Rainbow Pom Poms are a brilliant way to use up all the little bits of yarn left over from other projects.

This is easy and quick, let's get stuck straight in! This is how to make pom poms with the quick ‘over the hand’ method. This is great if you don’t have a pom pom maker and don’t want to do the old slow method of cutting cardboard rings.

To make rainbow yarn scrap pom poms with the quick over the hand method you will need:

• Sharp Scissors

• Yarn, wool whatever you call it you'll need some different bits and pieces in a few bright colours. 

This is what I pulled out of my stash. You don't need this much - there is enough here to make about 30 pom poms! Just use up scraps, it doesn't matter what weight the yarn is, if it's fluffy or textured, it all works just fine.

Cut an arm length of one of your yarns. Choose a strong acrylic one (one that doesn't snap when you really pull it) Double it up and lay it between your middle finger.

Now start wrapping your different coloured yarns. Do between 8 and 10 wraps of each then change (1). Just leave the ends dangling. Stop when it looks a bit like photo (2) The more you wrap the fatter the pom pom will be.

Pull the length that you left between your fingers together and knot (3). Pull it as tight as you can then slide the bundle off your fingers (4) Pull the knotted yarn really tight and knot again. Wrap it round the bundle a couple of times and knot again.

Holding the pom pom by the long lengths of yarn cut the loops on both side.

You should have something that looks like this, a bit messy but nearly there.

Now grab your sharp scissors and start to trim. Hold the pom pom over a bin to catch all the little bits.

Trim a bit, give it a shake, fluff it in your hands and them trim a bit more until you are happy with your lovely rainbow pom pom. 

I love making pom poms like this, I don't have a fancy plastic pom pom maker and this is SO much quicker than the old cardboard ring method. I know some people think it is wasteful because you trim away a load of yarn but it honestly doesn't seem too too wastful to me. Here is what ended up in my bin after 1 pom pom:

I suppose how big your pom pom ends up depends on how big your hand is, I feel my hand is pretty average grown up lady size and my finished pom poms are about 2.5" (6cm) in diameter.

I LOVE these rainbow pom poms, I put this one on a grey bobble hat to brighten it up.

I’ve shared a few more ways to make pom poms if you don’t have a pom pom maker here > 3 ways to make pom poms without a pom pom maker.

Julie

I'll be sharing this project at these link parties