Making It My Own: Pom Pom Basket
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Ever since I was a little kid, I have always enjoyed making things myself. Sometimes I would come up with my own ideas and designs and other times I would see something in a store or catalog and say to myself… “I can make that for less than half that price.” I did just that for a pom pom basket I made for my living room.
While I was looking for ways to add some color to my mid-winter decor using decorative items I already owned, I found inspiration in my mailbox.
If your snail mail mailbox has been anything like mine the last few weeks, you have received lots of catalogs. Catalogs for clothes, home decor, and more enticing you to buy their wares in the after Christmas buying slow down.
While flipping through a few of the catalogs, I came across these basket and really liked them. I loved the idea of the pom poms on the basket.
I also saw this one with multi-colored pom poms. I love pom-poms! They are right up there on my list of favorite things along with polka dots.
I have a basket that I bought at Pier 1 last year. I used it outside during the summer, but it is now in my living room. I use it to hold my throw blankets when they are not in use.
Inspired from the baskets I saw in the catalogs, I decided to give my basket a little trend up date in the way of colorful DIY pom poms. Best part of the update is that when the trend fades or I tire of the look, I can simply remove the pom poms without any damage to the basket.
How to Make a Pom Pom Basket
I learned to make pom-poms when I was a girl scout in grade school using a piece of cardboard, but you can simply use your hand or a drinking glass to wrap the yarn around to begin to create a pom pom.
I used small skeins of yarn from Walmart to make my pom poms, but you can also use embroidery floss or cotton yard.
supplies needed:
- Yarn – solid or multi-colored
- Cardboard cut to a 4″ x 3″ or a tall drinking glass
- Sharp scissors. For smaller pom poms, use smaller size scissors.
- String
- Begin by winding yarn around the cardboard.
- For a full pom pom, wind around 250 – 300 times. If you want a looser pom pom, wind around less.
- Carefully remove wound yarn from the cardboard. Place a 6 inch piece of string under yarn and tie it very tightly around the center of the yarn. Optional: You can use yarn to tie tightly around the yarn, but string is stronger and it also matches the inside of my basket so it will blend in when the pom poms are tied on to the basket.
- Hold the tied together yarn on its side and cut the loops with a pair of sharp scissors. Repeat on the loops on the other side of the pom pom and check for any uncut loops that may be deep inside the cut yarn.
IMPORTANT: You need to tie the string around the yarn very tight. This is one reason why I use to use string and not yarn as I can pull super tight and it does not break. It can also help to have someone hold the first tie around the yarn in place with their finger as you then tie the string once more to make a knot that will keep the string around the yarn very tight. If you want pom poms to be firm and fluffy, then you need to wrap more yarn around the cardboard.
Another pom pom making TIP: Don’t be shy about trimming the pom pom to make a more compact ball. When I make smaller pom poms, I use the same size cardboard, but trim off quite a lot of the yarn to create a tight firm ball.
5. Shake pom pom and begin to trim it with a sharp pair of scissors. Shake a few more times as you cut the yarn into a ball shape.
If you want to make the pom pom small, use smaller scissors as these will create smaller cuts helping to shape the yarn into a perfectly shaped ball.
How To Attach Pom Poms to a Basket
- Use painter’s tape to mark equal distances around rim of basket for even placement of pom poms.
2. Push one of the two string ties around pom pom into an open section of the weave on the basket. Place the second string in another opening right under the first. If needed, use an awl or tip of a screwdriver to help push the strings through to the inside of the basket.
3. Tie the strings into a knot on the inside of the basket. Cut away excess string.
4. Repeat for the rest of the pom poms.
I chose to use a variety of my favorite colors.
When I want the basket to be plain again, all I have to do is snip the string inside the basket for each pom pom.
Yarn comes in so many pretty colors. I am not a knitter, but I do enjoy finding ways to use it.
I used multi-colored yarn to make pom poms for this door draft stopper. Tutorial here: Dodging a Winter Draft
And this Pom Pom Throw.
I also love this yarn that is sold at Michaels. It has all my favorite colors in in, but it is too thick to make a compact pom pom since the cut ends unfurl easily.
Find it here: Issac Mizrahi Craft Yarn
I did use it to create a colorful doorway curtain for the rec room on the second floor of my house that has no door. :-) I get excited when I see an infusion of colors like these all in one place. :-)
Have you ever used yarn to decorate your home?
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Wow such a wonderful creations. These baskets are very beautiful.
The pom pom basket is so pretty! I will keep that in mind, hoping that my hubby likes the idea (I can see him rolling his eyes and saying “another DIY project”, honey? LOL
these basket are looking soo beautiful………………………i like all of these
thanks for nice post
I cute Pom, I Like Basket design So Much. Thank for Sharing,
I cherish this post! In my Girl Scout days I used to make pom poms utilizing 2 bits of doughnut molded cardboard! I’ll need to attempt your direction! I became hopelessly enamored with your paint chip drape, yet can’t discover the directions – HELP! I truly need to make one!
