Kiddipedia
Pom poms
Making pom poms for cats and kittens is a great DIY present idea that is not going to break the bank. Purchasing supplies for some DIY projects can be cost prohibitive. This idea will cost pennies and is a great way to get the kids involved.
Pom poms can be made from wool scraps if they are available. Call all knitter friends as they always have a secret stash of supplies. If not, I would suggest purchasing acrylic yarn as it is cheaper than wool.
Kids love making poms poms. It is super easy to vary the size of the pom poms but my recommendation is to start with something small. It is great to get a quick result. It’s a fun craft activity and the finished result is surprisingly satisfying.
Pom poms can be made using a purchased pom pom maker however poms poms can be easily made the old-fashioned way with two discs of reasonably sturdy cardboard.
Cut two discs the same size. Be aware of the size of the disc, too big and it will take too long to make and take too much yarn and the pom pom makers may lose interest. Think of a diameter of about an inch or a little larger to begin.
Cut a hole in the middle of each disc, the same size, so that the two discs line up together. Now begin winding the yarn through the hole and around the edge of the two discs. Treat the two discs as one disc. Keep on going and the disc will become thicker with yarn and the hole in the middle will become smaller. Using a wool needle with a blunt end aids with yarn threading. Once the discs are fairly dense with yarn cut the yarn.
Now take another short piece of yarn and place it between the two cardboard discs. Pull the yarn tightly and tie a knot. This effectively anchors the wool together around the middle. Now sharp scissors are used to snip the wool in the space between the two discs. Work your way around the disc carefully cutting the yarn. The yarn will begin to fluff out. When all of yarn is snipped, carefully remove each piece of carboard by pulling each piece away. Now the pom pom can be plumped up using the fingers.
The poms poms can be used alone as a toy or they can be used to make a wand toy. Pom poms don’t need to be perfect. Think of the fun in the making and choosing of colours. Multi coloured pom poms look amazing and how about a pom pom in the colours of the cat’s favourite football team. The colour combinations are endless.
There’s no end to the number of wands a cat needs and the best wand will have multiple pom poms.
Thanks to Rebecca Parker, owner of https://isthatyourcat.com
