How to Make a Yarn Pompom

Pompoms are small, fluffy balls, typically added to knit hats. You can always buy them from the store, but making your own will allow you to choose any color and texture of yarn you want. They are fast, fun, and easy to make. You can add them to knitted or crocheted hats, use them as Christmas ornaments, or give them to your cat to play with. Best of all, there are lots of different ways to make them!^{[1]XExpert SourceNicole Bolin
Crafts & DIY SpecialistExpert Interview. 29 October 2020.}

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Using Your Fingers

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^{[2]XResearch source} You will be using this piece of yarn to tie your pompom together. Your fingers will be literally tied up, so it will be easier to do this part first.
Take the rest of your yarn, and place it horizontally across your fingers. If you want a standard sized pompom, drape it across your forefinger and middle finger. If you'd like a bigger pompom, extend the yarn over your ring finger too.^{[3]XExpert SourceNicole Bolin
Crafts & DIY SpecialistExpert Interview. 29 October 2020.}
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3
Wrap the yarn around your fingers. Do not wrap the yarn too tightly, or you will risk cutting off your circulation. If your fingers start to turn blue or purple, you are wrapping too tightly. Wrapping the yarn too tightly will also make it harder to slide it off in the end. How many times you wrap the yarn around your fingers will depend on how big you want the pompom to be:^{[4]XResearch source}
- If you are using two fingers, wrap the yarn 100 to 125 times.
- If you are using three fingers, wrap the yarn 125 to 150 times.
- The more you wrap, the bigger and thicker your pompom is going to be.^{[5]XExpert SourceNicole Bolin
  Crafts & DIY SpecialistExpert Interview. 29 October 2020.}
Hold your yarn bundle together as you pull it off so that it doesn't come apart. Make sure that you place it in the center of your short piece of yarn.
Pull both ends of the yarn towards yourself, then tie them together into a tight knot over the center of your yarn bundle. This is very important. If the knot is not tight, the pompom won't hold together.^{[6]XResearch source}
Bring the two yarn ends towards yourself again, and tie them into another tight knot. Tie them together once more to make a secure double knot.
Be sure to cut through all of the loops, or your pompom won't look right in the end.^{[7]XExpert SourceNicole Bolin
Crafts & DIY SpecialistExpert Interview. 29 October 2020.}
You can do this with your fingers, or by gently rolling it between your palms. Don't panic if a few strands come out; this is normal.
Your pompom is mostly done, but it may look a little scruffy. Neaten it up by trimming off any long bits of yarn that stick out. Do this by carefully rotating the pompom between your fingers, and cutting away any pieces of yarn that are longer than the rest.^{[8]XResearch source}

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Using Cardboard

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This will create the base for your pompom maker. If you want a really big pompom, you can use a small bowl or even an old CD or DVD.^{[9]XResearch source}
The circle should be ½ to 1 inch (1.27 to 2.54 centimeters) wide. The bigger your outer circle is, the bigger your inner circle should be. Avoid making the inner circle too big, however, or you'll have a hard time tying your pompom together.
Cut your larger circle out first, then the smaller one. You will end up with something that looks like a doughnut. If you are a child doing this craft, ask an adult to help you with this step.
The slit needs to go from the outer edge straight down to the inner edge. This will make wrapping the yarn around your doughnut easier.^{[10]XResearch source}
Stack the doughnuts one on top of the other, and make sure that the slits are aligned. You will be treating these as one doughnut until the very end.^{[11]XResearch source}
The easiest way to do this would be to start at one edge of the slit, going all the way around your doughnut, and finishing at the other edge of the slit.
Try to wrap as evenly as you can, and not so tightly that the cardboard starts to twist and warp.^{[12]XResearch source} If you'd like, you can switch yarn colors to create a more interesting-looking pompom.^{[13]XResearch source}
Snip off the excess yarn first, then slid your scissors between the yarn and the cardboard. Pull your scissors towards the edge of your doughnut, and start cutting through the yarn. Hold your yarn together, and don't let it come apart.
9
Cut a long piece of yarn, and tie it around the middle of your yarn bundle. Separate your two cardboard doughnuts enough so that you can slide your yarn in between them. Tie the ends of your yarn into a tight knot. Wrap them back in the opposite direction, then tie them into a tight, double knot.^{[14]XResearch source}
- You can choose to snip off the excess pieces of yarn, or you can tie the ends into a loop so that you can hang it.
If you need to, you can tear them to make things easier, but keep in mind that if you do that, you won't be able to reuse them.
You can do this by gently going through it with your fingers. You can also roll it between your palms instead. Don't worry if a few pieces of yarn come out.
Your pompom might still have some scraggly bits coming off of it, especially after all that fluffing. Rotate the pompom between your fingers, and snip off any long pieces of yarn that stick out.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Using a Fork

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You can use a plastic fork, but a metal fork will be less likely to bend or snap. Because you are working with such a small tool, consider working with a thinner type of yarn, rather than a bulky type.
Do not wrap the yarn too tightly, or you will bend the fork. Not only will you ruin the fork, but the pompom may not come out even. It will also make the pompom more difficult to tie at the end.
You will be using this to tie your pompom together. If you want, you can thread this through a yarn needle. This will make tying your pompom together easier.
Thread the yarn through the middle of the fork, right under the wrapped yarn first. Next, wrap it over the top of the wrapped yarn, and back under it, as tightly as you can.
Snip off any excess yarn, or tie it into a loop if you'd like to hang your pompom.
Gently fluffy the pompom out. You can do this with your fingers, or by rolling it between our palms. Don't worry if you lose a few threads.
At this point, you are done. Your pompom may look a little bit scraggly, however. If this bothers you, use a pair of scissors to trim off any uneven bits of yarn so that you get a ball-shape. This will also help make your pompom look more dense.

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Question
How do you make easy pompoms?
Nicole Bolin
Crafts & DIY Specialist
Nicole Bolin is a Crafting Specialist and the CEO of Stencil, a DIY Craft Studio in Phoenix, Arizona. Nicole specializes in interior design and various craft and DIY projects. Nicole holds a Certificate in Interior Design from the New York Institute of Art and Design. She opened Stencil in 2017 to teach others to create DIY projects that fit their home and lifestyle.
Nicole Bolin
Crafts & DIY Specialist
Expert Answer
There are many videos online to show you how to make pompoms with a fork, with a tool made out of a cardboard tube, or with your fingers. I prefer the simple fingers method, which you can read about in this article.
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Question
I want to brush out my pompom, so that it looks like fur. How can I do this?
Mo.mow.mo.money
Community Answer
Try using a fine-toothed comb, and brush with small strokes starting at the ends and gradually go closer to the center.
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Question
How do I make it into a ball shape?
Community Answer
Roll it and trim it. You have to roll the ball of the pom pom and trim the yarn of the ball to make it look good.
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Tips

Pompoms make great cat toys! Just be sure to supervise your cat, in case the pompom falls apart.
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When knitting a hat or other clothing item that features pompoms, make sure you have enough yarn leftover to make a pompom.
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If you don't have any multi colored yarn, you can just cut the yarn and keep wrapping when you want to switch colors. You can also just wrap two or more colors simultaneously.
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Warnings

When using the finger method, take care not to wrap the yarn too tightly, or you will risk cutting off your circulation.
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