People always assume giant pom poms must be really difficult to make. But they're much simpler than they look!
If you can wrap yarn around a pom pom maker, you can make a giant pom pom. And even if you've never touched a pom pom maker in your life, I know you'll be able to do this first time after following this tutorial!
This is the full step by step, start to finish, so you can see exactly how one comes together. You'll end up with a pom pom around 30cm across, and it takes about one to two hours if you do it in one sitting. It's the perfect craft for using up yarn from your stash and taking a bit of time for yourself on the sofa.
What you'll need
- Fat Pom Poms Giant Pom Pom Maker
- A length of thick cotton cord (for tying the pom pom together)
- Around 800g of acrylic yarn in the colours of your choice (a bit more if you're using chunky)
- Sharp scissors, or a Stanley knife with a concave blade (please only use a Stanley knife if you are already confident using them and do not let children use it)
A quick word on yarn - acrylic yarn is your friend here. It's cheap enough to use 800g without breaking the bank and it comes in every colour going, while it fluffs up beautifully once the pom pom is finished. You can choose the weight you want to use. I use DK mostly but also love using Chunky and Extra Chunky when I want a bit of a bigger pom pom! It's a brilliant way of using up your yarn stash too. Odd balls, leftovers, that colour you bought and immediately regretted. All welcome.
Step 1: Get your cord in place first
Double up your piece of cotton cord and lay it flat, making sure the middle of it lands in the middle point of the maker.
Carefully fold the cord each side back on itself, overlapping, until you only have the end points hanging off the end.
This bit feels fiddly and pointless right now. It isn't. Doing it first means that when you come to tie your pom pom, the cord is already in there and you can just pull it out ready to tie tightly. Doing it after is not an option as you risk the wrapped yarn falling off the pom pom maker!
Step 2: Start wrapping
Start wrapping anywhere on your pom pom maker, but keep the ends free.
When I make giant pom poms I like to add colours randomly. When you want to move onto the next colour just cut the previous yarn and tie onto the maker. You can choose exactly where your colours go but I like the surprise at the end when the colours reveal themselves!
Step 3: Keep wrapping
Keep wrapping, keeping the wraps nice and tight and neat. Tight wrapping gives you that dense, squishy, perfect sphere and will allow you to wrap as much yarn onto the maker as possible.
Step 4: Get comfy
Your pom pom maker will be getting heavier, so you may want to get comfy and have it on your lap rather than holding it in your hand.
This is the point where you put something on in the background and settle in. It's a lovely job for a rainy afternoon.
Step 5: Know when to stop
When your pom pom maker looks like a croissant, you are finished wrapping the yarn.
Step 6: Cutting
Lay your pom pom maker on a flat surface and either take a pair of sharp scissors or a Stanley knife with a concave blade attached.
Important: if you are using a Stanley knife you will need to take extra care as it is very sharp. No children should attempt this method and adults should only use this method if they are comfortable using Stanley knives.
Cut or slice along the gap between the pom pom maker pieces. Take your time as you need to be careful the cut yarn does not fall away as you're cutting. Make sure every piece of wrapped yarn has been cut through.
Step 7: Tie it, and tie it tightly
Pull the cords free from between the two pom pom maker pieces, double check you've pulled the whole cord free each side by pulling until the opposite cord starts to move.
Push down on the yarn between the gap in the maker and tie your first knot using the cords. Pull as tight as possible (you may want someone to help you hold it tight) and tie a double knot.
This is the single most important step in the whole thing. A loose tie means a pom pom that will slowly fall apart. The tighter you tie the pom pom the better it will be.
Step 8: Release
Pull the pom pom away from the pom pom maker. Voila, you have your pom pom.
Give it a shake and a scrunch with your hands. Sometimes you may need to trim some of the longer strands of yarn to turn it into a lovely spherical shape. I like to keep it as shaggy as possible to keep the lovely big size but you can trim it as small as you want! The smaller you trim it the denser the pom pom will be.
Want to go bigger?
You may even want to go one step further and make two giant pom poms, then tie them together to make one giant giant pom pom. It ends up egg shaped and completely ridiculous, in the best way.
Frequently asked questions
How much yarn do I need for a giant pom pom?
Around 800g of acrylic yarn. That's based on DK, so if you're using chunky or extra chunky you'll want a bit more. You can mix as many colours as you like within that.
How long does it take to make a giant pom pom?
As long or as short as you like. Some people pick it up and wrap a bit each day until it's done, others do the whole thing in one sitting, which takes about one to two hours.
How big is a giant pom pom?
Around 30cm across once it is finished and trimmed. Keep it shaggy and it stays at the bigger end, trim it right down and it gets smaller but denser.
Can children make one?
They can do the wrapping, which is the fun part and takes the longest. An adult should do the cutting, and the Stanley knife method isn't suitable for children at all.
Why is my pom pom floppy?
Almost always one of two things. Either the wraps weren't tight enough, or the tie wasn't tight enough. Wrap firmly and pull that knot as hard as you can.
What yarn is best?
Acrylic. It's affordable in the quantities you need, it holds its shape, and the colour range is unbeatable.
Everything you need
Every one of my Giant Pom Pom Makers comes with a full detailed tutorial so you can really get your teeth into it. Everything you need to make a giant pom pom is on the website.
Now tell me. What colours would your dream giant pom pom be?
Jess x
Fat Pom Poms