How to Make a Yarn Pom Pom

Steps

1. 1. Trace Two Circles on Cardboard for a DIY Pom Pom Maker

   Stand a jar or can on the cardboard and draw round it with a pencil. Do it twice so you have two identical circles.

   Tip: Cereal box card is the ideal weight. Corrugated cardboard is too thick to fit scissors between the two layers later.

   

2. 2. Cut the Centre Hole and an Exit Slot in Each Cardboard Donut

   Cut out both circles. Trace a coin or small lid in the middle of each and cut that out too, so you have two cardboard donuts.

   Tip: Cut the slot a little wider than a strand of yarn. Too narrow and the tie will not slip through at step six.

   

3. 3. Hold Two Strands of Yarn and Start Wrapping the Cardboard Rings

   Line the two donuts up so they sit as one. Hold two strands of yarn together, lay the ends against the ring at the slot, and wrap over the ends to anchor them.

   Tip: Two strands at once is not a shortcut that costs anything. The pom pom comes out the same, in half the wrapping time.

   

4. 4. Keep Wrapping Until the Yarn Donut Is Fat

   Go back over the ring four or five times. It should look chunky and the centre hole should be nearly filled.

   Tip: Keep an even, relaxed tension. Tight wraps make the next step a fight.

   

5. 5. Cut the Yarn Between the Two Cardboard Rings

   Slide one blade of the scissors between the two cardboard layers at the outer edge and snip. Work round the whole circle, cutting every loop of yarn.

   Tip: If your scissors are dull, cut through a folded sheet of kitchen foil five or six times first. It puts a quick edge on cheap craft scissors.

   

6. 6. Tie a Length of Yarn Tightly Round the Middle of the Pom Pom

   Cut about 12 inches of yarn. Slip it between the two cardboard rings, round the centre, and out through the slot.

   Tip: Leave the tails long. You will use them to attach the pom pom to a hat.

   

7. 7. Slide the Cardboard Rings Off the Pom Pom

   Ease each cardboard ring off. Tear it if it will not come away cleanly - you can cut new ones.

   Tip: Keep the rings if they come off whole. They are the trimming guide in the next step.

   

8. 8. Trim the Pom Pom Round Using a Cardboard Ring as a Guide

   Lay newspaper down first, because this makes a mess. Put a cardboard ring on top of the pom pom and one underneath, like a sandwich, with the tails tucked out of the way.

   Tip: Trim a little at a time. You can always cut more and you cannot put it back.

   

9. 9. Attach the Finished Yarn Pom Pom to a Hat, Bag or Gift

   Thread the long tails onto a tapestry needle, push them through the top of a hat from the outside, and tie them off on the inside. The same tails tie a pom pom onto a zip pull or round a wrapped present in place of a bow.

   Tip: For a hat that goes in the wash, tie the pom pom on rather than gluing it so you can take it off first.