Do you have an old unused t-shirt laying around? Maybe you even have several? Snatch up your scissors and make pretty fabric pompoms! They are so easy to make, and look absolutely gorgeous!
You will need:
– 1 t-shirt per pompom
– scissors
– cardboard
– a compass and a ruler (optional)
– 1 t-shirt per pompom
– scissors
– cardboard
– a compass and a ruler (optional)
Use a round object (or a compass) to make your template on cardboard. You’ll need 2 identical shapes. I used a container lid for the larger circle (approx 16 cm/6¼ inches across) and my compass for the smaller circle (approx 5.5cm/2 inches across).
Cut wide strips into the t-shirt, approx 1.5cm (0½ in) wide. No need for precision, you can cut as you go.
This is what you’ll have:
Take a fabric strip and place it over one of the cardboard templates, as pictured:
Sandwich it with the 2nd template over it:
Now, let’s start wrapping our fabric strips around the cardboard pieces, starting with the outer edge:
Wrap as pictured, pulling slightly on fabric so it is stretched over the template:
When you reach the end of your first strip, take a second strip and make it overlap a few cms (1 inch) over the first strip:
Continue likewise around.
When you have finished the first layer, start again the whole process twice more to have a total of three layers of fabric.
Now tie the strip which was sandwiched inside, before moving to the next step:
Insert your scissors between the two cardboard templates and cut, holding firmly the center of pompom in place with your other hand.
When you’re done, tighten up the center knot to be able to release the pompom from the cardboard templates.
Make sure you center the knot before tightening it as much as you can. But don’t pull too much as you don’t want to break the fabric strip!
Voilà! Now you can give the pompom a good shake to let the cut ends fall. Or trim the ends into a nice rounded shape.
You can now make pompoms in every color and size! Try changing the size of your cardboard templates, or width of the fabric strips….
I’d love to use those pompoms to ornate presents… or a Xmas tree… How about you? What will you use those pretty fabric pompoms for?
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This tutorial is adapted from the following article: t-shirt pom poms TUTORIAL by Craftaholics anonymous
