There’s something irresistible about pompoms, isn’t there!? For children and adults alike, those soft fluffy yarn balls are as fun to look at as they are to play with. Even the word “pompom” is fun to say! We use pompoms as a crafting material, as manipulatives for learning activities (counting/sorting/etc.), and with this project we turned them into homemade jewelry and put together this how-to so you can too!
Have you ever made your own pompoms? They’re easy to make, and require very few supplies. We have a set of store bought pompom makers, but they can also be made using a fork, or using cardboard cut in the shape of a letter ‘C’.
Not only are they easy to make, the process of making them has some great fine motor benefits: wrapping the yarn, as well as snipping it are both great ways to work developing little hands, so get those kiddos involved!
SUPPLIES:
- Yarn (we used Darn Good Yarn Sport Weight Silk Yarn)
- Scissors
- Pompom maker (homemade or store bought)/fork
PROCESS:
Step 1) Start by wrapping your yarn around your pompom maker. You’ll want to wrap it fairly tight, but not so tight that you won’t be able to fit your scissors in to snip. Try to make the thickness fairly even from end to end. Note: we chose to make our necklace with three pompoms, two small and one medium, so we used two sizes of pompom makers.
Step 2) Once you’ve finished wrapping the yarn evenly, it’s time to start snipping. Start from one end and carefully work your way to the other end.
Step 3) Next you’ll use a short piece of yarn to wrap and tie your freshly cut strands. Be sure to tie it tightly with a double knot to keep the strands from falling out. Don’t cut the excess length from the yarn you used to tie it with, you’ll use this after to secure the pompoms to the “chain” of the necklace.
Step 4) Time to trim! Using a good set of sharp scissors, trim the tips of your pompom in order to make it nice and evenly round.
Step 5) Repeat steps 1-4 to make the total number of pompoms you’d like to have on your necklace.
Step 6) Cut three equal length strands of yarn – you’ll want them to be about twice as long as you’d like your necklace to be. Tie the three strands together, and braid them to make your chain (braiding is another great fine motor exercise!). Be sure to leave about two inches on the end of the knots on each side, so that you can either attach a clasp or tie the ends together to wear it.
Step 7) Now it’s time to attach the pompoms to your braided chain. Choose where you want each of your pompoms to sit on the chain, and then tie each one in place on the braid using the thread that you used to tie the pompom together in step 3. Repeat for each pompom. You can tie them on permanently with tight knots, and trim the excess, or you can tie them on with bows and keep the option open to reposition them as desired.
Voila! Your fabulous new pompom necklace is ready to wear! They’re equally fashionable for adults and children alike, and make a great gift for friends and family.