Pom-poms also written as pompons, are cute, round yarn balls. It is a part of many knitting and crochet projects that do not require knitting needles or crochet hooks. These balls of yarn are created by winding the yarn tightly and then tie them and shaped with sharp scissors. They can be wonderfully made on pom pom makers or even by hand but it would require hard work and precision. Pom poms feature on beanie hats, as economically sound embellishments of shawls, bags, blankets, or at the end of cords of any kind. Like tassels and the I-cord, they have been around for hundreds of years.
History of the humble Pom Poms
The beautiful yarn balls are humble creations, they do not require specialty tools or techniques. Not much is known about who exactly invented pom-poms. As there are only a few ancient garments that have survived the ages, the socks from Egypt being one of those.
However records from the 17th century, sailors started to put pom-poms on their beanies in order to protect themselves from bumping their heads in tight spaces when the sea was rough. The Scottish version is called a ‘toorie’ and is still part of the Highland dress and seen on Scottish military uniforms.
Pom-poms may show up in many different colors, sizes and textures. You can create them from scrap yarn, of course, but also from paper, glitter or feathers. The rule of the yarn crafts is bigger the yarn weight bigger the fabric they make. If you make a pom pom with chunky weight yarn you will have a bigger ball with lots of fluffiness. In short, pom-poms are a genius addition to any garment or project. Traditionally pom poms were made by wrapping yarn around a piece of cardboard or even a fork. With the help of pom-pom makers they are now so much fun and fantastically easy to create in a variety of sizes and shapes.
If it’s your first time making a pom-pom before, in this blog we will walk you through all the parts of how to make perfect, fluffy balls and ideas to use them in your crafts.
How to Make the Best and Easiest Pom-Poms
Open the double Rejoice or Nirvana pom-pom maker. They have two half circles or legs on each side. Start by placing the beginning of the yarn in between the two ring legs and secure it by slightly pressing the legs together. Wrapping the yarn evenly around the ring in the same direction, until it is full. Make sure you hold the yarn in your other hand tight to keep good tension. The Nirvana pom-pom makers come in a textured, wavy form specially designed to keep all your yarn in place.
When the U-shape between the two ring legs is full of yarn, it is time to bring it all together.
Cut the thread but hold on to the end to ensure the yarn around your ring does not start to come loose.
Close the ring and cut through all the yarn along the middle of your pom-pom maker.
Do not worry any of your yarn might come off, as the maker will hold all your yarn tightly in place.
When all the yarn has been cut open, take another around 10-15 cm of yarn and tie it tightly around the middle of your pom-pom ring. Cross it over and pull it around again two or three times. Then tie a tight knot, or maybe two or three, just to make sure, the ball won’t open.
Now you can open your ring. Give your pom-pom some fluffy shape first by rolling it smoothly around in your palms. Finally, trim the outer ends with your scissors to even the yarn out.
To know more watch the pom poms in the making; check out this video - https://youtu.be/2unNl9orV3c
Pom Pom Decoration Ideas for Knitting and Crochet Projects
If you're looking to use up your yarn scraps or you just want to create something cute and colourful there are projects to inspire you to get crafting. From cushions to wall hanging and everyday garments, there's something fun for everyone! Perfect for making with your little ones to celebrate spring, Easter or any other special occasion, these pom pom projects are sure to add a lovely pop of colour to your décor!
Toys
Whether you knit or crochet, the yarn balls make wonderful additions to any toy project. Even if you don’t knit or crochet, you can make toys with pom poms. For example a yarn caterpillar or dolls.
Hats
Baby hats or even adult hats look beautiful with pom poms. In fact, adding one to the top of the hat is a good way to hide the stitches that you have weaved in. If you crochet a hat without a magic circle, the pom pom will hide the hole. And, even if you have made a hat with knitting needles, double-pointed or circular it will be a good way to not have to slog on the few stitches but make a drawstring and put a pom pom. If you are new to hat knitting, follow our step-by-step guide on how to knit a hat.
Blankets
Adding yarn balls to the corner or even edges of a blanket makes even the garter or stocking stitch pattern shine. Your knitted blanket will look special and if it’s a gift for a loved one, especially babies and little ones, you have hit the jackpot. This one is true even if your blanket is crocheted.
Scarves
The corners or edging of scarves look lovely with pom poms. It also hides your uneven edges if you have mistakenly distorted the shape of the project by ignoring some common knitting mistakes.
Cushion Covers
Even plain garter cushion covers look beautiful with yarn balls. Make them in different colours or even with multi-shaded yarns. Chunky balls look all the more beautiful.
Wall Hangings
The perfect welcome board for a baby, pom poms make for colourful and cozy wall hangings. Make a bundle of yarn balls and arrange them into any design. The more colours you use, the better it will look.
Festive Decorations
There are limitless options for festive decorations with pom poms. From dressing up your Christmas tree to packing those special gifts there is so much to do.
We hope you have become hooked on the art of making pom-poms now, too. It is a great craft to keep your kids entertained for hours. You will see anyone’s face brighten up when you show them a bag full of pom-poms. What would you design of your handmade pom-poms?
