DIY Mini Fork Pom Poms

There are a gajillion tutorials out there for making pom poms. Here's the gajillion and first tutorial from a complete novice, with a few useful tips that I learned along the way. I have been doing this for three whole days, so obviously I am a complete pro by now.

Materials:

Yarn. A three-pronged fork. A pair of small, sharp scissors.

Instructions:

Step One: Wrap yarn around fork until you make a thick bunch all around.

Thicker bunch = fuller, fluffier pom pom. It may take a few tries to know how thick to make it for your desired pom pom fullness.

Step 2: Cut the end of the yarn. Use a small piece of yarn, or string, to tightly tie around the middle of the bunch.

I use a surgeon's knot to securely tie it. It is very important to tie it as tight as you can, not only so it doesn't fall apart, but also to make your pom pom fuller. You can even doubly secure it with yarn and some strong thread if you're worried about it coming loose.

Step Three: Take the yarn bunch off of the fork, and carefully cut through all of the loops.

Make sure not to cut through your securing thread! Double, triple, quadruple check for any sneaky loops that you missed.

Step Four: Trim away any excess or uneven threads until you're happy with it's shape.

Trimming the ends of the thread helps to give the pom pom that fluffy, full look. Roll the pom pom between your poms to fluff it up a bit, too. You could even try shaping a square pom pom like on South by North.

I, personally, sort of fell in love with the raw, scruffier looking pom poms (I might be one of the few) over the perfectly round ones, which requires minimal trimming.

And it's that easy. It gets a bit addictive once you get the hang of it. And if you don't think it's worth the hassle you can always take the easy way out and buy one of these Clover pom pom makers.

Make a pom pom garland. Make a pom pom wreath. Stitch a pom pom to your hat. Go crazy.