DIY: Pompons

One of my very favorite things to add to a hat to make it a little more fun is a pompon. It’s festive and fun and so easy to make.

Can we take a break here to discuss the word pompon? I lived many years of my life thinking it was pompom. How is it not pompom? Here is a little history on the spelling and subsequent misspelling of the word; fascinating stuff!

Either way you pronounce them, here’s how I make mine. Disclaimer: I figured this out for myself and there are likely much better ways to make them, but this is quick, requires very few supplies, and works for me.

Supplies: yarn, scissors, hands

Not pictured: other hand

Step 1: Cut a ~12 inch piece of yarn and set near-by

Step 2: Using the end of the ball of yarn, wrap the yarn around your middle 3 fingers of your non-dominant hand over and over until you’ve got a thick bundle of yarn. The more wraps, the fuller your pompon will be. When you’re satisfied, cut the yarn with your free hand.

Step 3:  Grab the 12 inch piece you cut earlier. Poke it between your fingers, wrap it around  the back of your yarn wad, and back to the front of your hand. Tie it in a knot around the middle of the wad and free your fingers (this is the hardest part). Once I’ve tied it around the middle once, I like to weave the ends back through the middle and around a few more times to make sure it’s sturdy. Leave enough of a tail to tie the pompon to your project.

Step 4: Cut all of the yarn loops in half.

Step 5: Stand over a trash can and trim the pompon until it is nice and round. Channel your favorite hairdresser and go to town. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but mine usually need a bit of evening up to make it less... oblong. If the pompon is too big, you can trim the whole thing down shorter to make it smaller.

You’ll want to play around with the number of wraps and number of fingers (2 fingers for a small pompon, 4 for a large) until you find the right combination for your yarn and project. I'm about to make some little bunny slippers, and their tails will be 2-finger pom-pons. Stay tuned!

Toodles! TLO