The best pom poms
I have vivid memories of making pom poms at my cousins house when I was little (that's the 80s for everyone playing at home). At least I think it was my cousins house. I recall that she had recently learnt how to make them and was teaching us the mystic art of pom pom creation. It was the cardboard circle method and I didn't particularly enjoy the process. I think we made them as Christmas tree decorations and I am 100% sure they were pretty crappy.
About eight years ago I tried to win the affection of boy by making him a pom pom octopus. (An interesting approach to courting in the 2000s... we are still together but I think it may be in spite of the pom pom octopus, rather than because of it.) Once more I employed the cardboard circle method and whilst older and able to finesse the resultant pom pom - I still thought the method was rubbish.
Leap forward to 2017 and pom poms are all therage. Brands like Gorman are stitching pom poms to everything! Jackets, scarves, socks and I LOVE it. But I am pretty stingy and I do baulk at what is essentially a plain item with added pom poms and a price tag hike.
But what to do? I have firmly resolved that I hate the cardboard method circle. (sorry to those who love it but it just didn't rock my world). So I have lived a pom pom-less life. UNTIL FREEKIN' NOW!
On a weekend escape to the Mornington Peninsula I popped into my favourite little craft store Windmills & Roses located in the village of Mt Eliza. Amongst the walls of yarn, bolts of fabric and draped blankets covered in pom poms I spotted the tool that was going to bring me back to the love of handmade pom poms. It was the Clover Pom Pom Maker and it promised me a world of quick, easy and beautiful pom poms. I decided to buy the small makers as it was $12.95 for two! How could I lose?
I perched myself on the couch with a supply of various coloured and textured yarns and got to work wrapping each of the semi-circles with yarn. The circles have a two ridges that creates a valley for the scissors to cut through the yarn. To me this is one of the best parts. The scissors are guided through and it means you will get nice even pom poms. With the yarn cut, it is held in place by the maker allowing you to easily tie some yarn or cotton around the strands. This is a very important step to do correctly as if you make it too loose your strands will fall out of the pom pom. Once the maker is opened up you have a delightful little pom pom. Roll the pom pom lightly in your palms to fluff it out and then trim away bits of yarn to sculpt the perfect circle.
The Clover Pom Pom Maker was a delight. Each pom pom took under 5 minutes to make. It is a small, efficient and durable piece of crafting equipment. Compared to the cardboard circle method it is a dream. But it does come with a price-tag where the cardboard circle is free. But for me the convenience for under $20 bucks is something I am willing to pay for. I am definitely going to order the larger Clover Pom Pom Maker and start churning pom poms out in industrial quantities.
Grab yourself a Clover, pour a cup of tea and start planning which clothing items and household goods you are going to start attaching pom poms too with rapid fury. There are also over a gazillion pom pom craft projects on Pinterest to keep your pom pom addiction satisfied.
Pro tips for pom pom making
Experiment with different yarn types for different effects
Wrap the semi-circle until the void at the centre is FULL if you want a thick pom pom
Use a strong but thin yarn or string to secure your pom pom
Make sure you secure the string tightly or your pom pom will fall apart
Watch out for yarn-burn due to your new pom pom making addiction
