrafts blog was a great source of inspiration.
If you’ve never made a pom-pom before, today’s the day to start! This video tutorial will show you how to use a pom-pom maker to create a two-colour pom-pom, and there’s step-by-step photos to show you exactly how to do it. Once you’ve seen how simple the process is, you’ll be hooked and will want to make as many pom-poms as possible!
When you get into the swing of pom-pom making, you’ll quickly begin to get more adventurous with you colour combinations and designs. At least, that’s how I felt when I started making pom-poms! I wanted to experiment and try out as many different designs as possible. 
Who knew that you could make fruit from pom-poms, eh? It’s easy when you know how! I’m going to try out this tutorial for making strawberries next. I think this garland would be the perfect decoration for an afternoon tea event or Wimbledon tennis party. And if you’re having a tropical themed BBQ, why not make some watermelon pom-poms to decorate outdoors?
You can make pom-poms to decorate your child’s nursery or bedroom too. There are no end of lovely fluffy animals that you can make with a ball of wool! This bumble bee or “pomble bee” tutorial will help you to create an impressive bee pom-pom that looks really intricate but isn’t too difficult to achieve when you know how! And pom-pom bunny rabbits are a super-cute way to combine three pom-poms to make a 3D character – great for Easter!
But don’t worry if you don’t have a pom-pom maker, you can use your hand, rings of cardboard or even a fork to make your own pom-poms. There’s no need to have fancy equipment before you get started; all you really need is a ball of wool and a spare 5 minutes! The tiny colourful pom-poms that are used to decorate these sandals below are made with a fork, so have a look at this pom-pom sandals tutorial to find out how to make them (and some tassels too!)
Just have a go and see what you manage to make – it’s sooo satisfying and, once you’ve got the method sussed, you’ll be decorating your home, clothing and every present you ever wrap in the future with fluffy pom-poms! Let me know if you have a go at any of these projects in the comments below, I’d love to hear how you get on!
Massive thanks to LoveCrafts for collaborating with me on this post and for allowing me to share their impressive project photos – the site is my favourite source of inspiration when I want to have a fun crafternoon. Keep an eye on my instagram @cassiefairy to see how I get on with re-creating these projects myself eek!
