How to Make a Yarn Pom-Pom

We've been having fun with yarn around here. Fluffy pom-pom kind of fun! When our friends at MightyNest gave us a sewing & knitting kit to try out, I figured it was about time to teach Liam how to make this fun craft activity that I remember making as a kid.

Yarn pom-poms are very simple to make. An older child can make them by themselves. A younger child may need some help but they still get the satisfaction of doing a lot themselves.

What you need:

Yarn (any kind, any color)

Cardboard (we used an old shipping box)

Scissors

How to make a pom-pom:

Start out by cutting out 2 circles of cardboard - with a notch in each for getting the yarn through.

Begin winding the yarn around the circle. Wrap over the loose end of the yarn to keep it in place. Keep wrapping until the whole circle is full. The more yarn you use, the fluffier the pom-pom. Use more than one color yarn if you would like. Better yet, wrap 3 colors at once for really fast pom-pom making!

Once the circle is fully wrapped, trim the end of the yarn. Using a scissors, carefully cut between the 2 cardboard circles. Be sure to hold on to the yarn as you cut to keep it from falling off the circle.

Next, pull a new piece of yarn through the 2 cardboard circles and tie it in a tight knot. I typically tie it a few times to make sure it is secure.

Now you can pull off the cardboard circles. Trim the pom-pom as desired. You can leave a long string on it if you are planning to attach the pom-pom to something.

Liam came up with a whole bunch of uses for pom-poms:

• play catch with it
• put it on your ice skates
• use it as a Christmas tree ornament
• attach it to a headband
• use it as a cat toy
• put it on top of a gift

Have you ever made pom-poms? What is your favorite thing to do with them?

Comments

[Mama and Baby Love]

Cool! I have always wanted to try to make these! What age do you think kids will be able to help along, as far as fine motor skills go?

[Terri Sue]

I have to make 9 tiny ones for a bowling set I am making for my 18 mo old grandson. the "pins" are bunnies so of course they need tails. On a pompom that small I will usually just wrap yarn around two fingers until I think it is full enough. Then slip it off my fingers and tie it tightly in the middle. Now you have a figure eight. Cut the loops on each side, this should be able to do with one pass each. Take your funny looking thing and start rolling it around in your hands briskly and it will form into a pompom. Since your wraps were probably uneven, mine always are, you will now need to trim it to make it look even. just start cutting away until you have an even ball. And there you are. This only works when making very small pompoms. Use Micaela's directions for regular ones. Also this only works with cotton yarn as the yarn untwists with the rolling in your hands to give you a full pompom. Yet if you need a tiny pompom it's an easy way to do one. Thank you for the post Micaela, I've always thought pompoms were gret fun especially for children to make.

[Micaela]

How fun that you can make tiny pom-poms on your fingers! I'm going to try that. Thanks Terri!

[Micaela]

Good question Stephanie! I think it depends on the child but a 3 or 4 year old could probably start helping a little bit. Don't leave them alone with the scissors though! :)  

[Lori Popkewitz Alper]

I completely forgot about this craft!I remember making these too. A perfect vacation activity.

[Jennie]

These are adorable! I have to add them to my crafting list! Thanks for sharing.

[Micaela]

I'm sure you and your son would love making them Jennie!

[Alicia@ eco friendly homemaking]

Oh these look like so much fun to make.

[Holly James]

This is so cute! My four year old daughter has been wanting some rooter poms to wave at her brothers soccer games. She loves cheering for him. I think I'll give these a try. Thanks for sharing!

[Micaela]

Sounds like these pom-poms will be perfect for cheering at a soccer game! Thank for stopping by Holly!

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