We know how much you like to DIY, and we've heard your requests to bring How-To's to Artelexia, so we're very excited to premier this DIY Series with our favorite crafter of all time: Marisa of The Neon Tea Party!
This month, Marisa is here with a fun
Mexican Pom Pom Charm How-to
Hello there, new friends! Marisa Morrison reporting in here from The Neon Tea Party - a colorful, globally-inspired craft blog & events business based in New York City. I’m so excited to kick off our DIY series with Artelexia, showing you fun and festive Mexican-flavored craft projects you can make at home, starting with today’s project: Mexican Pom Pom Charms.
If you’ve been to Mexico in the past couple years, you know that pompones are all the rage in the mercados. You can find them in many forms - from long, colorful garlands to fluffy bag charms and more. There’s one style of charm in particular that has caught my eye for its bold use of color and overall wow-factor, and today I’m showing you how to make it yourself!
The components of this particular charm are:
- Five large, fluffy pom poms stacked in a variety of colors
- One smaller pom pom and one fluffy tassel punctuating the bottom
- A braided loop at the top for attaching to anything you like
You'll need:
- Mexican acrylic yarn in a variety of colors* (eight total if you want all different colors)
- Loome pom pom & tassel tool* or cardboard
- 1.75” circle* and 2.5” circle cut out of cardboard or a cereal box
- Embroidery floss*
- Plastic tapestry needle*
- Scissors
- Bowl or placemat for catching trimmings
*Supplies marked with a * are included in The Neon Tea Party’s Pom Pom & Tassel DIY Kit!
STEP ONE: Pom Poms
For this project, you’ll want to make five large pom poms and one smaller pom pom. For the large pom pom, cut a 2.5” inch circle from a piece of cardboard or cereal box. For the smaller pom pom, cut a 1.75” circle.
You can find all the steps for making perfect pom poms here in The Neon Tea Party’s free video lesson, How to Make Pom Poms!
For the five large pom poms: Wrap yarn 200 total revolutions on the wide side of your Loome tool or a 2.25” piece of cardboard, then use the 2.5” cardboard circle as your trim guide.
For the smaller pom pom: Wrap yarn 160 total revolutions on the narrow side of your Loome tool or a 1.75” piece of cardboard, then use the 1.75” cardboard circle as your trim guide.
STEP TWO: Tassel
For the tassel, use the wide side of your Loome tool or you can use a 2.25” piece of cardboard. Begin by placing the tail of your yarn in any notch of your Loome (or trim a small notch on the side of your cardboard), then wrap the yarn 80 total revolutions. Place the yarn back into the same notch and cut it.
Next, take a fresh piece of yarn and push it through the central space of your wrapped yarn. If you’re using cardboard, you can thread the yarn onto your tapestry needle and bring it underneath the wraps on one side of the cardboard.
Wiggle the strand of yarn to the top of your wrapped yarn away from the cut tails, which will become the bottom of your tassel. Tie a single loose knot at the head of your tassel (like the first step of tying your shoes), pull it to the surface of the yarn, then gently remove the yarn from your Loome or cardboard.
Tighten the knot then secure it with another single knot. Next, cut open all the loops at the bottom of your tassel. To hide the top string, open up your tassel and rotate the knot 180 degrees so that it is now on the underside of your tassel.
Close your tassel and give the bottom a trim to even it out. You should now have six pom poms and one tassel!
STEP THREE: Braided Cord
Cut six strands of yarn about 40 inches long. (Note: Omegacryl yarn comes with three strands together, so each “strand” of yarn will really be three little strands treated as one.)
Pin or tape your yarn down and divide your yarn into three sections with two strands each. Braid the yarn until you get to the end, then leave the braid unknotted. If you knotted the beginning of the braid, undo or trim off the knot. Thread your braid onto your tapestry needle to prepare to string on your pom poms and tassel.
STEP FOUR: Assembly
Start by stringing the tassel onto the braid, going under the small loop on the head of the tassel. Match up the two ends of the braids and push the tassel to the center. Next, thread the other end of the braid onto the tapestry needle as well. You’ll now add your pom poms starting with the small one on the bottom followed by your five large pom poms.
To add each pom pom, locate the interior string inside your pom pom and identify where it forms a straight line. Line up the tapestry needle so that it’s perpendicular to the interior string and in the center of your pom pom (not under the string). Push the pom pom onto the needle then onto the braided cord - it should go on easily (though you may have to push a bit hard since the cord is thick).
Another way to think of stringing on your pom pom: consider that the interior string is like the interior perimeter of a bead’s hole. If you can envision that and identify the interior string, you can hopefully imagine how the bead goes on.
Once all your pom poms are added, knot each end of the braid, then knot the braid together to create a large loop for your pom pom charm. You can now hang your pom pom charm anywhere you please, such as on a doorknob or looped around the handle of a straw bag!
You’ll have everyone fooled thinking you purchased your pom pom charm and totally impress them when you tell them you made it! These charms make such fun gifts, are perfect for kids backpacks for back-to-school and add instant cheer to your home.
If you have any questions about the DIY, be sure to drop your comments below or message me directly at @theneonteaparty. And if you make this project, be sure to share and tag @artelexia and @theneonteaparty so we can see what you’re crafting!
Find more pom pom DIYs here on TheNeonTeaParty.com. Thanks for poming out with us!
Peace, love & neon,
Marisa
The Neon Tea Party is on a mission to prove that everybody (yes, you too!) can craft and encourage you to get in touch with your creative side. TNTP provides fun DIY ideas, kits, and classes to help you make on-trend, globally-inspired products that will add joy to your home and wardrobe. Marisa Morrison is the color-loving, globe-trotting, llama-collecting, DIY-obsessed founder of The Neon Tea Party. When she's not making pom poms or emailing with craft party clients from her mud cloth covered desk, you can find Marisa scrolling Pinterest for fresh project inspiration, cooking dinner for her family and friends, or scheming her next exotic vacation.
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