Pom Pom Palooza

Pom poms are like little yarn happy pills (I almost titled this post Pom Pom Prozac, but then thought no, too glib. Palooza though, now there’s a catchy title!). There’s been a lot going on over here at Red House West Northern Headquarters–all to the good, but big changes that I’ve been agonizing over–and making these peppy little pom poms has been a nice way to occupy my hands and let my mind relax a little.

I’ve seen tutorials for making pom poms using a fork, or a piece of cardboard, but for a person like me whose big ol’ man-hands are too clumsy to knit (or even, let’s just say it, crochet) those looked a little complicated. Then on a recent foray to JoAnn’s I stumbled upon these pom pom makers from Clover:

Red House West || Pom Poms

I have lots of yarn around from my afore mentioned attempts at the yarn-arts, and I figured this would be a great way to use some of that supply. The pom pom makers don’t come with the greatest instructions, but I found this video helpful.

Once I got proficient at using the Clover pom pom maker making each one took about 3 minutes or so, depending on the size I was using.  I’ve been adorning everything in sight with pom poms since, like this garland draped on the bookshelves in Opal’s room (you can see more of her room here):

Red House West|| Pom Poms

I also tied some to this ho-hum wicker basket that we use as a toy box by the breakfast nook:

Red House West|| Pom Poms

And last but not least, I made a pillow from the leftover fabric I printed for Winnie’s dog bed and added some chirpy pom poms to the corners:

Red House West|| Pom Poms

Opal thinks they look like pony tails.

Opal says they look like ponytails.

I can think of lots of other things that would benefit by the addition of a pom pom or two or ten. They would be really sweet on top of a  wrapped gift, around the edges of a throw blanket, or on the ends of a cozy scarf. Here are some other sunny pom pom ideas from the online DIY hive mind:

found here

found here

Thanks for reading along, I hope these perky pom poms have given you a little boost today!

8 responses on “Pom Pom Palooza

  1. Katy Gilmore

    This post exactly gives a lift! A well-needed lift as the October lamentations seem to have descended on everyone a little early this year. You describe the calm that comes from engaged hands, a focus beyond the squirrel-cage worry mind, a worthy prescription for solace. I loved reading about it – AND seeing the photos of the produced perky, peppy pom poms! I wonder if Opal know that in the olden days, pom poms sometimes adorned the shoes of lucky little girls. Thanks for making your worry beads into a post to cheer.

  2. michellet2013

    Thanks for the cheerful post Mera! I love your pillow—the fabric is fantastic and the addition of the pom poms finishes it off just perfectly! And I think that we probably can’t have too many pom poms as we head into winter.

    1. meramatthews

      It’s true, something about impending winter makes the pom poms seem especially sweet. Maybe it’s the homecoming cheerleader in all of us, sort of like the way I still want to shop for school clothes every fall? Whatever it is, they are satisfying to make (although I know for a fact that unlike me you are a skilled knitter!) and fun to look at. Thanks Michelle!

  3. Susan Glassow

    We’re all feeling the dark days approach — on our river, as the sun drops lower and lower, the shadows from the cliff, rising from its banks, reach toward our shore. The Autumn Equinox turns us toward the Winter Solstice and interior lives, in our homes and in our creative spirits. Your pom pom artistry cheers our way.

    1. meramatthews

      Winter is making its presence known here for sure–there was frost on my car this morning! Your lovely descriptions and steady support cheer my way, thank you Susan!

  4. Carol Crump Bryner

    I love your “happy pills.” The “ponytail” pom poms on the pillow look terrific. We used to put pom poms on our ice skates, and every fall, when I was a cheerleader, we made huge pom poms out of crepe paper to shake and wave while we cheered our teams on to an occasional victory.

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