Pompoms are small balls of tufted yarn — decorative bits of fluff which are used on woolly hats, shoes and clothes. Pompoms are also the much bigger balls of fluffy material or strips of coloured paper that cheerleaders wave about¹.

This Entry will tackle the smaller, fluffy pompom. Pompoms are an easy way to introduce children to the world of crafting and to keep them busy, as the final product can be achieved during one sitting. Also, there are not many fiddly bits for them to get irritated and impatient with.

How to Make a Pompom

Equipment

• Yarn - Any type of yarn² can be used, depending on the type of pompom required.

• Cardboard - Stiff cardboard is best so that it will not warp when the yarn is wound around it.

• Scissors - For ease of cutting, these should be sharp.

• Needle (Optional) - The needle should have an eye large enough to thread the yarn and a blunt end³. A needle will be useful in the case of smaller pompoms or for finishing off⁴ your pompom. With larger pompoms, you can easily wrap the yarn around.

Method

1. Cut two cardboard doughnuts⁵. The size of these cutouts will determine the size of your pompom. The diameter of the hole depends on how packed you would like your pompom to be — the larger the diameter of the hole, the fuller the pompom. For an average pompom, the centre hole is approximately one-third of the circle's diameter.

2. Hold the two cardboard pieces together.

3. Wrap the yarn evenly around the cutouts, working around the cardboard. Keep on doing this until the hole is full. Don't worry if you happen to run out of yarn. Just leave the 'tail' on the outside and start with a new length of yarn. A note of caution: do not wrap the yarn too tightly, as this will hinder you when cutting the yarn.

4. Once the wrapping is complete, use the scissors to cut along the edge of the doughnuts a few layers of yarn at a time until you reach the cardboard.

5. Pull the two cardboard pieces apart slightly. Using another piece of yarn, wrap it a few times along the middle and tie tightly. Leave the ends alone, as you may require these later⁶.

6. Pull out the cardboard pieces⁷ or cut a slit through the cardboard pieces so that they can be pulled away easily.

7. Fluff up your little pompom. Trim any excess yarn.

For more colourful pompoms, different-coloured yarn can be used. For a speckled effect, the different colours can be wrapped together; for a striped effect, the colours can be wrapped one after the other.

What else can I do with these little balls of fluff?

Pompoms are usually attached to woolly hats and are used most commonly by knitters to decorate bits of their work. However they can also be used to decorate hair extensions and make disco snakes or Christmas tree ornaments⁸.

They can be also used to make little pompom animals. For example, if you wanted to make a pompom bunny, you would make a small grey pompom for the tail, a bigger grey pompom for the head and a still bigger grey pompom for the body. Tie these pompoms together tightly. Glue little plastic eyes and pieces of felt⁹ (cut out to the necessary feet and ear shapes) to the pompoms. Voila! A little furry pompom bunny.

---

¹ The cheerleading variety are also known as 'pompons' or 'pom-pons'.
² Yarn ranges from wool to nylon. This terminology covers both natural and synthetic fibres.
³ These needles are called 'tapestry' or 'knitter's' needles.
⁴ Sewing term for 'making the end bits neat and tidy'. It does not refer to killing your pompom in any way...
⁵ A circle with a hole in the middle.
⁶ These ends can be used to tie the pompom or to be sewn into the object to be decorated.
⁷ These can be reused for other pompoms.
⁸ Add sparkly yarn strands or little stick-on stars.
⁹ Both available at craft shops.