Creative Budget - Pom Pom crazy!

Do you remember the cute felt Easter Egg decorations I made as part of my Spring Creative Budget challenge with fab craft materials from Abakhan? Well, as promised, here is my Spring Creative Budget challenge part 2!

One of the trends I am loving right now is the resurgence of the humble pom pom. Once beloved of grannies who knitted your winter woolly hat and decorated tea cosies with them, they are now being used to create everything from cushions and rugs to window dressings and wall art!

What better way to brighten up your home this Spring than by hanging a pretty pastel coloured pom pom garland somewhere bright and sunny....

Pom poms are so easy to make - did you ever make them as a child, the old fashioned way with 2 rings of cardboard sandwiched together? These days with fab little pompom makers readily available pom pom making has got even easier. I picked up a set of 4 different sizes for a few quid from Ebay and if you are going to make a lot of pom poms I really recommend that you invest in a set!  You can even get ones that make heart shaped pom poms! Imagine how beautiful a heart pompom garland would be...

So the first thing you need to do is make a load of pom poms... (there are plenty of tutorials online if you have never actually made one before!)

a whole load of pom poms!

Do you see the cute rainbow coloured pompoms? Want to know how to make them?

Take your first colour and wrap around the pom pom maker (or your cardboard circles if you are using them). Keep the yarn evenly spaced.

Cut the yarn and take your next colour...

I used yellow next then mint green then lilac - can you see how the layers are building up nicely?

When you have used all the colours you want close up the two halves of the pom pom maker and clip together...

snip around the edge to reveal cute pastel rainbow stripes!

Finish off the pom pom as per maker instructions and there you go!

I am already thinking black and orange stripey ones for Halloween and red and white for Christmas!



Once you have your basket load of pom poms all you need to do is thread them on to a long length of yarn - mine are random colours and sizes but you can arrange yours in a pattern if you prefer.  You'll need a fairly long wool needle - I used a doll making needle - to get through the larger pom poms without pulling half the strands out! Space the pom poms out along your thread carefully (they should stay in place without any additional knots) then hang in a bright spot and enjoy!

pretty pastel rainbow pom pom

I love the way this garland brightens up my hallway - it gives it a kind of welcoming feel that has been missing since the Christmas tinsel came down. You can use these garlands anywhere though - pretty up a babies room (make sure it is hung well out of reach of young children and cats. You do not want to know how quickly one kitten can shred a batch of pom poms...) or use instead of bunting for parties.  How pretty would colour co-ordinated pom pom garlands look at a handmade wedding celebration?

If you need anymore inspiration once you have mastered/rediscovered the art of pom pom making check out my pinterest board...


I used Hayfield Bonus DK yarn supplied bt Abakhan for this project. My garland measures approximately 2m long and used less than half a ball of each of the 5 colours I chose so there is plenty left over for another project. Or more pom poms ;-)