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Create a Winter Wonderland Holiday Pom-Pom Tree

Tina Hilton, contributor

8 users recommend

A pure-white tree reminds us of the beauty of the season.

Tina Hilton

The Clover Pom-Pom Maker is a must-have tool for any serious crafter.

Tina Hilton

Most chain craft stores and Wal-Mart carry a variety of cone sizes.

Tina Hilton

A pure-white tree reminds us of the beauty of the season.

Photo: Tina Hilton

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When we hear pom-pom Christmas tree, we think of the 1960s aluminum tree with pom-poms on the ends of the branches with the revolving color wheel of lights. My pom-pom tree appeals to the softer side of yarn lovers and will not bring back memories of beehive hairdos and Beatle boots! Use it as a holiday table centerpiece or to dress up your seasonal mantelpiece display.

This is a great project for using up random partial skeins in a rainbow of colors, or you could go for the purist route and purchase yarn in a single color scheme for a harmonious effect. I decided not to use the same yarn style, brand, or gauge to create visual interest and a handcrafted appeal.

The traditional way of making pom-poms by wrapping the yarn around cardboard is tedious and often results in a less than perfect pom-pom. Clover Needlecraft recently came out with a slick pom-pom maker that makes quick work out of creating these cute little adornments. They come in a variety of models to create pom-poms as large as 4-1/2 inches to as small as 3/4 inch. My tool-loving husband was fascinated by the gadget and ended up cranking out more than half of the balls required for the project.

Supplies

• Craft yarn such as Lion Brand yarn, Bernat, or Red Heart make great pom-poms and are readily available. I used the following yarn:
   1 skein each: Lion Brand Wool-Ease and Wool-Ease chunky in Tinsel White
   1 skein: Lion Brand Jiffy in White
   1 skein: Lion Brand Homespun in Hepplewhite
   1/2 skein: Bernat Baby Coordinates in color 005 (white)
   Around 100 pom-poms were completed. That doesn’t include the ones the cat ran off with!

The Clover Pom-Pom Maker is a must-have tool for any serious crafters.

• Clover Pom-Pom Makers (a package of large-size 2-1/2 inches and 3-3/8 inches and a package of small-size 1-3/8 inches and 1-5/8 inches)

Most chain craft stores and Wal-Mart carry a variety of cone sizes.

• Styrofoam cone 5-5/8 x 23-7/8 inches (smaller Styrofoam cones are available in sizes ranging from 18 inches tall to a tiny 3 inches)

You can secure the balls with lengths of thin wire or use a glue gun if you can't find floral pins

• Floral pins to secure pom-poms
• Small sharp-tipped scissors

Step-by-Step
Make the pom-pom balls. The number and size of balls you make will be determined by the size Styrofoam cone you use. This will not be an exact science since the finished size of a ball will be determined by the type of yarn you use and how much yarn you wind. I made the large-size pom-poms with the heaviest-weight yarns (Homespun & Wool-Ease Chunky) and the medium and small from worsted-weight yarn (Wool-Ease & Jiffy) and Baby Coordinates.

The more yarn you wrap, the fluffier the pom-pom will be.

Swing out the arms of the pom-pom maker. Beginning at the hinge edge, wrap the yarn tightly back and forth, covering it completely.

Wrap the opposite side with the same amount of yarn.

Once you have wrapped one side, thread the yarn through the slot and wrap the other arm.

If you don't have sharp enough scissors, you can use a box cutter or similar razor cutter. Be very careful...

Cut the yarn evenly around.

Tie the knot as tight as you can to prevent the pom-pom from shedding.

Wrap a 4-inch length of yarn around the pom-pom maker, and tie a tight knot to hold it all together.

If you've really loaded on the yarn, be careful extracting the pom-pom.

Swing out the arms and separate the pom-pom maker to release the newborn pom-pom.

Starting at the base of the cone, attach the pom-poms to the tree. Insert the floral pin into the pom-pom and stab it into the cone.

Insert the pin into the center of the pom.

I began with the largest pom-pom (3-3/8 inches) made the heaviest-weight yarns and made enough to go around the base of the cone, which ended up being seven total. On the second tier, I used only three of this size and alternated them with the 2-1/2-inch pom-poms.

Stagger the balls so that they are not on top of each other. This will help fill in any gaps.

I continued with that size and the worsted-weight yarn (Wool-Ease & Jiffy) halfway up the tree. The next quarter of the tree I used 1-5/8-inch poms, and the last quarter I made 1-3/8-inch poms with the Baby Coordinates yarn. 

If you are more of a glue-gun fan, you can use it to affix the poms. I liked the pins because I could audition the balls in various positions before committing to the location.

Any leftover pom-poms can be used to decorate wreaths, make snowman ornaments, or string them together for garland. Share with us what you have made with your pom-poms!

Holiday Decorating Ideas
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Comments (9)

Tina_Hilton writes: Hi Craftingnomand - I hope you went ahead and made the tree. So sorry I don't get back with you sooner! Between me and my husband I estimate it took us a few evenings in front of the TV. If you cut out the visual distraction and play your favorite party music, you could crank 'um out in a night or so.
Posted: 6:57 pm on January 7th

Craftingnomad writes: This looks amazing, and I want to try to make one for a winter wonderland party I'm hosting. I'm a bit of a novice though --once I buy all of the material, how long do you approximate it takes to make all those pom poms and assemble the tree? (One of similar size to the one shown above?) Thanks!
Posted: 9:39 pm on December 15th

Tina_Hilton writes: Great idea about the lights! I will be on the lookout for a tiny set.
Posted: 12:13 pm on November 25th

OTorres writes: I bet if you added some clear lights, this would really pop. Quite stunning, love it.
Posted: 7:28 pm on November 22nd

Tina_Hilton writes: Please share a photo of your finished pom-pom tree. I can't wait to see it!
Posted: 6:28 am on November 21st

LaurieM writes: What a great idea. I'm going to try it!
Posted: 4:33 pm on November 20th

JenniferStern writes: Tina, What a great idea...I love the non-traditional spin!
Posted: 8:48 am on November 20th

Tina_Hilton writes: This is a great activity for the entire family. Have pom-pom makers on hand over the Thanksgiving holiday and everyone will be waiting in line to have a turn making some. This way you will have a tree made by December first to enjoy throughout the season and create good memories along with it!
Posted: 6:34 am on November 20th

RubyKitty writes: Though I'm officially not even starting to think about Christmas until December, this is a fab idea. It looks lovely and I could see someone making it and bringing it out year after year. So much nicer than shop bought tinsel trees.
Posted: 3:49 am on November 20th

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