Hi Malika – I wrote the paint chip curtain post for Glidden’s My Colortopia site. You can find it here: http://mycolortopia.com/blog/uncategorized/doorway-curtain-made-using-paint-chips#HeJTH5gzAdD9deuJ.97
Adore this thought! I saw such a variety of pom tosses and cushions for the winter season at the stores this year. I never made a pom yet I may give it a shot for a wicker container!
Finest blog about basket design and I like this Pom-Pom basket too much.
I love poms! Never learned how to make them until now – Grandma had kitchen curtains that had a border of little red pom poms and I thought she must be the most clever of all Grandmas… and I need a draft stopper at my front door, so now I know what I’ll be making!
Hugs!!
Diane! Here you go with those cute pom-poms again and your basket looks adorable!! I’ve never said this “out loud” before, but I’m a sucker for pom-poms, any size, any color, attached to anything or hanging as garlands. I’ve had a pom-pom obsession since I learned how to make them as a kid at summer camp. For years, my pom-poms weren’t exactly round, I hadn’t mastered the trimming part yet, but I loved them and thought they were beautiful anyway. As I write this, I’ve got my eye on a basket in the corner of this room that’s nearly a twin to yours. My grandson uses it as storage for his lincoln logs. It’s jusr, well…brown. I’m going to paint it a light teal (I have teal accents in this room) and pom-pom it the same way you did yours. I’m so excited thinking about it, it’s ridiculous! Thank you, for loving pom-poms too, I feel a kindred spirit in you! By the way, last week I made your draft blocker with the pom-pom corners. It not only blocks the cold air but adds a wonderfully whimsical touch to the room.
I love this post! In my Girl Scout days I used to make pom poms using 2 pieces of donut shaped cardboard! I’ll have to try your way! I fell in love with your paint chip curtain, but cannot find the instructions – HELP! I really want to make one!
Hi Pat – The tutorial for the paint chip curtain is over on the Glidden website that I write for called, My Colortopia.
I will check the link I have for it in the pom pom basket post to make sure it is working, but here it is: http://mycolortopia.com/blog/uncategorized/doorway-curtain-made-using-paint-chips#CkfStsFiLCJKxOJR.97
Hi again Pat – I see I didn’t have a link to the paint chip curtain in my post. I just added it. Thanks for letting me know. :-) Enjoy your weekend.
Thanks, Diane!
Very cute! I love pom-poms and so easy to color coordinate!
I am so excited about this post. I LOVE this basket i think i need to make this for my baby girls nursery. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the detail on using string! I’ve made Pom poms before…for my cat! He loves to pull out the strands…couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong! Cute basket! ;)
Really cute!
Love this idea! I saw so many pom pom throws and pillows for the winter season at the stores this year. I never made a pom pom before but I may try it out for a basket!
Your favorite colors are my favorite colors too. I love the pom pom basket & your doorway curtain is amazing!
I think you peeked into my living room, saw me making the most pitiful pom poms ever, and thought, ” Oh my gosh! That woman needs help!”
Sat here Sunday during that (awful) Cowboys game and started making them for a Valentines wreath that I might finish in 2025 at this rate. My directions said to wrap 150 times. I’m going to start over your way – 250 wraps and string, which may be key. And with a smaller project. Thank you BUNCHES for this timely tutorial.
What a great idea, easy and inexpensive, i”m sitting in my livingroom looking around at all the ways i can add color, I see a trip to Walmart coming up as soon as I decide on colors to use. Thank you once again for the inspiration.
Thank you for your “colorful” information on pom-poms! I love your teaching techniques that are so easy to follow.
I did this but my pom-poms weren’t nearly as pretty and fluffy. I noticed that there were fewer pom poms every day and found my dog was removing them!
Hi Vicky – When my daughters cat comes to visit, he loves to play with the pom pom throw I made a few years ago. I have found a few yarn strands on the floor that he managed to pull out. :-( I think the problem with your pom poms not being a fluffy as you would have liked happened for two reasons. One is that you have to tie the string around the yarn very tight. This is why I use the string as I can pull super tight and it does not break. It can help to have someone hold the first tie of the string in place with their finger as you then tie the string once more to make a knot. If your pom poms were not fluffy, then you need to wrap more yarn around the cardboard. Another tip is to really trim the yarn to make a more compact ball. When I make smaller pom poms, I use the same size cardboard, but trim off quite a lot of the yarn to create a tight firm ball. I hope this helps you so that any pom pom you make in the future are firm, yet fluffy and don’t shed. :-)
Pom-Pom basket decoration for storage is look really good.
thanks for sharing
Pom-Pom basket is really great idea.
Nice Blog.