Fabulous Fabric Pom Pom Tutorial

Patchwork Bags are the projects in our sewing clubs next half term. This has meant fabric and I mean plenty of fabric at Hope & Gloria HQ - we now have 350 children who come along to our sewing clubs each week which has meant preparing enough fabric squares for 350 patchwork bags. 

This has also meant lots of small offcuts of fabric which are now lying around waiting to be put to use and turned in to a lovely sewing project. I think that these cute fabric pom poms may be the answer.

Pom poms have had a resurgence in popularity of late. I have seen lots of magazine articles suggesting tissue pom poms as party decorations or even wedding decorations. We made some once in a craft club I ran. They were simple to make and looked brilliant. I am a huge fan. However, for some time I have been planning to make them using fabric and this morning I finally got around to it and was delighted with the result.

Now these lovely decorations would also be perfect for upcycling old clothes, curtains, or even bedlinen. They can be made with any fabric strips. So grab yourself some fabric and here's how to make them:

You will need:

Long strips of fabric approx 2cm in width, two cardboard hoops (mine were approx 8cm in width and the hole in the centre was approx 4cm in width)

Step one:

Place the two cardboard hoops together and wrap one of the fabric strips around both of them threading the fabric through the hole at the centre until the cardboard is completely covered.

Step two:

Repeat step two a number of times, building up the layers of fabric until you have a small hole at the centre.

Step three:

This step is tricky so care and patience is required. Children should get a grown up to complete this stage for them as sharp scissors are needed. Cut through the layers of fabric on the outside edge of the circle. You need to cut through all of the layers all the way round until you have reached the two cardboard circles.

Step five:

Now you will need some strong cotton thread or some wool approx 30cm in length. Open out the two cardboard hoops very slightly so that you have just enough room to place the strong cotton thread or wool in between the two pieces of cardboard. Wrap the thread through the middle of the cardboard and around all of the fabric at the centre. Tie a very secure and tight knot to hold the fabric in place. Once you are happy that the fabric pieces are secure remove the cardboard hoops either by sliding off or tearing off.

Tie a knot at the end of the two pieces of thread to make a hanging loop. Give the fabric a trim to make a ball shape if necessary - now your fabulous fabric pom pom is ready for hanging!