If you’re like me, you always wondered how to make a perfect pom pom. Equal parts fluffy and properly symmetrical. There are SO many cute pom pom projects out there, but the first thing you need? A good pom pom! Browsing Pinterest offers more methods than most care to try. But me? I’ve tried them all and I can confidently say, the most basic way, in this case wins by a mile. Below I’ll show you step by step the way that I make all of the pom poms for my projects.
Believe it or not, the overall winner is the old fashioned finger wrap method. This, of course, is not a new ground breaking way to make pom poms. But with all of the other tools, tricks, and tutorials out there, it’s easy to forget that the easiest and most accessible way works just as well!
My issue with other methods, such as using a fork, is that I’m limited with my size variation. Even with all of the mis-matched silverware I have in my kitchen drawer, I still don’t have a fork big enough to make a pom pom the size I show below.
However, I will say there’s one big exception to this rule. If you need (or want) pom poms that are exactly the same size, the finger method may not be for you and your project. In that situation, I would suggest looking into the cardboard ring method or a pom pom maker/sizer from a craft store. Any project I work on can tolerate the poms being slightly different sizes, so for me this is not an issue.
For the finger wrap method you will need three simple things;
1. Yarn
2. Scissors
3. Fingers
To get started, decide how big you want the pom poms to be. The bigger the pom pom, the more fingers you will use to wrap the yarn around. The standard size I use for pom pom garland requires three fingers.
Drape the yarn over your fingers leaving a little tail at the end.
Hold the tail between your thumb and pinky fingers for control. I also put a little bend in my three wrapping fingers to control how wide the wrapping will be. Begin winding the yarn around your fingers.
Continue this process until you get the desired fullness. Remember, the more yarn you wrap now, the fuller your pom pom will be!
Gently slip the loops off your fingers. Cut the yarn where the ball is attached.
Next step is to tie a knot around the pom loops and cinch in the middle. Cut a piece of yarn big enough to go around the loops with enough length to comfortably tie the knot.
Lay the string down flat and set the pom loops on top. Criss cross the string over top, preparing to tie the knot. It’s very important to get the knot right in the middle of wrapping or the pom pom will be lopsided.
Tie a knot and pull tight around the loops. Take your scissors and begin cutting the loops. Continue until all loops have been cut.
More often than not, the fringe will need some trimming to make the pom pom perfectly round. Hold the pom pom by the tie strings for control.
And the pom pom making continues! Try out various sizes by wrapping more or less yarn and/or fingers!
And if you’re like me, you’ll have a big pile of pom poms and a HUGE mess!
