How to Make a Yarn Pom Pom

A pom pom is the fastest way to make a plain hat look finished, and you do not need a pom pom maker to make a good one. Davina from Sheep & Stitch cuts her own from a scrap of cardboard, wraps it with two strands of yarn at once to halve the time, and trims the result into a proper round ball rather than the shaggy lump most first attempts produce.

You need yarn, a piece of cardboard (a cereal box or the back of a notepad), a jar or can to trace, something smaller like a coin for the centre, and the sharpest scissors in the house. About fifteen minutes per pom pom once you have made one.

The secret is more yarn than you think

A thin, floppy pom pom has one cause: not enough wraps. The yarn you wind round the cardboard becomes every strand of the finished ball, so a donut that looks generously covered still makes a sparse pom pom. Keep wrapping until the centre hole is almost closed and the ring looks fat. Four or five full passes round the donut is typical. Holding two strands together, as Davina does, gets you there in half the time.

Wrap with a neutral hand, not a tight one. Yarn pulled tight grips the cardboard and makes the cutting step hard work. Loose enough that the scissors slide in without resistance is the target.

Sizing a pom pom

The outer circle sets the finished size, roughly. A pom pom comes out a little smaller than the ring, and trimming takes a bit more off. For a hat, trace something about 3 inches across, like a jam jar. For gift toppers and garlands, a 2 inch circle from a spice jar lid. The centre hole should be about a third of the outer diameter. Bigger holes mean more yarn per wrap and a denser pom pom.

Tie it tighter than feels necessary

The tie round the middle is the only thing holding every strand in place. Use a 12 inch length of the same yarn, pull it hard between the cardboard layers, and knot it three times. A loose tie is how a pom pom sheds strands in the wash. Leave the two tails long, because they are what you use to sew the pom pom onto a hat.

Which yarn makes the best pom pom

Wool and wool blends make the fluffiest pom poms, because the fibres bloom and spring apart once they are cut. Acrylic works and is cheaper, but it lies flatter and can look a little stringy. Chunky yarn fills the ring fast; fine yarn takes longer but gives a denser, velvety finish. Variegated or self-striping yarn turns into a speckled pom pom, which is what the multicoloured ones in the photos are.

For a two-colour pom pom, wrap half the ring in one colour and half in the other. For spots, wrap a small patch of the contrast colour first and cover it with the main colour. The layout on the ring is the layout you get on the ball.

Pom pom maker or cardboard?

A plastic pom pom maker is quicker to wrap because the arms open out, and it lasts for years. Cardboard costs nothing and you can cut any size you need on the spot. If you make more than a handful a year, a set of makers in four sizes pays for itself. If you need three for Christmas presents, a cereal box does the job fine.

Where to use them

The obvious one is the top of a hat - a pom pom is what turns a knitted hat or a crochet beanie into a winter hat. They also tie onto bag zips, replace a bow on a wrapped present, and string into a garland in about an hour for a dozen. If you were after the tissue paper kind for a party, that is a different technique: see paper pom poms.