senior design editor Stacey Smithers shares step-by-step instructions for a playful woolen pompom garland.
This year, I wanted something a bit more playful than the usual greenery on my mantel, so I decided to try my hand at making pompom garlands. rather than traditional red and green, I chose a slightly more sophisticated sugar-plum palette. These garlands look just as nice along a tabletop or up a stair railing — plus, kids love them, too.
TIP: Making the pompoms with yarn in four different colors, thicknesses and materials creates instant visual interest. I varied the sizes of my pompoms and chose four colors that play off one another nicely. String the garlands at different heights to give the display a full look.
You’ll need 1-3 spools of yarn per garland (depending on size of pompoms), scissors and measuring tape.
Begin by tying yarn around one leg of an upturned bench or chair. wrap yarn back and forth around the two legs (the more times you wrap it, the thicker the pompoms will be). The farther apart the two legs are the more pompoms you’ll be able to make. secure the loose end by tying it around one leg.
Take a piece of short yarn and tie it in the middle of the yarn that’s wrapped around the bench’s legs, then remove the entire stretch of yarn from the bench and lay on a flat surface. using a measuring tape, tie a piece of yarn every 2″ (or farther apart for longer pompoms).
Find the middle of each of your 2″ sections of yarn and cut straight down the center on either side of the yarn knots, beginning with the top half of the yarn, followed by the bottom. (Doing this in two parts will help you make a straight cut.) Next, fluff the pompoms and trim them as needed to give them a round appearance.
Once you’re happy with the look of your trimmed pompoms, string them together using a long piece of yarn: Weave the yarn through the knotted yarn in the middle of each pompom that you created in step 2 (use a darning needle, if necessary). I chose light purple yarn, which almost disappears between each of the pompoms once they’re hung. Repeat this process to create multiple garlands for your mantel. Hang and enjoy!